Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Doctor convicted of sexually abusing patients died by hanging on Rikers Island, source confirms
By
Samantha Max
Published Aug 15, 2022
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
JUSTIN LANE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
By
Samantha Max
Published Aug 15, 2022
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A neurologist facing a life sentence after being convicted of sexually assaulting patients died by hanging on Rikers Island on Monday, despite directions from a judge that he be held in protective custody and under suicide watch, Gothamist has learned.
Ricardo Cruciani is the 12th person to die either in city custody or shortly after release this year. A source who was not authorized to speak to Gothamist about the death confirmed that he died by hanging. An official autopsy was still pending as of Monday night.
The Department of Correction said in a statement that it would conduct an internal review of the death, which will also be investigated by the state attorney general’s office and the city Department of Investigation. But it was yet another example of what critics called a “deadly” jail system that is unable to keep either its staff or the people in its care safe.
The DOC still has not confirmed Cruciani was the person who died, instead releasing a statement on Monday that said an unnamed person at the Eric M. Taylor Center on Rikers Island had died at about 6:30 a.m. The city's fire department said EMS responded to a call about an unresponsive person around 6 a.m. and tried to resuscitate the patient before declaring him dead at the scene.
Cruciani’s attorney, Fredrick Sosinsky, said a judge had directed the DOC to place Cruciani in protective custody and under suicide watch. He said it was not clear whether that had taken place. The DOC did not respond to questions on that issue.
“Neither of these conditions were, to our knowledge, ever complied with,” Sosinsky said. “Had they been, we would not be having this terrible discussion."
Cruciani, 68, was convicted on 12 counts in a Manhattan court last month for sexually assaulting, abusing and raping multiple patients at Beth Israel Medical Center. A jury found the doctor forced patients with pain disorders to have sex with him, and then overprescribed them pain medicine to keep them coming back for more appointments.
“Ricardo Cruciani abused his power as a medical professional and knowingly took advantage of his patients’ pain,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement after the trial. “We entrust doctors to respect our bodies and health when we go to them for help, yet Dr. Cruciani utterly violated that duty. Dr. Cruciani left in his wake six survivors who continue to suffer from debilitating diseases, and now, years of trauma.”
Bragg’s office did not respond to a request for comment regarding Cruciani’s death.
When Cruciani was convicted in New York City, cases were still pending against him from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Mercer County prosecutor’s office in New Jersey.
Civil attorneys were also building cases against the doctor. In 2019, New York lengthened the number of years someone can wait to bring a civil suit for certain sex crimes, though the legislation only pertained to crimes that occurred after it took effect. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed another law earlier this year granting sexual assault survivors over the age of 18 another year to sue their perpetrator if the statute of limitations had passed.
Merson Law, a sex abuse firm that has represented victims in cases against Larry Nassar, Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Cosby, has been seeking clients for potential litigation. Pintas & Mullins, a personal injury firm, also offered to represent Cruciani’s victims. Neither firm could immediately comment on how Cruciani’s death would impact their cases.
This is a developing story. Jake Offenhartz contributed reporting.
Tagged
rikers death
Samantha Max
Samantha reports on whether New Yorkers feel safe and whether the institutions that are supposed to protect them are working. Before coming to WNYC/Gothamist, she spent three years covering the criminal justice system in Tennessee for Nashville Public Radio. Her reporting on Nashville's police department received multiple awards, including the Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize. Samantha was also part of the inaugural class of Report for America, a service journalism program that sends up-and-coming reporters to local newsrooms across the country. She is a Northwestern University grad, a Baltimore native and fluent in Spanish. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal: samanthamaxwnyc.93.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Woman dies after tumbling from a moving SUV on the BQE near the Brooklyn Bridge
Police say the woman fell out of the vehicle after opening its rear door.
By
Michael Sol Warren
Published Nov 8, 2026 at 9:16 a.m. ET
Mamdani expands free produce programs for New Yorkers on SNAP
Another program offering cash back for purchasing fruits and vegetables will get more funding.
By
Karen Yi
News
Mamdani expands free produce programs for New Yorkers on SNAP
Another program offering cash back for purchasing fruits and vegetables will get more funding.
By
Karen Yi
Federal judge rules Mamdani administration must give ICE names of Bronx shelter residents
By
Willow Higgins
NYPD arrests and charges city schools employee in murder of Brooklyn jogger
By
Kaya Laterman
Work is underway to replace deteriorating Newark Bay Bridge, a major NY-NJ route
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .