Final Goodby for 3 in Family Killed by Auto

Twelve-year-old John Vaccarello took a last walk with his mother Friday. His hand firmly guided her mahogany coffin up the aisle of a church. His eyes never left two other coffins--one for each of his sisters.

It was the final goodby for Cathy Vaccarello and her daughters. They were killed, police said, by a drunken driver who was indicted as the three were buried.

Mrs. Vaccarello, 47; her husband, Giovanni, 51; Maria, 18; and Concetta, 17, were run down Sunday as the family left a party in the borough of Queens.

Abraham Meyers, who had his license suspended 26 times and has at least one drunken-driving conviction, was driving 70 m.p.h. at night with his headlights off and ran a red light, police said.

A grand jury found the behavior “so wanton, so deficient in moral conscience and concern, so devoid of regard to the lives of others and so blameworthy” that it indicted him on three counts each of murder, reckless manslaughter and vehicular manslaughter.

He also was charged with assault and vehicular assault and driving while intoxicated. If convicted, he faces life in prison.

Meyers is being held in jail without bail until his arraignment, scheduled for May 26. Meyers’ attorney, Andrew Worgam, said his client is “completely sorry that it’s happened and he’s completely sorry (for) the family.”

Vaccarello survived, but has serious head, neck and leg injuries. He left a hospital briefly to attend a private funeral service for his family in Brooklyn, but he was not at Our Lady of Guadalupe church for a larger gathering.

Young girls in plaid uniforms, teen-agers wearing white varsity sweaters, college students and friends jammed into the 2,500-seat church.

John, who stayed behind the night of the party to help a cousin clean up, helped carry his mother’s coffin from the church, tears welling in his eyes.

The family’s priest, Msgr. Angelo Brugli, choked back sobs during the service each time he spoke of the Vaccarellos, first in English and then in Italian for Mrs. Vaccarello’s mother and father, who flew in from Italy.

“They were planning to come next month to attend graduations for Concetta and John,” said Sister Frances, a first-grade teacher who taught all three Vaccarello children. “Instead, they come for this.”

Concetta, a high school senior, was a team leader for her school’s Students Against Driving Drunk chapter. She helped plan a campaign that was supposed to be presented next week, but was canceled.

Concetta won a scholarship and planned to attend St. John’s University in the fall. Maria, a Brooklyn College student, hoped to become a doctor.