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Miami Herald
23-05-2025
- Miami Herald
‘Vicious' attack killed 9/11 first responder, official says. NY man convicted
A man convicted of stabbing and killing a woman who saved 'countless lives' as an emergency medical services employee in New York City could spend the rest of his life in prison, a district attorney said. New York City Fire Department Lt. Alison Russo was in uniform, working, when Peter Zisopoulos raced toward her from his apartment building and started stabbing her with a kitchen knife in September 2022, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz's office. Despite efforts to save her life, Russo ultimately died at age 61 from the unprovoked and 'vicious' attack in Astoria, a neighborhood of Queens, the office said in a May 19 news release. She was a 24-year veteran of the FDNY EMS. Earlier in her career, Russo was a first responder during the 9/11 terror attacks at the World Trade Center, according to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, a national trade union for public workers. Now, a jury has found Zisopoulus, 37, of Astoria, guilty of second-degree murder and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, according to the district attorney's office. One of his defense attorneys, Jonathan Latimer, had argued in court that Zisopoulus was not 'astute' and didn't have an awareness of the alleged crime or the murder charge against him, The New York Times reported. 'There's no rhyme or reason to what happened,' Latimer said, according to the newspaper. 'Just a wild, random, vicious situation for which there is no explanation.' Zisopoulus stabbed Russo in her stomach and chest, striking her liver, lungs and heart, after she had left her EMS stationhouse in Astoria, according to prosecutors. Russo, who also volunteered with an ambulance company on Long Island, 'cared deeply for the people of New York,' Katz said in a statement, in which she added that New York City is 'still in mourning' for her. 'I hope this conviction brings Alison's family, friends and coworkers solace as we continue to grieve her loss.' Zisopoulous is scheduled to be sentenced on June 30, according to Katz's office.
New York Post
21-05-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Mom tearfully reunites with NYC EMS workers who helped save her and baby: ‘Miracles happen'
A Queens woman who didn't even know she was pregnant before giving birth in the shower last year was reunited Wednesday with the EMS officers who helped save her and her baby. Lori Traore, 41, and her young daughter were among 150 people attending the 29th annual Second Chance Ceremony in Red Hook, Brooklyn — where trauma survivors reunited with the paramedics, EMTs, FDNY EMS officers, firefighters and dispatchers whose actions meant life or death for them. 'Honestly, I'm holding back tears right now because I know if it wasn't for them, my daughter wouldn't be here,' Traore told The Post, pointing at Lt. Jimmy Guailaceia, who held her 9-month-old, Ellen Mystique, in his arms. Advertisement 4 Lori Traore and her baby were reunited with the city emergency-services heroes who saved their lives last year. Gabriella Bass In the past year, EMS alone has responded to 1.6 million life-threatening calls. 'God sent the FDNY to help make miracles happen,' said Michael Fields, chief of EMS operations for the city. 'EMTs work as God's Force Multiplier, making the miraculous possible.' Advertisement 4 Traore said she didn't know she was pregnant when she felt the urge to push while taking a shower last year. Gabriella Bass Traore said she experienced her brush with death Aug. 9, when she stayed at her home in Bayside because she wasn't feeling well. She said that suddenly, while in the shower, she felt the urge to push. She said she had been told she was unable to conceive and had no idea she was pregnant — until she delivered an unresponsive infant. 'Next thing I know, I was in the shower, and I'm about to push. I didn't know anything was about to happen. Then 10 fingers, 10 toes, and I just freaked out a little bit,' the mom said. 'But then I got my composure. I dialed 911. I turned off the water. I got a blanket around [the newborn]. I got the towel around me, and the rest is history.' Advertisement 4 First responders reunite with little Ellen Mystique, who they helped save when she was in cardiac arrest last year. Gabriella Bass FDNY Engine 306 was the first to arrive and cut tiny Ellen's umbilical cord — and quickly realized the infant was in cardiac arrest. EMTs from the Queens tactical response group and Station 39 Lt. Guailaceia began CPR on the baby, sustaining her long enough for a trip to the hospital, where she regained her pulse and began breathing. The newborn soon burst into vigorous tears — a welcome sign that she had survived. Advertisement 4 The mom and her baby were among a group of people who met some of the city's emergency responders who saved them. Gabriella Bass Traore didn't realize how close her daughter had been to death until hours later. The new mom was also rushed into the hospital for emergency surgery because the baby's placenta did not pass. Her infant had to stay at the hospital for four months to get the care she needed and was finally released on Christmas Eve. 'She's thriving! She's walking. She's learning to crawl. She's learning to stand up. She's bottle feeding now,' Traore said of Ellen. 'It's getting slowly there, getting the [physical therapy and occupational therapy] that she does need.' For Guailaceia and his team of five, who also attended the ceremony Wednesday, the experience was nothing short of a 'miracle. 'We gave this little soul a second chance at life,' he said. 'You know, I have a child too so, to see her and how she's thriving is just a beautiful, wonderful feeling.'
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
Queens man convicted in killing of FDNY EMS lieutenant Alison Russo
QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) — A man was convicted of murder for viciously stabbing an FDNY EMS lieutenant to death a block from her Queens stationhouse three years ago, authorities said. Peter Zisopoulos, 37, was found guilty of murder Monday after the jury deliberated for less than an hour after the eight-day trial wrapped up, according to prosecutors. More Local News 'Alison Russo was a long-time public servant who cared deeply for the people of New York. Our city is still in mourning for a woman who saved countless lives as a member of the FDNY EMS and as a volunteer with her local ambulance company on Long Island,' Queens DA Melinda Katz said. Zisopoulos stabbed FDNY EMS Lieutenant Alison Russo, 61, more than 20 times with a serrated knife near 41st Street near 20th Avenue in Astoria at around 2:20 p.m. on Sept. 29, 2022, according to court records. The stab wounds punctured the city worker's lungs, liver, and heart. Russo was rushed to the hospital but could not be saved. The defendant threatened a good Samaritan on a scooter with a knife when he tried to intervene before barricading himself in his Astoria apartment, prosecutors said. Zisopoulos was then arrested, and the bloody knife was found in his pants pockets, according to court records. Russo, a 24-year veteran of the FDNY, was posthumously promoted to captain. 'While the verdict will not bring Captain Russo back to us, I pray her family and those who loved her get some sense of closure from this. Captain Russo was a hero and continues to be a source of inspiration and strength to her colleagues and to this department,' FDNY Commissioner Robert S. Tucker said. Zisopoulos faces 25 years in prison when he is sentenced on June 30. His attorney could not be reached Monday. Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She has been with PIX11 News for two years. See more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Post
19-05-2025
- New York Post
Maniac who slaughtered beloved FDNY paramedic found guilty of murder in the brutal, random NYC attack
The maniac accused of ruthlessly stabbing beloved FDNY EMS Lt. Alison Russo was found guilty of her murder Monday — following a shocking trial where her relatives and colleagues were forced to relieve the horrific act. Jurors in Queens Supreme Court deliberated for less than an hour before convicting 37-year-old Peter Zisopoulos of second-degree murder and weapon possession for randomly attacking Russo, 61, during her lunch break in September 2022. Russo's relatives celebrated the swift verdict, which came after an approximately week-long trial where Zisopoulos took the stand and chillingly showed virtually no emotion as prosecutors played gruesome footage of the slaying. 'This brings closure for my family,' Craig Fuoco, Russo's brother, said after the jury's decision was delivered. 5 Members of the FDNY filled the hallway following the guilty verdict. James Messerschmidt 'Nothing can erase the pain. Alison's missed every day,' Fuoco said, while flanked by his late sister's FDNY colleagues and her daughter, Danielle Russo. 'We're ready to start healing and keep Alison's memory alive,' he said. '[I'm] happy that I think justice was done. Happy to start to move forward. But Alison will continue to be missed. It's continuing to be difficult to move on, but we'll find a way.' Zisopoulos, of Astoria, will face 25-year-to-life in prison at his sentencing June 30. Video played at trial showed the unhinged attacker knocking over the 9/11 first-responder and knifing her 20 times just a half-block from her stationhouse. Prosecutors said Zisopoulos attacked Russo in broad daylight on Sept. 29, 2022 while she was on duty in her uniform. 5 Alison Russo was a 24-year veteran with the FDNY EMS and assisted as a first responder during 9/11. James Messerschmidt He walked out of his apartment building and rushed at Russo, shoving her to the pavement and getting on top of her — before stabbing her repeatedly with a serrated kitchen knife in the chest and abdomen, including her lungs, liver and heart. A bystander on a scooter tried to intervene, but was chased away by a still-armed Zisopoulos, according to trial evidence. The knife-wielding attacker then circled back — walking around Russo as she lay bleeding out on the sidewalk — and returned to the apartment he shared with his mother, prosecutors said. Another bystander spotted Zisopoulos and ran to a nearby EMS station for help. 5 Peter Zisopoulos stabbed Russo 20 times, including nine times in the heart. Michael Nagle 5 Zisopoulos could face 25 years to life at his sentencing in late June. BRIGITTE STELZER Police arrested Zisopoulos after a brief standoff while he was locked in his apartment. The serrated knife was found by cops in Zisopoulos' front pants pocket, and tested positive for both his and Russo's DNA, prosecutors said. During his stint on the witness stand Friday, Zisopoulos repeatedly provided inconsistent responses about the attack. For instance, he presented three different alibis for what he was doing when Russo was killed, including telling the New York Post during a jailhouse interview in 2023 that he had been busy watching Star Wars at the time. 5 Photos of beloved FDNY EMS Lt. Alison Russo featured at her wake in 2022. 'Alison Russo was a long-time public servant who cared deeply for the people of New York. Our city is still in mourning for a woman who saved countless lives as a member of the FDNY EMS and as a volunteer with her local ambulance company on Long Island,' Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement. 'I hope this conviction brings Alison's family, friends and coworkers solace as we continue to grieve her loss.' FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker said that while the verdict will not bring Russo back, 'I pray her family and those who loved her get some sense of closure from this.' 'Russo was a hero and continues to be a source of inspiration and strength to her colleagues and to this Department,' Tucker said in a statement.
New York Post
16-05-2025
- New York Post
Maniac charged in FDNY EMT's death stares blankly as brutal knifing is played in NYC court: ‘It's really disturbing'
The maniac accused of ruthlessly knifing a beloved FDNY EMS lieutenant to death did a bizarre stint on the stand at his murder trial Friday — and chillingly showed no emotion when confronted with videos of the horrific, random attack. Peter Zisopoulos, 36, stared intensely into the gallery in Queens Supreme Court — packed with teary-eyed EMS personnel — as prosecutors played footage of a man knocking over 9/11 first-responder Alison Russo-Elling, getting on top of her and stabbing her 19 times on an Astoria sidewalk. 'It may look like a past picture of mine,' Zisopoulos, seemingly unfazed by the brutal videos, admitted on the stand. Advertisement 6 Peter Zisopoulos showed no emotion when video of FDNY Capt. Alison Russo-Elling's murder was played in court. Michael Nagle The alleged killer denied being the man in the video, saying the corner where the savage 2022 attack took place looked 'a little bit' familiar. The video showed the killer enter Zisopoulos' Astoria apartment building, but he replied 'I don't know' when asked if the attacker went into the unit he shared with his mother. Advertisement Trial attendees — who included Russo-Elling's grieving daughter — wept openly as the two graphic videos played. The courtroom gallery became exasperated, with some rolling their eyes, as Zisopoulos was repeatedly caught in apparent lies during his testimony. For instance, Zisopoulos — dressed in an orange Department of Correction jumpsuit and sporting black eye-glasses — claimed he was asleep in his apartment when Russo-Elling, 61, was killed while on her lunch break, just a half-block from her stationhouse Sept. 29, 2022. Prosecutors pointed out that Zisopoulos told The Post in a jailhouse interview a year after the murder that he had been home watching 'Star Wars' and that surveillance video of the attack was 'photoshopped' to frame him. Advertisement 6 The video showed a man attack the beloved EMT lieutenant and stab her 19 times. He'd apparently given police a third version, saying he'd woken up at 8 a.m., eaten breakfast, watched the news and then gone back to sleep, until he was awoken by cops knocking at his door. 'You gave an interview to a New York Post reporter, and you told the New York Post reporter that you were watching Star Wars. So just to be clear, you told the police that you were watching the news, you told a reporter that you were watching 'Star Wars' and you now told all of us that you were just sleeping?' Queens Assistant District Attorney Johnathan Selkowe pressed. 'Those are all three different things.' Advertisement Zisopoulos simply responded: 'Yes.' The accused killer was also tripped up when he Selkowe asked him how he had sustained a fresh cut on his hand the day of the crime. 6 The court audience was packed with EMTs, who cried when the video was played. James Messerschmidt On the stand, Zisopoulos claimed he was knifed by police officers after he refused to open the door for them. 'I didn't answer because I don't trust them. The police are really mean to me,' Zisopoulos said when questioned by his public defender, Gina Mitchell. 'They called SWAT & SWAT stabbed my hand. I tried to cover the peephole and they push the knife through the peephole,' he ranted. 'I bled out and SWAT opened the door.' 6 Russo-Elling was enjoying her lunch break a block from her unit when she was killed. FDNY But the prosecutor pointed out that Zisopoulos had told cops his hand was sliced a month earlier, but that the wound had recently reopened. Advertisement Selkowe also pushed Zisopoulos on his reasoning for trying to leave cops waiting in his hallway, getting the alleged killer to admit he had a knife in his pocket at the time. 'You understood that if the police came in, they would find the man with the knife?' the prosecutor asked. Zisopoulo answered: 'Yes.' 6 Danielle Russo said it was obvious Zisopoulos 'doesn't care' about the crime. James Messerschmidt Advertisement When asked if it was the same knife used to kill Russo-Elling, rather than one he used to eat breakfast, Zisopoulos could only answer, 'I don't know.' His lawyers tried to move for the case to be dismissed, saying prosecutors did not provide evidence to prove intent beyond a reasonable doubt, a move that sent shock through the courtroom. The bid was promptly rejected and court dismissed. Jury deliberations will begin on Monday. 6 Zisopoulous previously told The Post the video was photoshopped so that the blame would be pinned on him. Advertisement 'I can't believe this guy has the nerve to deny all of this, when it's clear as day from multiple different angles what occurred,' the victim's daughter, Danielle Russo, told The Post after court. 'It's a real shame that he's walking the earth, and among us.' She said the weekend break was a welcome one, and expressed hope she would return Monday to see Zisopoulos convicted. 'Hopefully this man never sees the sun outside in the free world ever again,' Russo said. Advertisement 'Just can't wait for my family to get justice and this be at rest,' she continued. 'It's pretty difficult to even see him up there and act so nonchalant about such a vicious and savage attack that he just denies and says he was sleeping through. It's unreal.' Russo added, 'It's actually pretty sad to see the person that he took from us and everything she's done and contributed to the community and everything she did throughout her life — and how someone like this can just not care at all. It's really disturbing.'
