Besides the hundreds of copies of Metro David Tagliaferro would hand out to Red Line commuters each morning, the Somerville resident always had something else on hand for special passersby.
Tagliaferro was known to hand out treats for dogs.
It was an easy gesture, but one that personified the veteran Metro hawker who took the seemingly simple task of handing out free newspapers to a personal level and went above and beyond in greeting the people making their way to work and school through Davis Square.
Tagliaferro, who for six years was part of the morning routine for countless Red Line commuters, died suddenly Saturday at his Somerville home. He was 66. The cause of death was not immediately known.
Walt Zorkers, Metro Boston’s distribution manager, said Tagliaferro was a “very warm person” and was one of Metro’s “most beloved promoters.”
“He was well-known in the community and he had plenty of smiles himself to hand out,” said Zorkers.
Tagliaferro’s dedication to his job was the subject of a 2007 Boston Magazine profile.
Dozens of commuters wrote messages on poster boards left at the Davis Square station this morning announcing Tagliaferro’s death.
“The bright spot of my day! You will be missed,” wrote Bridget F.
A memorial poster will be left at the station tomorrow morning during Tagliaferro’s shift for others who want to leave a message.
More people expressed their sympathies and sadness online through Twitter:
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