Dr. Ricardo Cruciani, 68, was found unresponsive in a shower area at the Eric M. Taylor Center, a prison at the notorious Rikers Island complex, the people said. They were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Cruciani’s attorney, Frederick Sosinsky, confirmed in a statement that his client had died, but not the manner of death. “Ricardo’s lawyers and family are shocked and saddened beyond belief to learn of his violent death while in custody in the city this morning,” he said. Prosecutors said Cruciani treated vulnerable patients by overprescribing painkillers, sometimes to treat serious injuries from car wrecks and other accidents. Six women testified that the sexual abuse often happened behind closed doors during a 2013 appointment at a Manhattan medical center, where the doctor exposed himself and demanded sex. “I take comfort in knowing that he is now facing a different judge,” said Terrie Phoenix, who testified against Cruciani in the trial. He was also scheduled to go on trial next January on federal charges accusing him of abusing numerous patients over 15 years at his offices in New York, Philadelphia and Hopewell, New Jersey. Cruciani denied abusing women. In court, his lawyer questioned the credibility of his accusers. Shosinski called for an “immediate and objective investigation” into the circumstances of his death, including whether prison officials complied with a court order at the time of his sentencing to place him in protective custody and under suicide watch. “None of these conditions, as far as we know, were ever met,” Sosinsky said. “If it was, we wouldn’t be having this terrible conversation.” Benny Bossio, president of the prison officers’ union, said high-profile inmates are usually placed on suicide watch and watched by an extra officer when they first enter the prison. “The fact that this inmate was not placed under suicide control raises serious questions. Our officers were not responsible for this tragic incident, which was clearly a management failure,” he said. Cruciani died while awaiting sentencing next month in a New York state case in which he was convicted of 12 counts, including aggravated sexual assault, rape and sexual assault, and acquitted of two other counts. He faced life in prison. Cruciani’s act “was in no way a sign of remorse or guilt,” said Hillary Tullin, who also testified and helped fuel the case by calling a sexual abuse hotline in 2017. “He just couldn’t face the rest of his life his back. bar.” Tullin called it a “sad day for all of his victims who will never have a final say and will never have the opportunity to address the defendant and tell him directly how his crimes greatly affected their lives.” Jeffrey Fritz, who represents 30 women who say they were victimized by Cruciani, including Phoenix and Tullin, said many of his clients “feel cheated by the criminal justice system.” The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are survivors of sexual assault unless they grant permission, which Phoenix and Tallinn have done. The fire department said they responded to a call of an unconscious inmate at the jail around 5:50 a.m. Paramedics tried to revive him but were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at the scene, the department said. The city Department of Corrections, which runs Rikers Island, confirmed that an inmate at the Eric M. Taylor facility died Monday, but did not release his name, citing pending family notification. The cause of death is under investigation, the department said. Prisons Commissioner Luis Molina said in a statement that he was “deeply saddened” to learn of the inmate’s death and promised “a preliminary internal review to determine the circumstances of his death.” Cruciani is at least the 11th person to die in a city jail this year. Last year, 16 people died in the city’s jails — the most since 2013. The Daily News was the first to report Cruciani’s death. A message seeking comment was left with the Manhattan district attorney’s office, which prosecuted the case that ended with his July 29 conviction. Cruciani was free on bail during the trial, but was sent to Rikers Island after the verdict. The complex, suffering from years of neglect, has been in turmoil since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, with a spike in inmate deaths, violence, self-harm and staff absenteeism. The city has said it will close Rikers Island by 2027, replacing it with four smaller jails located elsewhere. __ Rubinkam reported from northeastern Pennsylvania. __ On Twitter, follow Michael Sisak at twitter.com/mikesisak and Michael Rubinkam at twitter.com/michaelrubinkam
