Post by hi224 on Mar 1, 2021 6:02:04 GMT
June 12th, 2006 was a standard balmy morning in the Los Angeles area. Shortly before sunrise, 72-year old Eddie Politelli reported to work at the Mama Mia pizza restaurant in Stevenson Ranch, CA – an affluent community located some half-hour outside of downtown L.A.
The shop was a standard small pizzeria with glass display counters to show off the pies and a few small tables for those that chose to enjoy their meals in-house. The eatery was built in a strip-mall complex, attached to a couple of other establishments.
By 9:00 am, Politelli would be dead, the victim of a bizarre and heinous murder that remains unsolved to this day.
-
Edward John Politelli was born on August 3rd, 1933 in Cranston, RI.
An experienced veteran of the culinary circuit, one of his associates noted that Politelli had worked as either a cook or a chef for his entire life. A close friend said that Politelli could “whip up anything out of nothing.” He was also well-liked by both co-workers and the community. A comment left on an online obituary reads: “Eddie was a lifelong friend. He will be remembered to me as a very kind-hearted person.”
–
At 8:10am, a delivery man unloaded the customary produce haul for the pizza shop. Politelli invited him to a cup of coffee. The two sat and talked for a few moments before the delivery man went on his way.
At some point between then and 8:30am, a man entered the building through the unlocked front doors (though the restaurant was not set to open until eleven). He was armed with a handgun and a machete.
From there, police speculate that the intruder encountered Politelli – still sitting in the same chair where he’d conversed with the delivery man. The individual forced Politelli to walk through the rear kitchen and out through a door that led to the back alleyway behind the eatery.
Just after 8:30am, Mama Mia owner Anthony Sposato arrived at the restaurant. As he walked past the front counter and into the back kitchen, he noticed that the door leading to the alleyway was ajar.
Sposato recalls hearing Eddie’s pleading voice from outside, “don’t hurt me. I don’t have anything.”
Frightened by the situation, Sposato quickly exited through the front doors and jogged around to the alley. He was greeted by the sight of a man standing next to Politelli, wielding a machete in one hand.
“[Anthony], help me,” Politelli implored his boss, “he’s got a gun.”
After a few seconds, Politelli tried to flee. The assailant grabbed him by the back of his shirt, threw him to the ground, and started viciously slashing with the machete.
Sposato instinctively backed away before himself turning to run and find help.
“Come back here!” the perpetrator yelled at him.
Sposato first encountered a nearby utility truck. He grabbed a shovel from the bed and shouted “call 911!” at nearby workers.
Upon returning to the alleyway, the man was now standing over Politelli’s lifeless form, the concrete splotched with blood.
“Hey!” Sposato angrily barked as he repeatedly slammed the shovel on the ground, “leave him alone! He’s just an old man!”
But the assailant did not heed Sposato’s words. He continued to slash at Politelli before abruptly walking off towards the north end of the alley, climbing into a gray Dodge Magnum station wagon, and disappearing.
Sadly, Edward J. Politelli was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
---
The perpetrator was described as a clean-shaven Caucasian or Latino male between ages 25-30, 5’7” in height, around 160 pounds in weight. He was dressed casually in a white-t-shirt, blue jeans, and a black sweatshirt. He also carried a backpack over one shoulder.
Sposato was able to help police create a composite sketch of the assailant and blurry surveillance footage from an adjacent business shows an individual walking past the glass store-front around the time that police suspect the intruder entered Mama Mia’s pizzeria.
Despite several eyewitnesses, no concrete leads or motives have ever surfaced. The case is considered cold.
--
There are a few unusual aspects to the murder:
- The killing took place in broad daylight and in a public space.
- The perpetrator made no attempt to hide his identity, even once he was confronted by Politelli’s boss.
- Robbery has been ruled out as a motive; no money was taken from the establishment.
- The perpetrator apparently carried a handgun in his left hand, yet chose to murder Politelli using the machete in his right hand.
--
So we are left to wonder: who killed Eddie Politelli? And why?
--
Sources:
Criminally Listed - [3 Horrifying Unsolved Machete Murders](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrR0Hz8-F4w](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrR0Hz8-F4w) - 02/26/21
www.pressreader.com/usa/the-signal/20120226/282033324120067
LA Times (Paywall): www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-jun-15-me-stabbing15-story.html
Daily News: www.dailynews.com/2006/06/14/co-workers-of-slain-man-are-stunned/
signalscv.com/2016/10/unsolved-murder-eddie-politelli-now-decade-old/
The shop was a standard small pizzeria with glass display counters to show off the pies and a few small tables for those that chose to enjoy their meals in-house. The eatery was built in a strip-mall complex, attached to a couple of other establishments.
By 9:00 am, Politelli would be dead, the victim of a bizarre and heinous murder that remains unsolved to this day.
-
Edward John Politelli was born on August 3rd, 1933 in Cranston, RI.
An experienced veteran of the culinary circuit, one of his associates noted that Politelli had worked as either a cook or a chef for his entire life. A close friend said that Politelli could “whip up anything out of nothing.” He was also well-liked by both co-workers and the community. A comment left on an online obituary reads: “Eddie was a lifelong friend. He will be remembered to me as a very kind-hearted person.”
–
At 8:10am, a delivery man unloaded the customary produce haul for the pizza shop. Politelli invited him to a cup of coffee. The two sat and talked for a few moments before the delivery man went on his way.
At some point between then and 8:30am, a man entered the building through the unlocked front doors (though the restaurant was not set to open until eleven). He was armed with a handgun and a machete.
From there, police speculate that the intruder encountered Politelli – still sitting in the same chair where he’d conversed with the delivery man. The individual forced Politelli to walk through the rear kitchen and out through a door that led to the back alleyway behind the eatery.
Just after 8:30am, Mama Mia owner Anthony Sposato arrived at the restaurant. As he walked past the front counter and into the back kitchen, he noticed that the door leading to the alleyway was ajar.
Sposato recalls hearing Eddie’s pleading voice from outside, “don’t hurt me. I don’t have anything.”
Frightened by the situation, Sposato quickly exited through the front doors and jogged around to the alley. He was greeted by the sight of a man standing next to Politelli, wielding a machete in one hand.
“[Anthony], help me,” Politelli implored his boss, “he’s got a gun.”
After a few seconds, Politelli tried to flee. The assailant grabbed him by the back of his shirt, threw him to the ground, and started viciously slashing with the machete.
Sposato instinctively backed away before himself turning to run and find help.
“Come back here!” the perpetrator yelled at him.
Sposato first encountered a nearby utility truck. He grabbed a shovel from the bed and shouted “call 911!” at nearby workers.
Upon returning to the alleyway, the man was now standing over Politelli’s lifeless form, the concrete splotched with blood.
“Hey!” Sposato angrily barked as he repeatedly slammed the shovel on the ground, “leave him alone! He’s just an old man!”
But the assailant did not heed Sposato’s words. He continued to slash at Politelli before abruptly walking off towards the north end of the alley, climbing into a gray Dodge Magnum station wagon, and disappearing.
Sadly, Edward J. Politelli was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
---
The perpetrator was described as a clean-shaven Caucasian or Latino male between ages 25-30, 5’7” in height, around 160 pounds in weight. He was dressed casually in a white-t-shirt, blue jeans, and a black sweatshirt. He also carried a backpack over one shoulder.
Sposato was able to help police create a composite sketch of the assailant and blurry surveillance footage from an adjacent business shows an individual walking past the glass store-front around the time that police suspect the intruder entered Mama Mia’s pizzeria.
Despite several eyewitnesses, no concrete leads or motives have ever surfaced. The case is considered cold.
--
There are a few unusual aspects to the murder:
- The killing took place in broad daylight and in a public space.
- The perpetrator made no attempt to hide his identity, even once he was confronted by Politelli’s boss.
- Robbery has been ruled out as a motive; no money was taken from the establishment.
- The perpetrator apparently carried a handgun in his left hand, yet chose to murder Politelli using the machete in his right hand.
--
So we are left to wonder: who killed Eddie Politelli? And why?
--
Sources:
Criminally Listed - [3 Horrifying Unsolved Machete Murders](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrR0Hz8-F4w](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrR0Hz8-F4w) - 02/26/21
www.pressreader.com/usa/the-signal/20120226/282033324120067
LA Times (Paywall): www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-jun-15-me-stabbing15-story.html
Daily News: www.dailynews.com/2006/06/14/co-workers-of-slain-man-are-stunned/
signalscv.com/2016/10/unsolved-murder-eddie-politelli-now-decade-old/