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<spoiler show="Show Article" isPage="true" warningTitle="WARNING! Article includes MAJOR SPOILERS!" warningText="If you have not yet read both [a href='/en/Gray_Rose'][i]Gray Rose[/i][/a] and [a href='/en/Fade_to_Gray'][i]Fade to Gray[/i][/a], you are advised not to expose yourself to any of the information on this page."> | <spoiler show="Show Article" isPage="true" warningTitle="WARNING! Article includes MAJOR SPOILERS!" warningText="If you have not yet read both [a href='/en/Gray_Rose'][i]Gray Rose[/i][/a] and [a href='/en/Fade_to_Gray'][i]Fade to Gray[/i][/a], you are advised not to expose yourself to any of the information on this page."> | ||
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!colspan="2" style="font-size:125%;text-align:center;" | The Mad Batter | !colspan="2" style="font-size:125%;text-align:center;" | The Mad Batter | ||
|- valign="top" | |- valign="top" | ||
! Born | ! style=width:8em | Born | ||
| Giovanni Raffaele Lazzaro | | Giovanni Raffaele Lazzaro | ||
September 12, 1990 | September 12, 1990 | ||
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|- valign="top" | |- valign="top" | ||
! Alma mater | ! Alma mater | ||
| Barbera Academy High School | | [[Barbera Academy High School]] | ||
|- valign="top" | |- valign="top" | ||
! [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conviction Convictions] | ! [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conviction Convictions] | ||
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| March 15, 2016 | | March 15, 2016 | ||
|} | |} | ||
<blockquote>''"[[Gian Lazzaro]]" previously redirected here, until this article was hidden behind a spoiler alert.''</blockquote> | |||
'''Gian Lazzaro''' (born Giovanni Raffaele Lazzaro; September 12, 1990), sometimes known by the mob nickname '''"the Mouse"''' (Italian: ''Il Topo'') or more popularly as '''the''' '''Mad Batter''', is an American serial killer who pleaded guilty to a series of seven homicides committed in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City New York City] between 2008 and 2016. Each murder, and at least one additional attack from which his victim recovered, was perpetrated with a wooden [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball_bat baseball bat]. | '''Gian Lazzaro''' (born Giovanni Raffaele Lazzaro; September 12, 1990), sometimes known by the mob nickname '''"the Mouse"''' (Italian: ''Il Topo'') or more popularly as '''the''' '''Mad Batter''', is an American serial killer who pleaded guilty to a series of seven homicides committed in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City New York City] between 2008 and 2016. Each murder, and at least one additional attack from which his victim recovered, was perpetrated with a wooden [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball_bat baseball bat]. | ||
Lazzaro was never suspected of any of the crimes until weeks after his final murder in 2016. Despite suspicious circumstances, the death of his first victim was initially ruled an accident, and the bodies of his next three victims were not recovered until years later, hampering investigation. At first, no link between any of the victims was readily apparent, and even for some time later, the suggestion of a link was deemed theoretical at best. When police finally began to consider a connection among the cases, suspicion fell primarily upon [[Matteo Di Buca]], a member of the [[Di Buca crime family]] who was known to have attended Barbera Academy High School in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn Brooklyn] with several of the victims (as well as Lazzaro). For a brief time in early March 2016, homicide detective Patrick McMurphy was also suspected of involvement in at least some of the murders, which he allegedly committed in return for bribes from the Di Bucas. However, McMurphy was quickly proven innocent of any wrongdoing. | Lazzaro was never suspected of any of the crimes until weeks after his final murder in 2016. Despite suspicious circumstances, the death of his first victim was initially ruled an accident, and the bodies of his next three victims were not recovered until years later, hampering investigation. At first, no link between any of the victims was readily apparent, and even for some time later, the suggestion of a link was deemed theoretical at best. When police finally began to consider a connection among the cases, suspicion fell primarily upon [[Matteo Di Buca]], a member of the [[Di Buca crime family]] who was known to have attended [[Barbera Academy High School]] in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn Brooklyn] with several of the victims (as well as Lazzaro). For a brief time in early March 2016, homicide detective Patrick McMurphy was also suspected of involvement in at least some of the murders, which he allegedly committed in return for bribes from the Di Bucas. However, McMurphy was quickly proven innocent of any wrongdoing. | ||
On March 15, 2016, Lazzaro was taken into custody by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Police_Department New York City police] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homicide_investigator homicide detectives] outside an abandoned building in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunts_Point,_Bronx Hunts Point, Bronx], a notorious [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-light_district red light district]. In the months that followed, he was indicted and stood trial for all seven murders and one attempted murder, the latter charge eventually being downgraded to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assault#Aggravated_assault assault with a deadly weapon]. Lazzaro pleaded guilty to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_in_New_York_law#Felony_murder_rule first-degree murder] for six of the killings and cooperated fully with authorities throughout the course of the investigation and trial. He bragged openly in court about his crimes, for which the judge frequently held him [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contempt_of_court in contempt]. | On March 15, 2016, Lazzaro was taken into custody by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Police_Department New York City police] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homicide_investigator homicide detectives] outside an abandoned building in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunts_Point,_Bronx Hunts Point, Bronx], a notorious [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-light_district red light district]. In the months that followed, he was indicted and stood trial for all seven murders and one attempted murder, the latter charge eventually being downgraded to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assault#Aggravated_assault assault with a deadly weapon]. Lazzaro pleaded guilty to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_in_New_York_law#Felony_murder_rule first-degree murder] for six of the killings and cooperated fully with authorities throughout the course of the investigation and trial. He bragged openly in court about his crimes, for which the judge frequently held him [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contempt_of_court in contempt]. | ||
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During the trial, it came out that Lazzaro's primary motive for the murders was revenge against two men he claimed had wronged him in years past: Matteo Di Buca, who bullied Lazzaro in high school, and [[Grayson Gaynes]], a police officer who arrested Lazzaro on March 27, 2013 on an unrelated charge of felony drug trafficking. Prior to this confession, the Mad Batter was believed to have chosen his victims based upon a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographic_profile demographic profile], since all but one of them were women under the age of 25, primarily blue-eyed, brunette Caucasians. | During the trial, it came out that Lazzaro's primary motive for the murders was revenge against two men he claimed had wronged him in years past: Matteo Di Buca, who bullied Lazzaro in high school, and [[Grayson Gaynes]], a police officer who arrested Lazzaro on March 27, 2013 on an unrelated charge of felony drug trafficking. Prior to this confession, the Mad Batter was believed to have chosen his victims based upon a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographic_profile demographic profile], since all but one of them were women under the age of 25, primarily blue-eyed, brunette Caucasians. | ||
Observers have noted that Lazzaro seems to enjoy the publicity the murders and his subsequent trial generated. In fact, Lazzaro admitted to calling in many of the | Observers have noted that Lazzaro seems to enjoy the publicity the murders and his subsequent trial generated. In fact, Lazzaro admitted to calling in many of the anonymous tips police received while investigating his killings, though most of those tips were intended to implicate Di Buca. The same observers have pointed out that this kind of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention_seeking attention seeking] is another common motive among serial killers. On numerous occasions in the years following his arrest, Lazzaro has attempted to sell book or film rights to his story, but New York State's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_of_Sam_law Son of Sam laws] have prevented any such arrangements, on the grounds that criminals should not profit financially from their crimes. | ||
Lazzaro is currently incarcerated in state prison, serving five consecutive life sentences. | Lazzaro is currently incarcerated in state prison, serving five consecutive life sentences. | ||
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=== Amanda Morrissey === | === Amanda Morrissey === | ||
[[Amanda Morrissey]] was Lazzaro's very first victim. Her murder was not planned, but it set the tone for Lazzaro's later premeditated killings, establishing the Mad Batter's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modus_operandi modus operandi] and giving him a taste for the power a killer wields over his victims. | [[Amanda Morrissey]] was Lazzaro's very first victim. Her murder was not planned, but it set the tone for Lazzaro's later premeditated killings, establishing the Mad Batter's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modus_operandi modus operandi] and giving him a taste for the power a killer wields over his victims. | ||
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=== Alivia Odette === | === Alivia Odette === | ||
[[Alivia Odette]] was Lazzaro's second victim, and like all those who followed, her murder was premeditated. By this time, Lazzaro was almost four years out of high school, and had been unofficially employed by the Di Buca crime family that entire time as a drug trafficker. Although Lazzaro had little interaction with Odette following graduation, she remained friendly with Di Buca, and the two were known to be romantically involved at the beginning of 2013. Seeing this as an opportunity, Lazzaro sneaked into Di Buca's office at one of the crime family's warehouses and used Di Buca's own mobile phone to engage in a text message conversation with Odette. Under the impression she was speaking with Di Buca, Odette agreed to meet him at their favorite café later that day. Lazzaro immediately deleted the conversation history from Di Buca's phone. | [[Alivia Odette]] was Lazzaro's second victim, and like all those who followed, her murder was premeditated. By this time, Lazzaro was almost four years out of high school, and had been unofficially employed by the Di Buca crime family that entire time as a drug trafficker. Although Lazzaro had little interaction with Odette following graduation, she remained friendly with Di Buca, and the two were known to be romantically involved at the beginning of 2013. Seeing this as an opportunity, Lazzaro sneaked into Di Buca's office at one of the crime family's warehouses and used Di Buca's own mobile phone to engage in a text message conversation with Odette. Under the impression she was speaking with Di Buca, Odette agreed to meet him at their favorite café later that day. Lazzaro immediately deleted the conversation history from Di Buca's phone. | ||
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=== Ann-Marie Toscani & Edward Vittorio === | === Ann-Marie Toscani & Edward Vittorio === | ||
[[Ann-Marie Toscani]] and [[Edward Vittorio]] were the victims of Lazzaro's third attack against members of the clique that bullied him in high school, and Lazzaro's first double homicide. More than a year had passed since the previous murder, mostly because Lazzaro had been incarcerated following his March 2013 arrest by Grayson Gaynes. Following Lazzaro's release on April 17, 2014, he fell back into working for the Di Buca crime family, where he was welcomed back as if nothing had happened. This only served to enrage Lazzaro further, considering the family's lack of assistance in his criminal defense, and he began actively looking for another opportunity to sate his needs while hurting Matteo Di Buca at the same time. When Lazzaro discovered that Di Buca was now romantically involved with Ann-Marie Toscani, another member of the old clique, the killer knew he'd identified his next victim. | [[Ann-Marie Toscani]] and [[Edward Vittorio]] were the victims of Lazzaro's third attack against members of the clique that bullied him in high school, and Lazzaro's first double homicide. More than a year had passed since the previous murder, mostly because Lazzaro had been incarcerated following his March 2013 arrest by Grayson Gaynes. Following Lazzaro's release on April 17, 2014, he fell back into working for the Di Buca crime family, where he was welcomed back as if nothing had happened. This only served to enrage Lazzaro further, considering the family's lack of assistance in his criminal defense, and he began actively looking for another opportunity to sate his needs while hurting Matteo Di Buca at the same time. When Lazzaro discovered that Di Buca was now romantically involved with Ann-Marie Toscani, another member of the old clique, the killer knew he'd identified his next victim. | ||
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As with Odette before, Toscani's parents soon reported her missing. Di Buca came under suspicion much more quickly this time, but there was even less evidence linking him to Toscani's disappearance than Odette's. Vittorio wasn't reported missing for several more weeks, and even then, his disappearance was not linked to Toscani's, so secret had their affair been. | As with Odette before, Toscani's parents soon reported her missing. Di Buca came under suspicion much more quickly this time, but there was even less evidence linking him to Toscani's disappearance than Odette's. Vittorio wasn't reported missing for several more weeks, and even then, his disappearance was not linked to Toscani's, so secret had their affair been. | ||
By January 2015, seven months after Toscani and Vittorio's murder, the related missing persons cases had gone cold. In the first stage of his plan to pit Di Buca against police officer Gray Gaynes, Lazzaro called in the first of his now-famous | By January 2015, seven months after Toscani and Vittorio's murder, the related missing persons cases had gone cold. In the first stage of his plan to pit Di Buca against police officer Gray Gaynes, Lazzaro called in the first of his now-famous anonymous tips. He asked for Gaynes by name and implicated Di Buca not only in Toscani's death but also Vittorio's, which led Gaynes to officially connect the two disappearances for the first time. In the months that followed, Gaynes came to believe Di Buca guilty of Odette's death as well, and he even theorized that Morrissey was Di Buca's first victim. (Gaynes was later vindicated on all points except the identity of the killer.) On March 27, 2015, Gaynes performed Di Buca's very first arrest, but was forced to release him days later for lack of evidence. He couldn't yet prove that any of the four victims had been murdered, much less by Di Buca. | ||
=== Rose Moynihan === | === Rose Moynihan === | ||
[[Rose Moynihan]] was Lazzaro's fifth victim, and the only non-brunette woman he murdered (she was a redhead). By Lazzaro's own confession, Moynihan's death was nothing more than a "bonus"; his true target was Grayson Gaynes, Moynihan's husband, who had arrested and humiliated Lazzaro years earlier. By that time, Gaynes was actively investigating Matteo Di Buca for the murders Lazzaro had committed. Lazzaro intended to kill both Moynihan and Gaynes, and for Di Buca to take the fall. Considering the well-publicized animosity between Gaynes and Di Buca, and the fact that Gaynes had only just arrested and released Di Buca days prior, Di Buca would have made for a very plausible killer. With Gaynes dead and Di Buca in prison the rest of his life, Lazzaro believed his "debt" would finally be settled, both his "tormentors" repaid in kind for the humiliation they had visited upon him. | [[Rose Moynihan]] was Lazzaro's fifth victim, and the only non-brunette woman he murdered (she was a redhead). By Lazzaro's own confession, Moynihan's death was nothing more than a "bonus"; his true target was Grayson Gaynes, Moynihan's husband, who had arrested and humiliated Lazzaro years earlier. By that time, Gaynes was actively investigating Matteo Di Buca for the murders Lazzaro had committed. Lazzaro intended to kill both Moynihan and Gaynes, and for Di Buca to take the fall. Considering the well-publicized animosity between Gaynes and Di Buca, and the fact that Gaynes had only just arrested and released Di Buca days prior, Di Buca would have made for a very plausible killer. With Gaynes dead and Di Buca in prison the rest of his life, Lazzaro believed his "debt" would finally be settled, both his "tormentors" repaid in kind for the humiliation they had visited upon him. | ||
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Though Gaynes remained in a coma, Lazzaro feared the police officer might awake at any moment and name his attacker, so the killer went on the run. Stealing a hundred thousand dollars cash from his employers (money the Di Buca crime family had itself allegedly stolen in a [[Alleged Di Buca 2014 armored car heist|2014 armored car heist]]), Lazzaro fled to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toledo,_Ohio Toledo, Ohio], where he remained for the next month. | Though Gaynes remained in a coma, Lazzaro feared the police officer might awake at any moment and name his attacker, so the killer went on the run. Stealing a hundred thousand dollars cash from his employers (money the Di Buca crime family had itself allegedly stolen in a [[Alleged Di Buca 2014 armored car heist|2014 armored car heist]]), Lazzaro fled to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toledo,_Ohio Toledo, Ohio], where he remained for the next month. | ||
Still eager to shift blame onto the Di Buca crime family, even if Matteo Di Buca could not have personally carried out the attack on Gaynes and Moynihan, Lazzaro called in another of his | Still eager to shift blame onto the Di Buca crime family, even if Matteo Di Buca could not have personally carried out the attack on Gaynes and Moynihan, Lazzaro called in another of his anonymous tips. This time, he gave homicide squad detectives the exact location of Toscani's body inside the warehouse managed by Di Buca. Unfortunately for Lazzaro, that still wasn't enough for police to arrest Di Buca. | ||
Matters worked out to the killer's advantage in a different way, however. For when Grayson Gaynes awoke from his coma, he claimed no recollection of the April 5 attack, including the identity of his attacker. Lazzaro was free to return to New York City, which he did in late May 2015. He immediately sought out employment—and protection—from the Russo crime family, chief rivals of the Di Bucas; Lazzaro dreaded retribution from the Di Bucas if he was ever suspected of the theft of that hundred thousand dollars, but his fears never materialized. Soon, Lazzaro was back on the streets, now selling guns for the Russos instead of drugs for the Di Bucas, his clientele consisting primarily of minors and gang members. | Matters worked out to the killer's advantage in a different way, however. For when Grayson Gaynes awoke from his coma, he claimed no recollection of the April 5 attack, including the identity of his attacker. Lazzaro was free to return to New York City, which he did in late May 2015. He immediately sought out employment—and protection—from the Russo crime family, chief rivals of the Di Bucas; Lazzaro dreaded retribution from the Di Bucas if he was ever suspected of the theft of that hundred thousand dollars, but his fears never materialized. Soon, Lazzaro was back on the streets, now selling guns for the Russos instead of drugs for the Di Bucas, his clientele consisting primarily of minors and gang members. | ||
=== Alyssa Lori === | === Alyssa Lori === | ||
[[Alyssa Lori]] was Lazzaro's sixth murder victim, and the first of his victims (aside from Moynihan) against whom he held no preexisting grudge. Lazzaro could not conscience the fact that ten months had passed since Moynihan's death and both Di Buca and Gaynes remained alive and free. Killing Lori was primarily about restarting the feud between the mobster and the police officer, though Lazzaro's psychosis also created an itch he "desperately needed to scratch." | [[Alyssa Lori]] was Lazzaro's sixth murder victim, and the first of his victims (aside from Moynihan) against whom he held no preexisting grudge. Lazzaro could not conscience the fact that ten months had passed since Moynihan's death and both Di Buca and Gaynes remained alive and free. Killing Lori was primarily about restarting the feud between the mobster and the police officer, though Lazzaro's psychosis also created an itch he "desperately needed to scratch." | ||
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=== Jennifer Thompson === | === Jennifer Thompson === | ||
[[Jennifer Thompson]] was the seventh and final victim in Lazzaro's series of murders. She was killed less than a week after Lori, and is one of the few victims (with Lori) whose death Lazzaro has ever expressed remorse over. In a February 2019 interview marking the third anniversary of that crime, Lazzaro called Thompson's murder "a necessary evil." | [[Jennifer Thompson]] was the seventh and final victim in Lazzaro's series of murders. She was killed less than a week after Lori, and is one of the few victims (with Lori) whose death Lazzaro has ever expressed remorse over. In a February 2019 interview marking the third anniversary of that crime, Lazzaro called Thompson's murder "a necessary evil." | ||
