New York cold case ends with Florida man arrested for murder in Queens

QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) — A Florida man was arrested after an abandoned fork linked him to the murder of his uncle in Queens 15 years ago, District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Thursday.

Anthony Scalici, 41, allegedly stabbed his 64-year-old uncle, Rosario Prestigiacomo, inside his Ridgewood home in 2009, authorities said.

For 15 years, Scalici had lived in Boynton Beach, Florida. On May 14, authorities apprehended him.

According to the charges, in February 2009, police were called to Prestigiacomo's home after a neighbor reported hearing a noise. Police found the victim in a pool of blood, lying face down on the ground. The victim was stabbed 16 times in the face, neck, torso, lungs and esophagus. He also suffered blunt force injuries to his head, torso and extremities, records show.

Officials said the cold case was solved through DNA genetic testing and the city's public genealogy databases.

“I formed a Cold Case Unit to bring closure to grieving families and seek justice on behalf of the victims,” said Prosecutor Katz. “This case is an example of the perseverance and determination of the investigators on this and all other unsolved cases and highlights the successful partnership formed between my office and the NYPD Cold Case Squad.”

Scalici was arrested and extradited to New York.

Recording of evidence:

According to documents at the time the evidence was recorded, NYPD crime scene detectives took several blood samples at the scene. Swabs taken at the scene indicated not only a DNA profile of the victim, but also of another unknown man, suggesting the attacker had been injured and bleeding at the scene.

The suspect's DNA profile was entered into local, state and national databases with negative results.

In 2022, authorities used a private laboratory to establish a genealogical profile from the suspect's blood. A family tree was created to identify possible suspects or relatives of the suspect.

The case was assigned to the Cold Case Squad in December 2023. On various dates in January and February 2024, law enforcement monitored Scalici and attempted to obtain a discarded DNA sample. Authorities were able to collect a DNA sample from a fork. The DNA sample matched blood evidence left at the scene, linking Scalici to the crime.

Scalici was charged with second-degree murder. If convicted, he faces 25 years to life in prison.