Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Staten Island Man Claims NYPD Beat, Sodomized Him, Then Threatened His Life
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Oct 16, 2011
Modified Oct 16, 2011
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 .
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Oct 16, 2011
Modified Oct 16, 2011
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 Staten Island man claims that NYPD officers in the Staten Island Gang Squad beat and sodomized him during a drug arrest earlier this year, then threatened his life if he ever came forward with the story.
26-year-old Vincent Delgrosso has filed a lawsuit that alleges that the seven officers who arrested him on Watchougue Road for selling PCP on February 17 "were just stomping on my face for four or five minutes." Delgrosso then details the sexual assault in the filing obtained by the Post: "They pulled my pants down first. I was naked on the ground. They started sticking objects in my rectum. I don't know what they were." Staten Island University Hospital confirmed his injures five days later, including rectal bleeding that was "precipitated by trauma."
Delgrosso claims that the NYPD officers "laughed during the beating and called him a 'faggot,'" before threatening to "shoot him in the mouth" if he told anyone about what happened. The NYPD claims that Delgrosso never requested medical treatment or made any complaints or allegations.
Delgrosso's claims echo those of Abner Louima, who was sodomized and beaten in a Brooklyn precinct in 1997.
Tagged
abner louima
crime
drugs
nypd
police brutality
sodomy
staten island
staten island gang squad
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
5 men charged with trespassing in 2 Manhattan manhole cases
Two people who were found soaking wet and smelling of sewage say they went underground to look for jewelry, according to police and a criminal complaint.
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 7:49 p.m. ET
6-year-old girl breaks leg after getting hit by falling bricks in Queens
The girl was walking with her mother in Maspeth on Thursday. The Department of Buildings cited the owner of a garage for “failure to maintain” it.
By
Charles Lane
News
6-year-old girl breaks leg after getting hit by falling bricks in Queens
The girl was walking with her mother in Maspeth on Thursday. The Department of Buildings cited the owner of a garage for “failure to maintain” it.
By
Charles Lane
Mamdani extends ban on permits for new street fairs due to NYPD overtime
By
Carol Chen
Inside the Midtown Bus Terminal rebuild: Decks over Lincoln Tunnel approach, a new park
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Black couple seeking Queens apartment sues over racist text from broker
By
Brittany Kriegstein
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 .