Son Accused of Killing Deli Owner Parents Allegedly Sliced Mom’s Windpipe and Stabbed Dad with 14-Inch Chef’s Knife

A 30-year-old man has been indicted after his elderly parents — longtime, well-loved deli owners in their New York neighborhood — were found brutally stabbed to death inside the shop they ran for decades.

Angela Pulisciano, 62, and her husband, Antonio D’Ambrosio, 70, were killed in front of customers at the A&A Italian Deli on Dec. 5 in Bethpage, N.Y., according to a statement from the Nassau County District Attorney’s office.

Their son, Vito D’Ambrosio, was arrested outside the deli after police responded to the scene. (Police spell the family name as Dambrosio, but an obituary and a GoFundMe created by relatives use D’Ambrosio.)

Pulisciano and Antonio were working at the deli and serving customers when they were viciously attacked, prosecutors said.

Authorities allege that at about 9:11 a.m., Vito arrived at the business and began stabbing his mother with a 14-inch chef’s knife, then attacked his father with the same weapon.

After the killings, prosecutors say Vito called 911 to report what happened and then waited outside for officers to arrive.

When emergency personnel entered the store, Pulisciano was found behind the counter. Antonio was also discovered in the counter area, but investigators allege he was stabbed in the kitchen before his body was dragged to that location.

Both victims suffered stab wounds to the neck area, and Pulisciano’s windpipe had been sliced, the district attorney’s office said. They were pronounced dead at the scene.

Police arrested Vito at the location, and authorities said his clothing was covered in his parents’ blood.

Prosecutors also allege Pulisciano and Antonio had recently forced their son to leave the home. They say he was living out of a car after being released from jail in connection with a pending criminal case. With no job and nowhere to stay, prosecutors claim his “simmering anger finally boiled over,” leading to the attack.

During his Jan. 6 arraignment, a recording of the 911 call was played in court, with Vito allegedly telling the operator that he had “confessed to everything on TikTok,” ABC 7 NY reported.

Vito has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder, according to the district attorney’s office.

Pulisciano and Antonio were described as pillars of the community who operated their deli for about 30 years, prosecutors said. Messages left on an online obituary highlighted their impact on longtime customers.

“This place was just different, every meal was made with love,” wrote Hanna Akbik, who said she had been going to the deli since childhood and that Pulisciano always remembered her, even as she got older.

“One way I will carry on their legacy forever is to make people feel like they’re welcome, make people feel like they belong, uplift others in your own community,” Akbik wrote.

“How many delicious meals did they prepare for all of us? Uncountable,” wrote Brian O. “It was my privilege to know them.”

A GoFundMe has been created to help support the couple’s other children as they grieve and navigate the loss.