Long Island’s Most Notorious Criminal Cases
Long Island's most notorious criminal cases range from infamous serial killers to major organized crime figures and medical murderers.
The ten most notable Long Island crimes / criminals, based on their severity and infamy:
Rex Heuermann
An architect from Massapequa Park, Heuermann is the prime perpetrator of the Gilgo Beach murders. He was arrested in July 2023 and pleaded guilty in April 2026 to the murders of eight women: Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Lynn Costello, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor, Sandra Costilla, and Karen Vergata.Joel Rifkin
Operating in the early 1990s, Rifkin is one of the most prolific serial killers in New York history. The East Meadow resident was convicted of murdering 17 women, though he is suspected of killing up to 18. His crime spree ended in 1993 following a high-speed police chase in Mineola.John Gotti ("The Teflon Don")
The boss of the Gambino crime family famously ran his massive racketeering and extortion operations from New York City while residing in a lavish estate in Howard Beach, Queens (technically part of Long Island, historically acting as the geographic gateway to Nassau County).Carlo Gambino
The head of the Gambino crime family throughout the mid-20th century lived in Massapequa, Long Island. He oversaw massive construction rackets, gambling, and violent enforcement while shielding much of his operation from the authorities.Richard Angelo ("The Angel of Death")
A nurse at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip, Angelo poisoned and killed several patients in 1987. His twisted motive was to inject patients with paralyzing drugs to induce a medical crisis, then play the hero by resuscitating them.Martin Tankleff
In 1988, Tankleff was convicted of bludgeoning and slashing his parents to death in their Belle Terre mansion. He served 17 years in prison before his conviction was vacated on appeal in 2007, culminating in a highly debated and publicized Long Island criminal justice saga.Thomas Capano
A wealthy and well-connected Delaware political figure, Capano committed the premeditated murder of his mistress, Anne Marie Fahey, in 1996. He used his connections to charter a boat and dumped her body in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Long Island.Matthew Solomon
In 1987, Lisa Solomon was strangled to death, and her body was dumped in Huntington Station. Her husband, Matthew Solomon, initially reported her missing but was later arrested and confessed to the murder in 1988.The MS-13 Long Island Faction
While MS-13 is an international gang, a violent local faction dominated parts of Long Island (particularly Brentwood, Central Islip, and Hempstead) in the 2010s. Multiple gang members were convicted of brutal, machete-based murders, most notably the 2016 slayings of two local teenage girls.The Amityville Horror Killer (Ronald DeFeo Jr.)
In November 1974, DeFeo Jr. methodically murdered his parents and four younger siblings as they slept in their beds at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville. The brutal murders inspired the infamous "Amityville Horror" book and movie franchise.
