~ Malden Musings ~ In Memory of Scott Carroll

By Peter Levine

I first met Scott Carroll when Tyrannosaurus rex roamed the earth. In the early 1980s Scotty was an eager, bright-eyed 15-year-old with a friendly smile toiling in Albert Spadafora’s kitchen on Canal Street along with a motley crew of coworkers. He was polite, hardworking and always hustling. On occasion his coworkers would take a break in the parking lot and delight in some of life’s more hedonistic rituals. Straight edge, before straight edge, not Scotty though. He was driven to excellence and had some serious goals in mind for the future.

Fast forward to 2024; Scotty Carroll is now Lieutenant Scott Carroll, a valued member of the administration and operations division at the Malden Police Department. So, I’m sitting in the office at the Parking Department and who pulls an unexpected pop in?! My pally Lt. Carroll! No exaggeration here – always such a pleasure to see him. Anybody who knows Scott, knows what I speak of. We talked playoff bocce ball at the Italian American Citizen’s Club, the late Butchie Gennetti, the Saint Rock Festa and his love of this simple but at times banal column of mine. I explained to him that all you have to do, Scott, is compliment me or my column in order to get your name in print. Solid gold, I says to him, you’re “in like Flynn,” my friend. I got some good words for you!

Scott Carroll died unexpectedly on November 3 at the age of 56. Scotty was a dedicated professional and respected leader. He served with professionalism, integrity and pride – joining the ranks of the Malden Police Department in 2000 after honorably serving in the U.S. Marine Corps; progressing through the ranks, becoming a sergeant in 2014, and lieutenant in 2023, contributing to the MPD criminal investigation and special operations units.

Not what I expected to be writing, Scotty. Never in a million lifetimes could I envision these words, my friend. This ain’t the way I saw it, dude. Even as I write these words, two weeks after, it ain’t easy. Gotta be frank with ya, kid, Malden is really struggling without you. To his wife Fran and two children Isabella (Bell) and Francesca (Cess), my sincerest condolences – “only time moves onto the next scene, memories remain in the heart forever.”

My stepdaughter Angela has fought the good fight in life but not before hitting a couple of speed bumps along the way as a young adult. They were the darkest of times, but possessing the heart of a lioness, the determination of a prizefighter (think Marvin Hagler circa 1977) and a lifesaving mitzvah from family and friends (most notably her mom, who sacrificed all in her daughter’s fight for survival), Angela is today one of life’s glorious success stories. She is now mother to 14-year-old Christian, 11-year-old Lola, four-year-old Lana and two-year-old Milo, her grit and resolution earning her the respect and admiration of all who watched this incredible journey of hers. Me raising my hand as her number one fan. Along this unthinkable journey was one Malden Police Officer who will remain forever in her (and our) hearts and go down as the unsung hero in her life (and ours).

Here is Angela Falzaranos’ Scotty Carroll story: “The night was Tuesday December 13, 2005. I was 20 years old. A night I’ll never forget. It was like any other ordinary night. I was off again to poison my body and destroy my life further. That night was different though. With self-shame and misery drowning my soul, I drove down Lebanon Street from Seaview toward Sylvan in my ’99 red Pontiac Grand Prix off to an endless Existence. Suddenly, blue lights. As the two police officers searched my car, I remember very few details. However, what I remember most is how I felt. One of the detectives looked upon me as if I were not a person. To that detective, I did not deserve compassion. I was a threat. I was the enemy. Rightfully so. However, there was another detective present. His eyes were filled with compassion, concern, and confusion. His eyes resembled my parents’ eyes. How could a girl like me be driving into such a horrible future. That night was the last night of my expected future. I went on to graduate drug court months later, and that same compassionate detective was at my graduation. Thank you, Officer Carroll, thank you for seeing me for more than I could see myself in that time. Thank you for your kindness and thank you for your support. You helped save my life.”

Councillor-at-Large Craig Spadafora has known Scott since he was a wee small pup. Malden 2024 should know that Craig is a man of compassion whose empathy knows no bounds, much like his parents Albert and Franny. His words are always touching and are delivered straight from the heart: “Scott was truly one of a kind. I’ve had the privilege of knowing him since I was 10 years old, and in all those years, I never saw him anything but upbeat. He was the kind of person who would do anything for anybody, always with a smile. Scott’s love for his country was unquestionable, and he was immensely proud to serve in the U.S. Marines. His unwavering positivity and selflessness left a lasting impact on everyone who knew him. Scott’s kindness and dedication to others are qualities that will be deeply missed. Rest in peace, my dear friend. Your memory will always be cherished. Semper Fidelis, old friend.”

As Peter Falk’s iconic TV character Columbo would say, “Just one more thing, sir” – friends for over 40 years, nobody knew Scotty better than the Whitneys; Scotty, Sue and their children Mellissa and Eric were blood. Here is Eric pouring his heart out: “I was fortunate and lucky enough to have you as a part of my life from day one and you continued to be there for every one of my favorite memories. You were undoubtedly the best godfather, uncle, and friend anyone could have ever asked for. You brought a smile to each and every persons face that you met (especially when you ordered a ‘cappuccino espresso thingy’) and broke the record on every golf course you ever played. You fought for our freedom and continued to protect us when you returned home, and I was honored to have you as part of my life. You were such a special person in all our lives, and I don’t know how we will ever fill this void. I love you and miss you so much already Uncle Skate. Rest in peace…Lurch.”

Postscript 1: “Some trails are happy ones, others are blue. It’s the way you ride the trail that counts, here’s a happy one for you. Happy trails to you, until we meet again. Happy trails to you, keep smiling until then.” Eric continues… “Oh yeah, there were also many wonderfully funny moments with our dear friend Scotty. Something that will live with me forever was when ‘Uncle Skate’ crashed my high school graduation party in a full-on gorilla suit, jumping up and down on tables bringing the house down in the process. What the heck!? Then on a ski mobile trip with Fran Spadafora, Anthony & Gina Spadafora, and my father and mother, we mistakenly gave the ‘Marine’ the map and leadership duties. Big mistake! Skate got us lost and out of gas in the middle of the White Mountains with us literally making it back on empty with a search party in the parking lot upon our arrival. I would be remiss if I did not mention that Scott was not a world class traveler in his younger years…when we asked Skate when he was leaving for the Bahamas, he responded, ‘I’m not going to the Bahamas, I’m going to Nassau!’ Too many special memories to recount, all filled with love and laughter, and here I am sharing them with the world. Miss and love you, Uncle Skate.”

Postscript 2: This hurts. It hurts on so many different levels. Richie Cremone, Jimmy Damiano, Steve Bouley, Butch Gennetti, Ernie Ardolino… you’d think at some point you would become anaesthetized to the hurt. You never do. This hurt is real, it’s all too raw. The world’s a little colder, without you, Scotty. Wish you didn’t have to leave us when you did, my friend.

Postscript 3: I leave this week with some much-needed humor, a famous Scotty Carroll quote compliments of Scotty Carroll hisself: “I wear the pants in this family…when Frans not home.” Scotty Carroll; forever in our hearts and souls.

—Peter is a longtime Malden resident and a regular contributor to The Malden Advocate and can be reached at PeteL39@aol.com for comments, compliments or criticisms.