In the winter of 1981, a man's search for his missing son would lead to his own tragic end on the streets of Brooklyn, New York. Albert Viggiano, a male resident of the borough, became entangled in the violent world of organized crime, a world that would ultimately consume him and his other son. The harrowing story began with the disappearance of Albert's son, Joseph Viggiano.
Desperate for answers, Albert and his other son, Paul, sought information about Joseph's whereabouts.
Their search led them to a fateful meeting in Canarsie, Brooklyn, on December 21, 1981. They were lured to this meeting under the false promise of receiving information about Joseph. Instead, they were met by the infamous and ruthless DeMeo Crew, a faction of the Gambino crime family known for their brutality. The leader of this crew, Roy DeMeo himself, orchestrated the ambush. Both Albert and Paul were shot and killed in a cold-blooded execution, their lives cut short in a hail of gunfire.
The motive behind the murders was intrinsically linked to the criminal activities of the DeMeo Crew. Joseph Viggiano had reportedly owed money to a member of the crew, and his disappearance was the result of a fatal encounter with them. Albert and Paul's persistent investigation into Joseph's disappearance was seen as a threat by the crew, a loose end that needed to be eliminated to protect their criminal enterprise. The murders were a brutal message to anyone who might consider crossing them or cooperating with law enforcement.
Investigations into the slayings of Albert and Paul Viggiano were fraught with challenges. The DeMeo Crew was notorious for its efficiency and its ability to intimidate potential witnesses, making it incredibly difficult for law enforcement to build a case. While the crew was eventually dismantled through the relentless efforts of investigators, securing justice specifically for the Viggiano family proved to be a complex and arduous process. Roy DeMeo, the man who personally carried out the executions, was himself murdered by his own associates before he could be brought to trial for the Viggiano killings, a violent end to a violent life.
