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a darling brooklyn A security guard known for his trust and kindness was brutally beaten to death in a random subway attack after he held the door open for the man who hit him, police said.
According to New York City Police, 64-year-old Nicola “Nick” Tanzi was working at the J Street-MetroTech subway station on Tuesday when 25-year-old David Mazariegos attacked him.
Tanzi, originally from Bari, Italy, had lived in New York City for nearly two decades, and was a member of Brooklyn’s Italian community and a dedicated parish volunteer. He was known for his warmth and acts of kindness, but when he opened the subway’s emergency door for Mazariegos, he reportedly suffered a temper tantrum.
Authorities said Mazariegos admitted he killed the victim “because he didn’t like the way he looked.” WABCHe reportedly beat Tanzi 15 times, kicked and stomped on his head before fleeing.
Paramedics transported Tanzi to NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital in critical condition, but he was later pronounced dead.
Police broadcast Mazariegos’ photo across the city, before “eagle-eyed police working near Times Square recognized this man from photographs they had just received and immediately took this dangerous criminal into custody.” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a post on Twitter.
At the time of his arrest, Mazariegos reportedly had four credit cards from Tanzi, one of which he had recently used at a nearby Target, and a katana-style sword with a 20-inch blade.
Mazariegos has 17 previous arrests, including assault and petty theft, authorities said. He is being held without bail and faces criminal weapons charges.
To Tanzi’s friends and neighbors, the violence was beyond comprehension.
“He was always kind,” said Carmine Racaro, co-owner of Flowers by Emil near Tanzi’s Bay Ridge apartment. New York Post, “Always joking. He was like family to us.”
In St. Athanasius-St. At Dominic’s parish in Bensonhurst where Tanzi volunteered as an usher and attended Italian Mass three times a week, grief spread rapidly.
Deacon Anthony Mammoliti said, “Nicola is, for all purposes, one of the most congenial, friendly individuals you could ever meet.” “If you were his friend, that would be a very, very powerful thing. He would do anything for his friends.”
He remembered that he had seen Tanzi only two weeks earlier – holding the door open for her.
“He volunteered to be a pioneer in collecting and helping anyone find their seats in church, opening doors for elderly ladies, the usual nice things you’d expect from people,” he said. “If I had to describe Nicola briefly, I would say that he tried to live out his faith… If he had survived the attack, I can assure you from my conversations with Nicola, he would have forgiven his attacker in time.”
Tanzi was also a lifelong member of Sacred Hearts and St. Stephen’s Church in Carroll Gardens, where he grew up and where he carried the statue of Our Lady of Sorrows in annual processions.
John Leo Hair, a community member and funeral director at Scotto Funeral Home, posted, “Nick Tanzi was a gentle soul with a devotion to Maria Santissima Addolorata.” Facebook,
“This weekend he was brutally beaten to death in the NYC subway because he held his car door open by the same person who would kill him.”
Hair added, “We hear about senseless acts of violence in our big city and we carry on with life because we have to.” “I ask you to stop for a moment, stop and pray for Nick and for all those victims of senseless violence… Bad things like this happen when good people do nothing. May Nick rest in peace with his parents again, Amen.”