NY NY - Michael James DeMaria, 28, Manhattan,October 14, 1976

[madamx]

NamUs #MP19729
Michael James DeMaria, Male, White / Caucasian

Date of Last Contact October 14, 1976
Missing From New York, New York
Missing Age 28 Years

Height 5' 11" (71 Inches)
Weight 180 lbs

Hair Color Brown

Left Eye Color Brown
Right Eye Color Brown

Last Known Location Map
Location New York, New York 10012
County New York County
Circumstances of Disappearance Missing from 1976, last seen leaving his building.

Distinctive Physical Features
Item
Description
Scar/mark
Scars on stomach area

Other distinctive physical characteristic
Dimples
Clothing and Accessories
Item
Description
Clothing
Blue button shirt

Footwear
Blue shoes

Jewelry
Blue sapphire ring
Missing Person Case

 

[madamx]

the silver horn this guy made me think Italian.. I know many used to wear the horn.

PA - PA - Ridley Twp., WhtMale 566UMPA, 16-25, in creek, Kool cigarettes, Dec'78

The Doe Network:
Case File 566UMPA

Reconstruction of Victim by Charlaine Michaelis
Unidentified White Male

• The victim was discovered on December 13, 1978 in Ridley Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
• Cause of Death: Six .25 caliber contact gunshot wounds on neck and trunk.

---

Vital Statistics

• Estimated age: Late teens to early 20's
• Approximate Height and Weight: 6'1/2''; 165-175 lbs.
• Distinguishing Characteristics: Brown eyes, dark wavy brown hair of moderate length. Freckles, left earlobe pierced, light brown birthmark on left lower abdomen.
• Clothing: Light brown, loose knit sweater, tan trousers, brown leather belt, black socks, brown Oxford-style shoes with rubber soles. "Kool" cigarettes. No underwear.
• Jewelry: Seiko windup watch stopped at 4:45, Monday 10th. Neck chain with silver horn and heart. Arrow shaped earring, left ear.
• Fingerprints: 145910DO14135214DI18 / L 9 R/T 110 14
• Other: Blood type: A.

---

Case History
The victim was located in Ridley Township, PA on December 13, 1978, partially immersed in creek.

 

[namstache]

New UID entered in NAMUS this week. Died in 1980. Wearing a sapphire ring.

 

[Nancy Drew RN]

Michael James DeMaria had been arrested in 1973 by the FBI for armed robber of a tractor trailer transporting double-knit polyester (a very 70s sort of crime, I must say). He faced up to ten years in prison and a $5,000 fine. He was listed at that time as operating a parking lot at 284 Mott St, Manhattan, NYC and living at 244 Elizabeth St.

Michael James DeMaria - Newspapers.com

I can't find anything about how this all turned out for him, but he might have good reason to disappear or be associating with some people who might help him "disappear," willingly or not.

 

[madamx]

Michael James DeMaria had been arrested in 1973 by the FBI for armed robber of a tractor trailer transporting double-knit polyester (a very 70s sort of crime, I must say). He faced up to ten years in prison and a $5,000 fine. He was listed at that time as operating a parking lot at 284 Mott St, Manhattan, NYC and living at 244 Elizabeth St.

Michael James DeMaria - Newspapers.com

I can't find anything about how this all turned out for him, but he might have good reason to disappear or be associating with some people who might help him "disappear," willingly or not.

Oh wow NancyDrew Great Find! This does make it interesting!

Now that you mention Polyester. I thought about this guy found in PA. Ihad posted Michael on his thread a while back but now I want to post him here.

PA - PA - Bear Creek, WhtMale 2891UMPA, 15-20, "Vedon," May´79

 

[Savemecastiel]

Bump

 

[Nancy Drew RN]

Some further research--apparently his father was also Michael (R.) DeMaria and a cop. Apparently in October 1973, the elder DeMaria witnessed a brawl after a traffic accident involving his nephew, his son Michael, and a third party, and was considered to have perjured himself regarding it, facing up to seven years in prison. The address (Mott St) ties it to the previous newspaper account above. This would have been about six months after the younger James DeMaria's arrest for the polyester theft, possibly motivating the elder to try to keep him out of further trouble.
Michael J. DeMaria cop, brawl, 1973 - Newspapers.com

There is confusingly a Michael R. DeMaria who died at 32, in Rochester in 1978, who was the father of a Michael J. DeMaria

 

[namstache]

My nonprofit has officially requested records and documents related to Demaria’s disappearance. I spoke with the NYPD Legal Department today. We will have access to any information they are able to provide by early December.

 

[madamx]

Oh namastache that is great news. Can't wait to see what pops up there!

 

[MadMcGoo]

Interesting... anything new on how disappearance?

 

[alb1on]

Given the family and criminal background (a bent cop father and a charge of armed robbery) I wonder if Michael James DeMaria is related to the Michael Demaria who was involved in the murder of Richard Guiga in the 1990s and was subsequently 'made' into the Bonanno family in 2002? From a family tree on Ancestry it is apparent that Michael James DeMaria married and had a child (although the details are private on Ancestry, presumably as the wife and child are living). The Michael DeMaria involved with the mafia was born in 1969 (known from the comments of Guiga's mother that she taught DeMaria and his co-murderer Pisciotti in the same class - and Pisciotti was born 1969). A birth of 1969 would fit well with a marriage and subsequent child for Michael James.

LCN Bios: Cooperator Bio: Nicholas Pisciotti
Insult to Fatal Injury: Whacked Wiseguy Ends in Potter's Field

Of course, all of this may be misleading and there may be no relationship between the 2 DeMaria's. But if there is and they are father and son it may point to an involvement of organised crime which would bring another dimension to the case.

If anyone can confirm or refute this speculation - that would be useful.

 

[MadMcGoo]

I was able to find this Italian-Canadian mob boss - Vincenzo DeMaria - Wikipedia - but like you said, it may not have any connection to this case.

I did find the tree you were talking about on Ancestry... but there were so many people with the name, or a variation of it, I couldn’t figure out who was who. lol. I kind of got lost in the mob life for awhile.

With just the couple of articles posted upthread that are about him and his father, I suspect that his disappearance may have been related to some aspect of one of their crimes. JMO

 

[madamx]

Bump

 

[madamx]

Bumping

 

[Aurora90]

bump

 

[alb1on]

Just came back to this case and I am now convinced that the Michael James Maria arrested in 1973 for the huge polyester theft (shown in various links) was a member (or associate) of the mob. This is because of the record of the arrests being due to title iii surveillance as noted at Commission Hearings. Title iii surveillance refers to wiretaps and at that time was used overwhelmingly, if not exclusively, against the mob - as shown by the other cases listed on the link. If this is the case and it is the same man in the 1973 case as the missing (which seems probable given the exact match on name, age and location) then it makes it even more likely that his disappearance was mob related.

 

[madamx]

Bumping for Michael