Carlo "Cutter" Berintino, 58, was found in an alley near 103rd street on February 14th by a passing pedestrian. He was associated with the Gambino crime family and was a one time associate of John "The Dapper Don" Gotti. His last arrest was in 1991 when Berintino was charged under the RICO statute with 12 other reputed mobsters. All charges were later dismissed.

Carlo Berintino's body as found by police on February 14th

What interests authorities most is how the body was found. Berintino was laying behind a transit authority office with a red cross marked on his forehead and the amputed leg of a chicken in his breast pocket. NYPD lab analysis confirmed that the cross was made of chicken blood.

The coroner's office listed cause of death as "severe hypertension of the descending aorta which lead to myocardial infraction and heart failure." James Olterago of the New York City Medical Examiner's office assisted with the coroner's report and said "The case was unique in the way that the descending aorta shut down. In most cases the aorta becomes progressively narrowed over a period of time. This aorta looked like it had just collapsed in one swift motion. In fact during the autopsy we had to use clamps to reopen it. There was no indication of drugs or chemicals in the body to make it react like that."

Berntino's personal physician declined to be interviewed but his medical file on Berintino was subpoenaed by the NYPD. It states that Berintino's last physical was in September of 1998. No degradation of heart function is mentioned.

New York police officials are hesitant to rule the death a murder since the coroner's office still list the case as 'open.' A source within the NYPD states "If the guy was laying in his bed it would be a open