Who is Frank Cavalluzzi? ‘Wolverine of NYC’ convicted in attack on BLM protesters in 2020 with bladed glove
QUEENS, NEW YORK CITY: Frank Cavalluzzi, a 57-year-old man has been convicted of attempted murder for his vicious attack on a group of Black Lives Matter protesters in 2020 in Queens.
Cavalluzzi, who earned the nickname ‘Queens Wolverine’ for his use of a four-bladed knife-claw, attempted to run over peaceful demonstrators with his SUV and then pursued them with a weapon, yelling racial slurs and profanities
How long will 'Wolverine' Frank Cavalluzzi spend in Prison?
Cavalluzzi has been found guilty of nine counts of second-degree attempted murder and nine counts of first-degree attempted assault. The attack took place on June 2, 2020, in Whitestone.
Furthermore, he faces seven counts of menacing in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, and reckless driving as per Daily Mail.
He faces up to 25 years in prison for each of the attempted murder charges. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 13 the date for which has been set by Queens Supreme Court Justice Michelle A Johnson.
What happened on the Day of attack?
"A dangerous man is going to jail. It's a good day for New York and the First Amendment," Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, said.
On the day of the attack, Cavalluzi drove into the protests at the intersection of the Cross Island Parkway service road and Clintonville Street in Whitestone.
He then started to hurl insults and threats, saying “You are in the wrong neighborhood.” He then made a U-turn, got out of his SUV, and ran towards several protesters with a leather glove strapped to his right arm that had four serrated blades attached to it.
He got back into his vehicle and yelled “I will kill you” before driving onto the sidewalk where the protesters were standing. However, no one was injured in the unprovoked attack.
What were the protests about?
The protesters had been marching peacefully for weeks in New York and other US cities to protest abuse and systemic racism following George Floyd's killing in May 2020.
However, the number of drivers running into the crowds of protesters multiplied. The New York Times reported that there were 66 such attacks in six weeks after Floyd's killing.
Lorraine McShea, 22, who was among the protesters along with her brother and sister when the attack happened in an interview said, it was an "extremely scary" episode.
McShea said she didn't know if her siblings were safe when she ran for safety from Cavalluzzi as he charged into protestors with a vehicle. “I didn’t know if they were dead or alive,” she said.
Frank Cavalluzzi's past arrests?
He has eight prior arrests dating back to 1988, the New York Post reported. He was most recently detained on January 22, 2016, for assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, and obstruction during a traffic stop on the Upper East Side.
He punched his female landlord, showed a knife, and threatened cops in April 2012, and was charged with menacing with a weapon. He smashed a car window and resisted arrest in a road rage incident in February 2004.
He also attacked someone with a weapon, injured them, and fled the scene in another road rage dispute in September 1998. He denied the charges against him and got out on a $100,000 bail in April 2021.
