Eldest Prisco son has become siblings' caretaker

His father is dead. His mom is in jail charged with murdering his dad. The outburst of violence thrust the eldest son of Kathleen and Ralph Prisco into the role of caretaker for his two siblings.

Just a few months ago, Matthew Prisco, 22, a recent Princeton University graduate, was worrying about finals. Now, he must watch over his sister, Melissa, 19, and brother, Christopher, 16.

"Melissa may well be the strongest of all of us. She's been there for me when I had my moments," Matthew Prisco said in an interview Thursday, referring to stretches of time during the past week when he felt overwhelmed. "I can't speak enough how important family is in all of this."

During the hourlong conversation, Prisco was adamant about not discussing the horrific scene that played out inside the family's sprawling home on Bob O Link Lane in Fort Salonga on the morning of Oct. 30.

According to Suffolk police, he heard a struggle in his parents' master bedroom on the second floor and his father screaming for help. The son's frantic 911 call brought police to the home, where officers found Ralph Prisco, 54, bleeding in the foyer. A kitchen knife, which police believe was used to stab him more than a dozen times, was found near his body.

Matthew Prisco was the only person in the house with his parents at that time, police said.

On Thursday, Matthew Prisco also would not discuss his mother's relationship with his father or talk about his mother's mental health, an issue her attorney, Thomas F. Liotti of Garden City, indicated may be a potential defense at her trial.

"She was deeply paranoid about certain aspects about her life," he said, declining to elaborate.

Two court-appointed psychiatrists evaluated Kathleen Prisco on Thursday to determine whether she is competent to stand trial, Liotti said. A spokeswoman in Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota's office could not confirm that the exam took place, but said one was scheduled.

Matthew Prisco, in the interview, touched on happier times and kept the focus on his father, a tax and pension attorney who liked sailing and owned a boat named Scalawag. He also loved all things Italian.

"Dad was an exceptional man, a gentle man and a fair man who inspired all with whom he came into contact," he said.

The day before he died, Ralph Prisco and his three children were in seats off leftfield at Yankee Stadium, cheering on the Bronx Bombers in Game 2 of the World Series along with thousands of other fans.

"It was just very special to be at the World Series with our dad that night," the eldest son said, adding that his family and others had shared season tickets since the mid-1990s.

Every summer for the past 17 years, he said, the entire family spent a month vacationing in Tuscany, Italy, a place he and his family consider their second home.

"Special time that we'll cherish forever," he said.

A memorial service for Ralph Prisco is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at Chaminade High School in Mineola. Matthew Prisco is a Chaminade graduate and Christopher Prisco is a senior there.