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Further Information Surfaces in Rispoli Investigation

Jan. 30, 2013 By Christian Murray

New details have emerged in the murder investigation of Lou Rispoli who was brutally attacked by three individuals outside a residential building at 41-00 43rd Avenue last October.

Deputy Inspector Donald Powers, speaking at the police precinct meeting in Sunnyside last night, said that the department had better information as to the car the suspects were driving.

He said that the NYPD has information that the alleged perpetrators were traveling in a white, two-door, late-model sports car, with extra bright lights and a loud muffler. Powers said the loud muffler had nothing to do with damage.

This information came to light at the same time the NYPD released the sketches of two of the three suspects.

Powers would not comment as to how all this new information had surfaced and wouldn’t say whether there were new witnesses in the case. However, he said the witness(es) had provided the department with enough detail on the suspects that the sketches could be released.

Initially, when the murder took place, there were two witnesses.  The police spoke to more than two months ago.  It has only been since Friday that the public has heard that there were leads in the case.

Crime Stats

Meanwhile, at the police precinct meeting, Powers reported that the number of reported crimes fell 6.1% in 2012, compared to 2011.  The precinct covers Sunnyside, Woodside and Long Island City.

However, the decline was largely driven by a decrease in non-violent crime,s such grand larceny and stolen automobiles. Violent crimes rose.

The numbers are as follows:

2012, 2011

4, 2 murders

15, 11 rapes

189, 155 robberies

142, 123 felony assaults

246, 292 burglaries

462, 510, grand larceny

137, 180 stolen automobiles

 Total

1,195, 1,273

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20 Comments

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Ferdia

Sorry, but did i miss a link to the sketches? It seems to me that’s a glaring omission in an article about new information. Most of the comments here indicate a great interest in helping and it seems the sketches would help at least as much as looking for white cars with bright lights and loud mufflers. Please post a link to the sketches.
As far as the man’s personal habits, they ARE relevant and should be discussed. But there seems to be a belief that his life is worth less or that it should be less important to police until other victims are more important to police. Someone’s dead. Find the killers.

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Get a Life

I hope this crime is solved and soon. I have a feeling that the perpetrators are not living in Sunnyside. If they are, I think they would have been turned in a while ago.

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Sue

@Mr. Murphy- I completely agree with you, and @Heartbroken, I’m so sorry for your loss.

I realize that this is a public forum and people can say what they want. But unless folks have information that is helpful for a police investigation, (and if you do, speak up,) I wish you would stop theorizing about Mr. Rispoli’s murder. If it isn’t something you would say if you were face to face with someone who loved him, then keep it to yourself.

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JuliaJ.

Is it possible that the perps are not from Sunnyside? I hope the sketches are shown throughout Queens, also in Astoria, LIC and Jackson Heights.

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JuliaJ.

Is this the Mr. Murphy who owns Murphy’s bar?
I hope the police solve this case – and yesterday!

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Mr. Murphy

Everybody should be a bit more sensitive to this particular crime issue / forum subject. A fellow Sunnyside neighbor was killed, in a horrible manner and the perpetrators are still on the loose. Nothing to make snarky comments about. Now, if you KNOW for sure that Mr. Rispoli was buying drugs, that’s a different story. Suddenly people in this neighborhood can’t be kind to each other. One person hates hipsters. One person hates dogs. Everybody hates Ruben apparently, whoever he is. Can’t we all just get along?

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Heartbroken

Please note that this crime has not been solved, and this is the sole reason why those who love Lou are generating publicity. The entire process is extremely painful for everyone involved.

@DrugDealingGuru Lou was no junkie.

@Sunnysider The perpetrators will be caught. It might take time, maybe not – but they will be caught.

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Sunnysider

Unfortunately I think the perpetrators are long gone by now, probably to a state thousands of miles away. Honestly, it doesn’t look like there is enough detail out there. If they were still roaming in Sunnyside then maybe someone might recognize them based on those vague drawings, but no one outside of this little neighborhood will ever even know to look for them

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Sue

@TreatEveryoneTheSame. Jimmy Van Bramer attended and spoke at a rally of friends and supporters of Sunando Sen, the man who was killed at 40th Street. (Go to Queens Chronicle, and search for “DRUM and Sen”) The rally was held in Jackson Heights; possibly Mr. Sen’s community and support system had more members in that neighborhood. Just because you didn’t see the news of the gathering for Mr. Sen, doesn’t meet it didn’t happen. It just didn’t happen in Sunnyside.

Many of Mr. Rispoli’s friends and loved ones are here in Sunnyside, thus the vigil was here.

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TREATEVERYONETHESAME

jimmy should be ashamed of himself. LETS HAVE A CANDEL LIGHT VIGIL FOR THE POOR GUY WHO LOST HIS LIFE BECAUSE A CRAZED WOMEN PUSHED HIM INTO THE TRACKS.

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DrugDealingGuru

So what? you guys think every entourage that has loud mufflers must be involved in murders ?

You guys have been watching too much Sons of Anarchy, This isn’t SAMCRO!

While I’m at it, why aren’t people admitting that Lou was involved with drugs and could very well have been a junkie. Look up statistics for what happens to junkies, it ain’t pretty and nobody pays attention to them , but let it happen to a gay activist who has a friend in a political seat and forget it, he’s no longer a junkie but a symbol of injustice.

puhhhh leasseeee.

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Heartbroken

@DrugDealingGuru As a close friend of Lou’s I can assure you that he was NOT buying illicit drugs off the street. I understand how it’s easy to make that assumption and pass judgement as you have, but in this instance it’s simply not the case.

Please folks, keep in mind there is a $22,000 reward out there. If you have any information please call 800-577-TIPS.

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agreed

Couldn’t agree more, @Opressed Masses. I live on 43rd with a window facing 43rd st and the aftermarket mufflered rice-burners are maddening.

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DrugDealingGuru

Words of Wisdom for the day – Don’t buy drugs from drug dealers in the middle of the night.

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Oppressed Masses

Late Friday night into early Saturday morning, between 1AM and 4AM , is a popular time for cars with loud mufflers to troll the neighborhood particularly on 43rd Street from Northern Blvd up to Queens Blvd. Anyone out and about during those times should keep an eye open and perhaps forward relevant license plate numbers to the police.

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Nom de Plume

Given the numerous instances of police not wanting to make reports, I’m inclined to believe the real stats are a bit higher.

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Craic Dealer

Although the superficial numbers are out was there a change in how the crimes were reported/labeled?

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