Jay Piccirillo, owner of Micalizzi Italian Ice on Madison Avenue in Bridgeport, died suddenly Friday, according to his family.

"We were all shocked and saddened to get this tragic news," said State Sen. Herron Gaston. "Jay was a caravan of love, as we like to say in our church, and he will be deeply missed.”

Piccirillo, who had just turned 54, was a beloved figure in the Bridgeport community. City Councilman Ernie Newton, who took part in a vigil at Beardsley Park, remembered him as "a giant of Connecticut whose legacy will be the love he showed for others."

"Jay was a Bridgeport treasure and we are still processing this sudden tragic loss," Newton said.

Piccirillo collapsed near his treadmill Friday morning, according to a family member. An official cause of death has not yet been detailed.