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Family says Astoria man arrested in killing of retired teacher, 75, has mental illness
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Mar 4, 2026
Modified Mar 4, 2026
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Brittany Kriegstein / Gothamist
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Mar 4, 2026
Modified Mar 4, 2026
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Astoria resident George Dourdounas lived a simple life, his longtime neighbor said, but it was cut short in an alleged violent attack outside his apartment door on Tuesday afternoon.
NYPD officials said officers were called to the building on 33rd Street and 28th Avenue around 1:40 p.m. and found Dourdounas, 75, with a slash wound to his neck. Emergency medical workers pronounced him dead at the scene, according to officials.
Dourdounas was a soft-spoken and bookish retired math teacher who recently got his doctorate, according to Ray Fasanella, who lives across the hall. The 75-year-old mostly spent his time at his girlfriend’s house or at home with his cats, Fasanella said Wednesday, as police continued to investigate Dourdounas’ death.
“He was my friend. It’s still sinking in,” Fasanella said.
Police arrested and charged Dourdounas’ neighbor Dimitrios Manessis, 48, with murder and weapons possession in connection with the killing, according to the NYPD. Information for Manessis’ lawyer was not yet available Wednesday as he waited to appear before a judge in Queens Criminal Court.
Officials could not immediately say whether police had ever responded to incidents between the two men in the past. They said they are still investigating a potential motive and what led to Tuesday's incident.
Fasanella said Manessis was a “ticking time bomb” who lived with his mother in an apartment that remained behind crime scene tape early Wednesday.
“His eyes weren’t clear. He would just say things that didn’t make sense,” Fasanella said, noting Manessis had stopped greeting his neighbors. “Lately, he would scare me.”
When Gothamist reached Manessis’ mother, Georgia Manessis, by phone on Wednesday, she said her son is mentally ill.
“He’s sick, mentally. Paranoic and schizophrenic,” she said tearfully before hanging up.
Fasanella said Manessis would often verbally harass Dourdounas, who tried to mind his business and stay away.
“He’d say, ‘ Leave me alone. I don't wanna talk to you,’” Fasanella recalled.
He said Manessis damaged Dourdounas’ car last summer, but Dourdounas did not press charges because he was concerned doing so would lead to something worse.
Fasanella said he works nights and was asleep when Dourdounas was allegedly slashed.
“I heard a muffled ‘somebody help me, somebody help me.’ But it wasn’t screaming. It was low. I thought it was in my dream,” Fasanella said. “ When I came out finally, I just got a quick glimpse and George was on the floor.”
He said police told him to go back inside as they worked to arrest Manessis.
NYPD data shows homicides are down by more than 40% citywide so far this year, compared to the same period last year. January and February combined had the fewest killings for the first two months of any year in the city’s history, according to the department.
Dourdounas’ death is the second homicide this year in the 114th Precinct, which includes Astoria, Long Island City, Woodside and Jackson Heights, police data shows. That is up from zero by the same point in 2025.
Fasanella said Manessis’ mother often told Dourdounas her son was taking medication, as if to reassure him she was trying to get her son the help he needed.
“I can’t get it out of my mind,” Fasanella said.
This story is based on preliminary information from police and has been updated with additional details.
Tagged
astoria
new york city
public safety
queens
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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