Ep 1. Lee Ann Riedel and Ralph Salierno
- TVPG
- January 13, 2018
Lee Ann Riedel and Ralph Salierno had a love story that was anything but romantic. Their connection came from a shared interest in crime, specifically, murder. While Riedel was a divorced mother of two who worked in a print shop, Salierno was a former NYPD detective who had resigned after being accused of insurance fraud. Together, they became a deadly duo, terrorizing the streets of Staten Island, New York.
The episode begins with the introduction of Riedel and Salierno as two individuals who were fascinated with crime, and willing to go to extremes to fulfill their desires. They met each other at a support group for ex-convicts and felons, and quickly realized that they shared a common interest in murder. The two hit it off immediately, and before long, they were a couple.
Their first murder came in 1989, when they killed Riedel's ex-husband, James Riedel. James had been abusive towards Lee Ann during their marriage, and she had been trying to get rid of him for years. When she met Ralph, she saw an opportunity to get rid of James once and for all. Salierno, who was experienced in law enforcement, helped her plan and execute the murder.
After the success of the James Riedel murder, Lee Ann and Ralph set their sights on a new target: Ernest Mazzatenta, an insurance broker who had angered Salierno by canceling his policy. The two lured Mazzatenta to a motel, where they strangled him and left him in the bathtub.
As the episode progresses, we see interviews with friends, family members, and former law enforcement officials who knew Lee Ann and Ralph. Their bizarre and violent behavior was often a topic of conversation, but no one suspected that the two were capable of murder. Even after James Riedel and Ernest Mazzatenta were killed, it took years for anyone to connect the dots and realize that Lee Ann and Ralph were responsible.
The case finally broke in 2000 when a man named Joseph Christofi came forward with information about the murders. Christofi, who had been involved in the insurance industry, claimed that he had overheard Salierno bragging about killing Mazzatenta. This led to an investigation, and eventually, Lee Ann and Ralph were arrested and charged with murder.
The trial was a sensation, with the media eagerly covering the case of the murderous couple. Lee Ann and Ralph were convicted of both murders and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The episode concludes with interviews of those directly affected by the murder of James Riedel and Ernest Mazzatenta. Family members express their sorrow and anger at the loss of their loved ones, and former law enforcement officials express their disbelief that someone with Salierno's experience could have become a criminal. The story of Lee Ann Riedel and Ralph Salierno is a cautionary tale about the dangers of obsession and the depravity of the human mind.
