On a November afternoon in 1995, the bustling 99 Restaurant & Pub in Charlestown, Boston, became the scene of a violent eruption that claimed the life of 32-year-old Antonio "Anthony" Sarro and three others. The tragic events of November 6th were not a random act of violence but the culmination of a festering feud that had simmered within Boston's North End.
The day unfolded as Damian Clementi, 20, and Vincent John Perez, 27, entered the restaurant where Sarro was seated with Robert
Luisi, Roman Luisi, Anthony "Sonny" Pelosi Jr., and Richard Sarro. A palpable tension hung in the air, rooted in a long-standing conflict between the Clementi and Luisi families. Damian Clementi, feeling threatened, placed a call to his father, Anthony Clementi. This conversation would prove to be a fatal catalyst.
Anthony Clementi, convinced his son's life was in danger, armed himself with a nine-millimeter handgun and drove to the restaurant with the intention of protecting him. Upon his arrival, what began as a verbal confrontation quickly escalated into a hail of gunfire. Anthony Clementi opened fire, fatally wounding Roman Luisi, Sonny Pelosi, Robert Luisi, and Antonio Sarro. In the ensuing chaos, patrons scrambled for cover, and the restaurant, once filled with the sounds of lunch service, was now a scene of carnage. Richard Sarro was the sole survivor of the five men targeted.
The swift response of two off-duty Everett police officers who were having lunch at the restaurant prevented the assailants from escaping. They pursued and apprehended Damian Clementi and Vincent Perez in the parking lot, where a. 45 caliber pistol was recovered from Damian. Anthony Clementi, after discarding his weapon, was arrested the following day. The subsequent investigation and trials revealed a complex history of animosity and threats between the families. All three men were ultimately convicted for their roles in the deadly shooting, with Anthony Clementi found guilty of four counts of first-degree murder.
