Friends recall a 'gentle giant' in Chester shooting

As officials continue to piece together the events that led to a fatal shooting Sunday, friends of the deceased are struggling to reconcile their memories of the man remembered as a "gentle giant" with witnesses' accounts of him as an ax-wielding assailant.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008808210350                    # # # # Friends recall a 'gentle giant' in Chester shooting Slain man's violent end doesn't match family memories By Josh O'Gorman, Rutland Herald Staff - Published: August 21, 2008 ¶ CHESTER — As officials continue to piece together the events that led to a fatal shooting Sunday, friends of the deceased are struggling to reconcile their memories of the man remembered as a "gentle giant" with witnesses' accounts of him as an ax-wielding assailant. ¶ Sunday night, police arrested Kyle D. Bolaski, 24, of Chester, for allegedly shooting and killing Vincent R. Tamburello Jr., 32, of Springfield. Bolaski has since pleaded innocent in White River Junction District Court to felony charges of second-degree murder and aggravated assault. He was released from Southern State Correctional Facility after posting $100,000 bail. ¶ The alleged shooting took place in MacKenzie Park, and according to court documents, numerous witnesses told police Tamburello had brandished a Taser and an ax, chasing Bolaski with the ax before Bolaski shot Tamburello in what he called self-defense and what prosecutors are calling murder. ¶ That account of Tamburello's last moments of his life — chasing someone through a park with an ax — does not match the memories of those who knew him, who remember him not as a menacing figure of danger, but as a kind friend. ¶ "He was very fun to be around," said Tom Backstrom, of Brockton, Mass., who is married to Tamburello's cousin, Rachel Backstrom, and knew Tamburello for eight years. "Obviously, based on his size you might be intimidated, but after 10 seconds of talking to him you could see he's a nice guy." ¶ Backstrom estimated Tamburello stood between 6 feet, 2 inches and 6 feet, 3 inches tall and weighed about 250 pounds. Candid pictures show Tamburello as a large man heavily muscled and covered in tattoos, but also a man smiling. ¶ "We'd crank up the music and laugh," recalled Sioux Murphy, of Middleton, Mass., who is a friend of Rachel Backstrom and knew Tamburello for two years between 2005 and 2006. "I can't stress this enough — he was so funny." ¶ Backstrom said he and Tamburello liked to play video games together, including many late-night rounds of "Tiger Woods PGA Tour" golf. ¶ Backstrom said Tamburello worked on and off for his father's telecommunication company before moving from Methuen, Mass., to Vermont. ¶ "I heard he was up there just trying to get his life in order," Backstrom said. "He just wanted a fresh start." ¶ Backstrom and Murphy said they had heard Tamburello had a temper, but they never witnessed any explosive behavior in the time they knew him. ¶ "I think everybody loses their temper from time to time. I know that he did have a temper, but that didn't warrant what happened to him," Backstrom said. "Never once did we have any troubles when he was around. He's definitely not the person he's been made out to be. That's definitely not the Vinnie we knew." ¶ "The only time I ever heard him raise his voice was when we were all yelling and having fun," Murphy said. "With someone like that who does have a temper and a history like that, it was all about the people he was around. If he was comfortable, he was fine, but I got the impression that if he was challenged he wasn't the kind of guy to back down." ¶ "I understand good people make bad choices," Murphy continued, "but sometimes bad things happen to good people, too." ¶ Both Murphy and Backstrom remembered the kindness Tamburello showed to their families. Backstrom has a teenage son and Tamburello was a positive influence on him, Backstrom said. ¶ "He's getting to that teenage age and Vinnie was always trying to tell him to do the right thing," Backstrom said. ¶ Murphy remembered how kind Tamburello was to her grandmother, who was suffering from Alzheimer's and dementia. ¶ "I remember he was holding my grandmother's hand and he said, 'Mrs. Murphy, I'm going to take you out to Friendly's and bingo,'" Murphy said, "He earned my respect that day because that was the first time he met her. I always thought of him as a gentle giant." ¶ (This article was corrected Aug. 27, 2008, to show Bolaski posted bail.) ¶