PHOTO: Howard Beach resident Gary Russo, seen here surrounded by family and friends, was found dead last Friday after he was reported missing in July. Photo Courtesy of garyrussoite.com
Gary Russo got the chance to sing his song before he died—and by all counts, he embraced every opportunity.
But the ironworker’s journey culminated in a somber note last Friday afternoon when his body was discovered hanging from a tree in Spring Creek Park near 165th Avenue and 92nd Street, approximately a mile from his Howard Beach home.
Russo, 54, had been missing since July 29.
Deputy Inspector Jeff Schiff, commanding officer of the 106th Precinct, issued a Community Notice on Friday indicating that human remains had been found within the confines of the command.
“We have discovered the remains of a body hanging from a tree located at 165 Ave. and 92 St. (Spring Creek). It is in an advanced state of decomposition (hanging for a while.) It appears to be suicide. If and when I find out more, I will let you know.”
Indeed, according to a spokeswoman for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, “The cause of death was hanging. The manner of death was suicide.”
Police sources told the New York Daily News that Russo had been “apparently depressed” for some time “over a bad breakup with a girlfriend.”
Russo, dubbed the “2nd Avenue Sinatra” due to his penchant for serenading passersby and his fellow construction workers with Chairman of the Board classics in an uncanny impression that matched Old Blue Eyes’ timbre and cadence, was last seen in Howard Beach shortly after midnight on July 28. Cops found his pickup truck on 165th Avenue near Cross Bay Boulevard a couple of days after he was declared missing.
Russo would eventually write a book, “Don’t Die with Your Song Unsung,” play clubs such as the famed Blue Note, and be featured on nearly every major news outlet, including NBC News, Reuters, the New York Post, ABC News, “Good Morning America,” and “Inside Edition.”
On Aug. 20, one of Russo’s two daughters, Amber, penned a Facebook message about the family’s ordeal. It read, in part, “I’ve been so strong trying to stay positive because that’s what you’ve taught me dad. However, it’s becoming more of a reality that I may never see you again. I hope wherever you are that you’re safe and happy and if you’re no longer physically here with us that you’re at peace. I miss the silly little things you did because they could brighten up anyone’s day. You’re such a beautiful soul and I will never stop missing you! I hope you know how loved you are by Mom, Cara and I and how we wish you were here with us.”
Amber Russo punctuated the post with a sad-face emoji, accompanied by the words, “feeling heartbroken.”
By Michael V. Cusenza michael@theforumnewsgroup.com
