On a spring afternoon, 61-year-old Roger Mariani, a male resident of Stratford, Connecticut, was enjoying a motorcycle ride on Interstate 95 in West Haven. It was Sunday, April 2, 2006, when the ride took a tragic turn. What was initially reported to State Police as a motorcycle accident was soon discovered to be a shooting. Mariani, who was known as "Bear," was found suffering from a gunshot wound and was rushed to Yale New Haven Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Another motorcyclist, Paul Carrol, 37, of Bridgeport, was also injured in the incident but was treated and released from the hospital.
Mariani was a longtime member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, having been a member for 31 years. His death was mourned by bikers from all over the country who gathered for his funeral services. Known as a friendly man with a big heart, Mariani was a U.S. Army veteran who served two tours of duty in the Vietnam War, earning two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star. After his military service, he became an accomplished Harley-Davidson mechanic and later worked as a loan officer.
State Police immediately launched an investigation into the shooting, securing the crime scene on I-95. Witnesses at the scene provided preliminary information, and police began searching for a green GMC sports utility vehicle with Florida registration plates, believed to be occupied by four males. Despite the ongoing investigation and a strong police presence at Mariani's funeral due to concerns about potential retaliation between rival motorcycle gangs, no arrests have been publicly announced in connection with the shooting. Police stated they had no evidence that the shooting was the result of a rivalry. The case remains a stark and violent chapter in the history of the area, leaving friends and family to remember the man they described as a "true Angel."
