When the siblings were younger, Ms. Rashford said, she scrawled her name on every page of his sixth-grade graduation book: "Maria, the Grates," misspelling "great" the way a first grader might. "He was so mad at me," she recalled.

But over the years, the moment became a fond connection. Whenever Mr. Ercolino gave her a card, he would sign it with love from "Steve, the Grates."

In her eulogy, Ms. Rashford spoke of her brother's bright smile and how, with his sharp fashion sense, he "rocked a suit better than anyone." She recalled his passion for both New York football teams, the Jets and the Giants. He was a devoted son to his parents, affectionate with his mother and calling or sending text messages to his father every day, Ms. Rashford said.

Mr. Ercolino, who lived with his girlfriend, Ivette Rivera, in Hoboken, N.J., was a loyal friend with a sense of humor, Ms. Rashford said, and he was known for his impersonations.

"Steve was full of life," she said. "As big as his muscles seemed to be, they weren't as big as the size of his heart."

Mr. Ercolino, 41, was ambushed on Friday on a crowded street by a former co-worker and office rival who, the police said, held Mr. Ercolino responsible for the loss of his job.

The former co-worker, Jeffrey T. Johnson, shot Mr. Ercolino five times outside the building, which housed Hazan Imports, the apparel importer for which Mr. Ercolino was a sales executive. Mr. Johnson, 58, had been laid off from Hazan, where he was a designer, about two years ago.

After killing Mr. Ercolino, Mr. Johnson was confronted by two police officers. He removed a gun from a bag, and the officers opened fire, killing him.

Ms. Rashford said that Mr. Ercolino's family had received hundreds of messages and phone calls from people sharing "how my brother helped people change their lives."

His family has been comforted by that, Ms. Rashford said, and by how he lived, with laughter and love. She urged the mourners to live the same way.