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Mar 25, 2008 1:22 am US/Eastern
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Developments In Case Of Missing N.J. Mother
TRENTON (AP) ―
A torso pulled from a shallow pond in Staten Island on Easter Sunday is undergoing genetic tests to confirm it is the bones of a young Hightstown mother missing since June.
A lawyer representing a man accused of evidence tampering in the case witnessed the grim discovery of the "neck to pelvis" skeleton, which he watched police divers fish from a knee-deep pond off a remote highway service road Sunday.
The remains were discovered in the water next to a suitcase with "a gaping hole" and a "ratty garbage bag" but no remains inside, said the lawyer, George Vomvolakis.
Divers found additional skeletal remains at the roped-off pond as they continued their search Monday, said Casey DeBlasio, a spokeswoman for the lead investigating agency, the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office in New Jersey.
The remains are undergoing DNA testing in New York; results are pending.
Vomvolakis represents John A. Russo Jr. of Staten Island, a longtime friend of the married man charged with murdering his mistress and abandoning their child on a hospital curb.
Rosario DiGirolamo, 33, of Millstone, was charged with murder Thursday in the death of Amy Giordano and is being held in New York on $1 million bail. He is expected to waive extradition.
Giordano, 27, was living with the couple's son, 11-month-old Michael DiGirolamo, in an apartment above a nail salon when she vanished.
DiGirolamo was paying the $850 a month rent and was frequently seen at the apartment by the landlord.
Shortly after Giordano disappeared, DiGirolamo abandoned his family, quit his job and flew to Italy, where he remained for about six weeks before returning to face child abandonment charges. He later pleaded guilty and was fined.
Vomvolakis said Russo provided information that led investigators to the pond, but he declined to be more specific.
"Based on his cooperation and their own investigation, they were led to this area on Staten Island," Vomvolakis said.
DiGirolamo and Russo met several years ago while both were working at a Brooklyn home improvement store, Vomvolakis said. He said Russo, 43, also knew Giordano and that they occasionally socialized.
He described DiGirolamo and Russo as "very good friends" who met in 1991 when both worked at Pergament. He said Russo has been interviewed by detectives "three or four times" in the past nine months, most recently on Friday, two days before the remains were found.
"He's mortified this entire period not knowing what happened to Amy, not knowing if his friend of so many years could have done that to Amy. And he's also glad he was able to help in some way," said Vomvolakis.
Giordano's cousin, Stephen Fishbaum, said the family can "have a proper burial for Amy" once the remains are positively identified, as he believes they will be.
"This guy Russo, they shook him down and he's chirping to get himself out of whatever time he has to do," said Fishbaum.
"We knew her chances of being alive were not too great. She would never have left the baby," he said.
Two days after Giordano disappeared, her son was found abandoned in a hospital parking lot in Newark, Del.
DiGirolamo pleaded guilty in November to reckless endangerment and child abandonment. The child is now in foster care.
DiGirolamo's attorney, Jerome Ballarotto, said they were ready to defend against the murder charge.
DiGirolamo, 33, faces 30 years to life in prison if convicted, prosecutors said. Russo, 43, faces a maximum of 18 months in prison if convicted, they said.
Vomvolakis said Russo would surrender to police by the end of the week.
Russo declined through his lawyer to be interviewed.
(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)