Two craftsmen from Rovigo were found dead early Wednesday in an apartment in Long Island City, Queens. They were identified as 48-year-old Alessio Picelli, an interior decorator originally from Villadose but living with his wife in Rovigo, and 39-year-old Luca Nogaris, a craftsman and father of three.
The bodies of the two men were found by a third colleague, who shared an apartment with them at 40-13 29th Street, where the three had reportedly lived for about a month.
According to initial information provided by the victims’ families (obtained thanks to the cooperation of colleagues from La Voce di Rovigo), the third colleague reportedly found Picelli already lifeless and Nogaris still breathing. He tried to rescue Nogaris but all efforts were in vain, thus calling 911 for help around 2:30 a.m. (8:30 a.m. in Italy). Upon the arrival of paramedics and police, the officers could do no more than pronounce both men dead.
An initial examination by investigators found no physical trauma of any kind or other signs of violence, as local authorities have ordered an autopsy to investigate the exact circumstances of the death. Investigators are not ruling out any hypothesis, including a drug overdose, hinted at by the discovery of drug-related accessories. In recent months, alarms have been raised throughout the five boroughs over the circulation of seemingly “harmless” drugs, which, when cut with fentanyl, are capable of causing lethal effects.
Picelli, Nogaris, and the other roommate frequently traveled to New York City as contractors specializing in high-quality manual work. Apparently on Tuesday evening Picelli and Nogaris immediately returned home after finishing their shift, while a third roommate returned a few hours later only to be confronted by the tragedy.
