STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Several inmates serving out lengthy prison sentences for homicide cases on Staten Island are up for parole in 2026, while one man has just about served his time, state records show.
Among those being considered by board commissioners this year is a man who stated he was high on quaaludes when he murdered a 10-year-old girl in Oakwood; a gunman who police said was acting on a drug dispute outside his Stapleton apartment building, and a construction worker with a history of mental health issues who stabbed his actress girlfriend to death in West Brighton.
In considering whether to grant an inmate conditional release, the New York State Parole Board wants to know, in part, how they plan to manage life with a felony record while staying away from criminal activity, according to the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
Board commissioners take into consideration letters sent on behalf of the parole applicant, along with any correspondence from family and friends of the victim. They also review the inmate’s prison record, looking for participation in rehabilitative programs, or conversely any transgressions while incarcerated.
Records show the following individuals are eligible for early release, or release, this year.
Keith Vischio
In May, the New York State Board of Parole is scheduled to interview a notorious killer on Staten Island about the possibility of conditional release.
Keith Vischio is seen in this photo from the Advance’s front page being taken into custody in July 1980 for the murder of Lorraine Pacifico, 10.
Keith Vischio, now 65 years old, was convicted decades ago of murdering of a 10-year-old girl in Oakwood, near the Staten Island Railway tracks.
The vicim, Lorraine Pacifico, was killed July 7, 1980, devastating her family and rocking the surrounding community.
Keith Vischio, now 60, savagely slew Lorraine Pacifico, pictured, on July 7, 1980, in Oakwood. A state parole board once again refused to release him.
Family at the time said Lorraine was a gifted swimmer, and her mother dreamed that one day she could showcase her talent at the Olympic Games.
Vischio is currently serving a sentence of 20 years to life at the Adirondack Correctional Facility in Ray Brook.
At a previous parole board hearing in which the request ultimately was denied by the board, Vischio offered insight into his mindset that day.
He said that in the hours prior to the killing, he quit his job as a clerk for a Manhattan stock-brokerage firm, and that he was high on quaaludes and had been drinking alcohol when he carried out the murder.
Posing in this 2017 mugshot photo, notorious Staten Island killer Keith Vischio, now 65, is up for parole again in May.
In denying Vischio early release, parole board commissioners stated in one ruling:
“… This panel is concerned with the violent nature of your murder offense as well as your ongoing course of conduct that you engaged in during and after the commission of your crime.
“A review of your records lead the panel to conclude that your release would be incompatible with the welfare of society…”
Jose Roman
In 2005, a Bronx man was sentenced to 15 years of incarceration after pleading guilty to a fatal stabbing on Staten Island’s North Shore.
Jose Roman, now 52, was granted early release in 2018, but then violated parole and was sent back to prison on a sentence of 2 to 4 years. He’s now scheduled for release in February 2026, state records show.
The homicide unfolded near Birch Road and Yale Street in Mariners Harbor, according to Advance/SILive.com archives. The victim, Raymond Saldana, was just steps from his home when he was killed.
Leonard Wilson
Convicted of killing a man in 1999 outside a West Brighton apartment building, Leonard Wilson, of Stapleton, was denied parole in July after board members determining 25 years was not enough.
Prosecutors in the 2001 trial of Leonard Wilson said the defendant shot a man outside an apartment building on Hill Street in Stapleton, over the course of an attempted drug robbery. Google Maps
This month, Wilson, now 51, is due up again for parole consideration, records show. He currently is serving a sentence of 25 years to life in the Woodbourne Correctional Facility.
The victim, Keith DeGroat, 23, of Elm Park, was found shot to death outside of his apartment building. Prosecutors at the time said the shooting was tied to the local drug trade.
In taking the witness stand at trial, Wilson, who went by “Sha,” stated he didn’t intend on killing DeGroat, but did want DeGroat to stop selling drugs on his block. He said the shotgun went off during a struggle over the weapon.
Kevin Howard
A West Brighton man convicted in the 2006 stabbing death of his girlfriend had his first shot at parole two years ago. He was denied.
Police arrested Howard after a vehicle pursuit that ended with him crashing into a pole at the intersection of Richmond Terrace and Broadway in West Brighton. Staff shot
Kevin Howard, now 67, will have another chance in May. The former construction worker with a history of mental health issues currently is serving out a sentence of 18 and a half years to life at Fishkill Correctional Facility in Beacon.
The victim, Jude Carabba, 47, of Silver Lake, was a mother and an actress who came from a large family. Her father was a prominent doctor and military veteran.
Jude Carabba, who was killed by her boyfriend decades ago in the man’s West Brighton apartment, poses in this head shot. She was an actress, described by family as a generally happy person.(Submitted)
Prosecutors said the stabbing played out inside the defendant’s residence on Howard Avenue. When officers arrived at the scene, they found Carabba dead. Howard fled in a vehicle, which he crashed into a telephone pole a short distance away before being placed under arrest, the Advance/SILive.com reported at the time.
In the months leading up to Carabba’s death, her father pleaded with her to stay away from the defendant, according to reports at the time.
In the fallout of the murder, family described her as a generally happy person living out her dream, noting bit parts on “Law & Order,” “The Sopranos” and “Casino.”
In handing down the prison sentence in 2007, Justice Leonard P. Rienzi cited Howard’s history of psychiatric struggles, as well as the “poignant and moving letters” he received from Carabba’s family.
Barry Rodrigo
After being denied parole nearly 10 times, a South Beach man convicted of killing his girlfriend’s 2-year-old daughter has another shot at freedom in March.
Rodrigo, pictured here in 2015, said he carried out dozens of beatings on 2-year-old Lisa Nugent in July 1995, which resulted in the girl’s death.(Advance/SILive.com)
Barry Rodrigo, now 54 years old, was most recently denied parole in late 2024, state records show. He currently is serving a sentence of 15 years to life at Groveland Correctional Facility in Sonyea.
During a parole interview in 2021, Rodrigo was asked about what triggered the repeated beatings of the victim, Lisa Nugent, in July 1995, which according to an autopsy report resulted in her death.
He said he was in a volatile relationship with the girl’s mother, and that he was acting out his feelings of frustration and inadequacy.
In this July 1995 photo, Barry Rodrigo, center is seen in police custody at the 122nd Precinct in New Dorp, following the death of Lisa Nugent.
“I took the anger out on an innocent child. … (Someone who) could not fight back,” a transcript of the 2021 parole-board interview quoted him as saying. ” … (I was) thinking about what I’ve been going through … not liking myself, thinking about that I’m stuck not getting anywhere. That’s probably what was going through my mind — not liking the place that I’m in.”
Rodrigo added that he was frequently high and drunk at the time, and that he carried out as many as 30 beatings on the girl when he was alone with her.