Police have arrested a suspect in Tuesday’s stabbing at Ausonia Apartments on Fulton Street in Boston’s North End.
BPD News reports that Anthony Spinelli, 44 years old of Leominster, was apprehended in Revere on Wednesday afternoon and charged with armed assault with intent to murder. He will be arraigned on Wednesday morning in court.
Spinelli has a troubled past and says he was molested at age 16 by Jerry Sandusky, the Penn State football coach. Universal Hub connects the dots on Spinelli’s past also finding that he pleaded guilty in 2002 for manslaughter in a Fitchburg assault and served time in prison.
In a November 2015 report, Crime Watch Daily recounts Spinnelli’s recent accusations against Jerry Sandusky. Spinnelli was one of the country’s top quarterbacks and a star at Leominster High School. As a teenager, he was at a football camp at Penn State where he says Sandusky molested him. Spinelli said the incident turned him to drugs and down an angry path that eventually led him to prison. The molestation case was dismissed in August 2016 because the statute of limitations in Pennsylvania had expired. Sandusky continues to serve a 60 year sentence for sexually abusing 10 young boys.
Some good news in that the victim, Bobby Pirelli, is now expected to survive his injuries, according to police. He is a Fulton Street resident of Ausonia Apartments. Neighbors say the two men knew each other and had a fight that led to the assault by Spinnelli.
We have so little violent crime here in the North End that when something like this happens it gets a lot of press time and people tend to overreact. The people who live in the Ausonia Apartments are our neighbors and they deserve a safe living environment. They are as concerned as we are about having a violent incident occur right in their building.
The next time you walk by say hello to Bobby, Frankie or any of the other residents who sit out front on the benches.
We’re all North Enders.
Several years ago drug addiction was added to the list of disabilities allowing junkies to receive SSI checks and eligibility to move into mainly senior residents.The person charged with this crime is obviously a dirt ball but without knowing all the details my only comment is I’m happy to hear that the victim will survive.
More forthcoming. Need to know why he was there or was this was just a random attack that happened in this neighborhood. My concern is whether the City is mixing the dangerously mentally ill with the elderly.
I have my fingers crossed that this comment will be posted.After reading some of the prior comments I cant believe that some of them made the board.I have been censored for far less.This issue should unite us instead of tearing us apart.
Michael, you are correct. According to news reports, Spinelli and Pirellia knew one another. This was not a random act.
Elderly and disabled housing residents need to be very careful who they let into the building to visit. Considering Spinelli’s past criminal record, he should not have been allowed into Ausonia to visit or for any other reason.
Too many of these criminals and drug addicts attempt to use past molestation and drug use as an excuse for their actions. I don’t buy it and neither should the courts.
With the quick arrest I would venture to guess that the victim & suspect knew one another.
I have a friend at a place in the West End where to get in, you need to be buzzed in the front door, meet a guard in the lobby, sign-in and show ID, the individual you visit is called and has to come to the lobby to escort you in. Too often I see people slipping in the Ausonia through the side door by the cafeteria. Not sure what other security they have, but this event will likely lead to a change where convenience is sacrificed for security.
I remember years ago in the seventies when the building was built. My mother Tina was the very first person to have an apartment in the Ausonia Building. I felt very safe when she lived there from the early 70’s until she went to the North End Nursing Home. Way back then Bobby Puopolo worked in the building and was always a source of security. “Great Guy”! He knew everyone and paid extra attention to the comings and goings. We can’t expect elderly people to come down sometimes because some are disabled. I think someone should be paid as a security person. I am by no means putting young people down, but we must be mindful of them, and have a safe environment for everyone!!
Julie Ann Ischia
A bit more information about the attack has appeared in some news sources: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_coverage/2016/12/suspect_held_on_1_million_bail_for_north_end_stabbing
Well I have to agree with my sister Julie, and this is what has become to all elderly housing here in the North End! Mixing the elderly with disabled(witch go from drug dealing to the home less, people from out of state,etc without getting politically incorrect. Neighbors shouldn’t have to be security. Oh by the way it’s not in the budget! Scary