QUEENS, NY – After a decade-long pursuit of justice, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the sentencing of Gerald Griffin to 25 years-to-life in prison for the 2011 murder of 31-year-old Peter Polizzi. Found naked and brutally beaten in his Ridgewood home, Polizzi’s murder was finally laid to rest.
District Attorney Katz reaffirmed the commitment to justice, stating, “A murderer is going to prison, and the victim’s family finally will have a measure of closure.”
Griffin, 46, of Sutter Avenue, Brooklyn, was found guilty in May on several counts including murder, burglary, robbery, intimidating a witness, attempted tampering with physical evidence, and criminal possession. The sentencing, handed down by Queens Supreme Court Justice Ushir Pandit-Durant, includes 25 years-to-life.
The gruesome discovery of Polizzi’s body took place on September 14, 2011, by his brother, who found him beneath a couch in his apartment at 57-06 Clover Place, Ridgewood. The apartment was found ransacked with various items missing, and Polizzi succumbed to his injuries three days later. A used wine glass and a bloody baseball bat provided the initial clues.
The investigation eventually led to the NYPD’s Cold Case Squad in 2015, where a witness revealed her presence at the time of the murder. Her DNA matched that on the wine glass, and she identified Griffin in 2017 as the man wielding the bat. Griffin’s possession of stolen items and connections to a company named on a T-shirt worn at the crime scene further solidified the case.
Griffin’s indictment came in 2018, concluding a painful chapter for the victim’s family and demonstrating the relentless pursuit of justice by law enforcement. Senior Assistant District Attorney John Esposito, along with Assistant District Attorney Xhulia Derhemi, prosecuted the case.
With this sentencing, a stark message has been sent that time will not deter the commitment to seeking justice, no matter how many years may pass.
The perseverance of the District Attorney’s office has brought closure to a family and delivered a significant sentence to a man whose brutal crime shocked the community.