Verrazano Narrows Bridge Jumpers
Updated: December 2023
I hate hearing on the news that someone has jumped from our bridge, the Verrazano. How did these people get so far in their thinking that they thought no one cared if they jumped? People care. Call The Samaritans 212-673-3000 *There are six telephones on the bridge*
My bedroom faces the Verrazzano, so people committing suicide in my backyard isn’t good. We need to get them help, so I made this list to show how much time and money the city is wasting, when we could put up fencing or a net and start saving lives.
December 31, 2023 – This year we didn’t hear of anyone jumping from the Verrazzano Bridge. A Staten Island Councilman named Steven Matteo pushed for fencing around the bridge and it appears to have stopped the jumpers. (Info)
December 31, 2022: A man fell from the upper level to the lower level on New Year’s Eve around 5:30 pm. (Info)
June 2022 Update: Fencing has been installed on the Verrazzano Bridge and the number of suicides is significantly less – thank God!
November 2022 – A man jumped from the Verrazzano Bridge and his body was recovered. RIP. (Info here)
May 13, 2022 – A 38-year-old Rikers correction officer jumped from the Verrazzano. RIP Edward Roman (Info)
March 29, 2022 – A woman in her 20’s stopped her car on the Brooklyn side of the lower bridge.Video on the bridge captured her climbing over and jumping. See here (God rest her soul)
December 10, 2021 – A 27-year-old Staten Island man jumped from the lower level of the Verrazzano Bridge and died. They found his car on the bridge. (Info)
July 20, 2021 – A 58-year-old man left his Rav 4 on the bridge and jumped from the lower level of the Verrazzano. He was seen on video. The man’s body has not been reported found yet. (Info)
June 2020 – A 36-year-old man jumped from the Verrazzano Bridge today, He left his grey Toyota Camry with TLC plates on the bridge. His body was found. (Info)
April 30, 2020 – A male jumped from the Verrazzano Bridge today. As of 5/2, his body has not been found.
April 25, 2020 – Kristy Shi, a 19-year-old woman from Sunset Park, Brooklyn jumped in the evening from the lower level. See here
April 17, 2020 – Marc Lamparello, 38 jumped from the Verrazzano. He was released from Rikers and even though he had schizophrenia, mental health support was not given. See here (He was the third male to leap from this bridge this month) Story here
January 4, 2020 – A 42-year-old man stopped his car on the bridge. He got out and thought about jumping. But the police saved him.Thank God. See here
December 20, 2019 – A 34-year-old man jumped from the top Verrazzano Bridge in the afternoon. He died at the hospital. See here
December 7, 2019 – A 50-year-old man (friends called him Big E) jumped from the Verrazzano Bridge. See here
December 6, 2019 – A 44-year-old man jumped from the Bridge. See here
October 2019 – NYC was supposed to take action. But they haven’t even made a plan that can be voted on yet. See here
September 26, 2019 – A 50 year old man jumped off of the Verrazzano today at 11:38 am. See here
June 1, 2019 – A man jumped from the lower bridge this evening. His body was recovered in the water below the bridge. See here
May 21, 2019 – Simona E. Aguilar, a 37-year old woman died today after jumping from the Verrazzano Bridge – See here
May 10,2019 – A 35 year old man jumped from the bridge and died. See here
April 2019 – A 79 year old man was saved by a state trooper and a good samaritan – thank God! See story
March 2019 – A man named Issac tried to jump from the bridge. Anthony was able to stop him. Thank God!
December 2018 – Verrazano Bridge incident which was stopped by good Samaritans -person saved.
September 29, 2018 – A woman was about to jump from the Verrazzano Bridge, but was saved by a MTA bridge and tunnel worker who was able to talk to the woman. We found out about this on June 1, 2019 – story here
June 5, 2018 – A person attempted to jump from the lower bridge, but was saved.
April 17, 2018 – A 30-something year old man was hanging from the side of the bridge. Emergency response team saved him. Thank God.
March 30, 2018 – Szymon Hasiak, age: 22 jumped off the lower level of the bridge. Body not found (car left on the bridge). Info
March 1, 2018 – A man was on the bridge and thinking about jumping, but the police were able to help him down.
November 26, 2017 – A man got out of his car and was on the Verrazano Narrows Bridge today after 5 pm. He was seen hanging from the bridge before 6 pm. Around 8:40 pm, the NYPD rescued him
November 13, 2017 – David Mahoney, a 63 year old Staten Island resident jumped from the bridge. RIP.
October 9, 2017 – A 36 year old man attempted to jump from the Verrazano Bridge. He spoke with the police and was then taken to Maimonides Hospital. Thank God he is alive.
September 20, 2017 – There were reports of someone being up on the bridge late at night, but the police didn’t find anyone.
September 14, 2017 – Man attempted to jump, but rescued by the NYPD – thank God.
August 2, 2017 – A man has been on the Verrazano Bridge for over five hours. Finally, they were able to get him back inside. He abandoned his car on the bridge at 845 am. He hasn’t decided if he wants to live so he is hanging outside of the lower part of the bridge. Story and pictures here
July 2017 – Two people attempted to jump from the Verrazano, but were both saved. See story here
May 7, 2017 – Jason Dickinson, a 37 year old veteran with NJ plates and a Connecticut license jumped.
August 30, 2016 – 37 year old male jumped from the Brooklyn side of the Verrazano and died.
August 22, 2016 – A 17 year old from Brooklyn phoned police and told him that he was going to jump from the Upper Level of the bridge. Police went and picked him up. On October 5, 2016, the same teen, Daniel Lomtevas committed suicide and jumped from the George Washington Bridge.
August 4, 2016 -Joshua Milinazzo, 27 year old Staten Island man jumped from the bridge. Police were not able to locate his body until 4 days later. They found his car with the note on the bridge and towed it. Milinazzo was the father of two beautiful children.
June 2016 -A man attempted to jump, but was talked down by some good people and this EMT worker.
May 2016 – Two officers are able to save a 27 year old man from jumping. I’m glad he was saved because he is young and has a lot of living to do still. Thank God.
April 23, 2016 – A man used the phone on the Verrazano Bridge because he needed help. Crisis averted. Thank God. On the same day, 31 year old, Jeff Hardy jumped from the Brooklyn Bridge and survived.
July 2015 – Two men stopped a man from jumping. Thank God – I am always glad to write that!
April 2015 – Man went to jump from the Brooklyn side of the bridge, but was stopped. Thank God.
February 2015 – Man saved from jumping.
January 22, 2015 – Laura Fasano, 37 of Staten Island jumped and survived, but died later in the hospital. More here and here
January 2014 – Ellen McGuire Payne, 45 from New Jersey. Her story here. Obituary here. Very sad – mother of three. More here
November 2013 – Cops save a man who was going to jump. Thank God.
September 2013 – Michael Caiazzo, 29, electrician from South Beach, Staten Island jumped, survived, but later died in the hospital. (See here) The next day, a 62 year old man also made an attempt at jumping, but police were able to stop him (more info here)
May 31, 2013 – Reported on June 3, 2013 – A man’s suicide was diverted – see here
April 2013 – Helicopters swooned in and covered the area. I couldn’t figure out what they were looking for as they were just a few blocks from my home. Susan Toth of Bay Ridge jumped from the bridge. They just found her body on the Staten Island side of the Bridge. Ms. Toth was 52 years old. RIP.
3/28/13 – Angelo Biondo 58 years old and an owner of a Park Slope dog training business jumped
1/2/13 – 24 year old Canarsie man jumped. The car was left on the bridge and people saw him jump. (more here)
10/14/12 – Long Island Attorney, Lawrence Youshah – 43 years old and SURVIVED the jump
July 2012 – Asian man talked down from the bridge (see rescue video here) Another video here
6/28/12 – a 33-year-old man died hours after he leaped from the bridge. He left a 6-page suicide note behind.
6/8/12 – Benny Guzman, 46 years old and a Brooklyn resident jumped from the bridge
5/27/12 Joseph Battista, 54-year-old Sanitation worker from Todt Hill (Staten Island) jumped from the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.
4/2012 Alexsandr Skor, 51 year old Staten Island resident attempted to jump from the bridge, but police saved him. Thank God for this miracle.
4/4/12 Police stop a 41 year old man from jumping off the bridge.
In February 2012, statistics showed: “On average, the Verrazano sees about two suicides a year, and between four and six attempts foiled by officers patrolling the bridge. (source)
1/25/12 – Andre Carrasco, a 27 year old father of 6 jumped on the Brooklyn side. His niece wants fences installed on the bridge to stop people from being able to stop on the Bridge. His niece, Jessica Suero petitions for a fence around the bridge.
12/27/11 – Eric Suarez – 44 years old jumped from the SI side
The web wasn’t used for news as much as it is now, so I don’t think we have all the stories here:
10/2008 – Daniel Mills, 67 years old was the owner of Farrell’s Bar. He jumped from the bridge as he was terminally ill.
9/22/08 – Arkady Adler, 33 years old from Brooklyn jumped from the upper level shortly before 10 p.m.
11/14/07 – George Siozos, 27 jumped from the upper-level of the Verrazano Bridge
9/9/05 – A 41 year old Staten Island man, John Hoke jumped off the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge at 4:20 a.m.
8/3/04 – Gerard Tarter, a 44 year old Staten Island man jumped from the bridge.
6/8/01 – A 42 year old Brooklyn man, Raymond Ramos jumped around 7 a.m.
1/1995 – Twenty-nine year old, Connie Mercure jumped from the bridge after she and her boyfriend broke up before the holidays. Mercure survived the jump. She had a broken leg and hypothermia.
1/2/89 – Maria Lynn Bertolini – 22 years old – jumped and survived the jump.
* Only four people have survived after jumping from the Verrazano Narrows Bridge – Maria Lynn Bertolini (22 years old in 1989- info here), a college student in 1975 (source) and Lawrence Youshah – in October 2012 survived the jump
Hugs,
marlene
Topics: Bay Ridge, Brooklyn | 3 Comments »
May 22nd, 2020 at 11:48 pm
Marlene,
I found your page while looking up information about my uncle, who jumped from the Verrazano Narrows Bridge in recent months. Thank you for curating this list.
I do believe in the construction of suicide nets. Even if some argue that suicidal people may just choose a different way, suicide nets send the message that we as a society refuse to normalize this and let it go unnoticed. May I add that we have to put a focus on treating mental illness before it even gets to that point. Mental illness is a difficult thing to face, but we must get better at it. It can be just as deadly as any other ailment. My uncle went for professional help for many years, was switched on and off dozens of meds and misdiagnosed with several illnesses, only for him to get progressively worse.
We must tackle this from all angles…
Much love!
October 26th, 2021 at 1:48 am
I think you’re quite selfish to see people in crisis and think “not in my backyard”.
October 26th, 2021 at 3:51 pm
I wrote that to shine a light on what was happening. It’s not a matter of, “not in my backyard”, Michael.
It’s a matter of -> This is happening and I care. These people need help but more important the bridge needed to be secured so people wouldn’t be able to jump from it.
I kept tract to get people’s attention. People easily forget but the families of these people have contacted me and told me they wanted nets so that no one could jump again.