His family asked attendees to bring the vehicles they ride or drive, saying Paoletti loved anything with wheels, and friends certainly answered that call.
The gathering began at Paoletti's repair shop on Old Baltimore Pike, not far from where he was killed Tuesday afternoon. Family members said he had been returning to the shop after lunch when the shooting occurred.
READ MORE: Motorcyclist killed in alleged road rage shooting in Newark, Delaware; suspect arrested
Motorcyclist killed in alleged road rage shooting; suspect arrested
According to Delaware State Police, Paoletti was stopped behind a car at a red light at Old Baltimore Pike and Salem Church Road when he pulled his motorcycle in front of the vehicle.
Police said the driver then pulled alongside Paoletti, and he got into a verbal argument with the vehicle's occupants.
Investigators said Paoletti got off his motorcycle and reached into a saddlebag, and a man in the car's front passenger seat shot him.
The driver fled the scene. Police later arrested 28-year-old William Simpler Jr. and charged him with first-degree murder.
Family members say the unique vigil was exactly what Paoletti would have wanted.
"Oh, he'd probably be rolling his eyes, but he would love every second of it," said his sister-in-law, Amanda Paoletti.
His brother, Nicholas Paoletti, added, "Yeah, he'd be out there revving the motorcycles like they are."
Nicholas Paoletti also said, "I just wish that like a lot of the negative comments would just stop. He was a great guy. He didn't deserve to go the way he did," he said.
Amanda Paoletti said the loss has been especially hard on their daughter.
"He was my daughter's favorite uncle, and she's taking it really hard," she said.
Pasfor John Willis of Freedom Biker Church said he had only met Paoletti a few times, but the group came out to support a fellow motorcyclist.
"It's a brotherhood. It's a family. And we're all here together just mourning the loss, going through the grieving process, and trying to help each other through it," Willis said.
Authorities said the suspect remains held on a $1.5 million cash bond.