On the chaotic night of July 13, 1977, as New York City was plunged into darkness during a citywide blackout, 17-year-old Dominick Ciscone was fatally shot in the Carroll Gardens neighborhood of Brooklyn. A popular and friendly young man, he was with his brothers and a few friends, setting off fireworks at the corner of Court and Nelson Streets when the incident occurred.
Amid the widespread looting and arson that characterized the blackout, Ciscone's death was the only murder recorded. He was struck by a bullet in the back, and despite being rushed to Long Island College Hospital, he succumbed to his injuries. The bullet caused massive internal hemorrhaging after ricocheting and hitting his liver and inferior vena cava.
In the immediate aftermath, his brother Andrew reportedly chased after the assailant, who fired at him as well, causing a minor injury to his eye. The shooter was said to have fled in a vehicle, described as a 1967 or 1968 green Delta 88 with a loud muffler, that was parked on Smith Street.
Despite investigations into several individuals with whom Ciscone had ongoing disputes, no suspects were ever officially identified, and no arrests have been made in the case. The pervasiveness of crime during the blackout hampered the police investigation. Over the years, theories have emerged, including the possibility of mafia involvement and a prevailing 'culture of silence' in the neighborhood that prevented witnesses from coming forward. Anonymous tips were reportedly received by the NYPD as late as 1997, twenty years after the murder, but these did not lead to a breakthrough in the case. Dominick Ciscone's murder remains unsolved.
