Emergency crews rushed to the jail when an inmate, later identified as Cruciani, was found at 5:50 a.m. unconscious and unresponsive in cardiac arrest, according to a New York Fire Department spokesman. He was pronounced dead at the scene, the spokesman said.
Cruciani was housed at Rikers Island until his sentencing, which was scheduled for September. His death, at least the 11th in a New York prison in 2022, is the latest in a string of deaths at Rikers, a prison notorious for reports of violence and brutal conditions.
Cruciani’s lawyer, Frederick Sosinsky, confirmed the death, adding that he had asked to be placed in protective custody and on suicide watch when he was sentenced on July 29.
“None of these conditions were ever met, as far as we know,” Shosinski said in a statement. “If they had, we wouldn’t be having this terrible conversation. We’re asking for an immediate and objective investigation into the actual circumstances of Ricardo’s death, including, most importantly, why in the world Corrections didn’t follow the Court’s orders regarding Ricardo’s placement.”
The DOC released a statement saying an investigation will be conducted to determine the circumstances surrounding Cruciani’s death.
“It is with deep sadness that I learned of the death of this individual in custody,” DOC Commissioner Louis Molina said in a statement. “We will be conducting a preliminary internal review to determine the circumstances surrounding his death. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones.”
The Correctional Officers Benevolent Association, the union that represents correctional officers at DOC facilities that include Rikers Island, said Cruciani was not suicidal.
“Typically, when an inmate comes into our custody for the first time facing a serious, high-profile crime, they are placed on suicide watch, which requires an additional officer to supervise that inmate,” union president Benny Bossio said in a statement. “The fact that this inmate was not placed under suicidal control raises serious questions. Our officers were not responsible for this tragic incident, which was clearly an administrative failure.”
Cruciani was convicted last month after a jury found he manipulated and abused six female patients at a New York hospital and facilities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, according to a statement released by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg at the time condemnation.
The neurologist, who was supposed to help his patients deal with chronic pain illnesses, groped and forcibly kissed his victims before using his psychiatric training to manipulate them, the statement said. Cruciani also overprescribed strong painkillers to the women, so much so that they became addicted but could only go to him because no other doctor would prescribe the amount they needed to keep the addiction going, the statement said.
After a month-long trial that included testimony from victims, Cruciani was found guilty of 12 counts, including charges related to sexual assault, sexual abuse and rape, according to the Manhattan district attorney.
Cruciani, who was also the former chairman of Drexel University’s Department of Neurology, previously pleaded guilty in Philadelphia to seven counts of sexually assaulting patients and was sentenced to seven years of probation in 2017.
