Philadelphia man slain in apparent robbery attempt

Originally published April 2, 2008 by the Philidelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia man slain in apparent robbery attempt

Nicholas Pisano heard a knock at the door in his Old City rowhouse and thought it was a food deliveryman, police said.

Instead, he was gunned down Monday night as he opened the door to tell the man he hadn’t placed an order, police said.

Pisano, 25, of the 300 block of North Front Street, was taken by a medic unit to Hahnemann University Hospital and pronounced dead at 10:45 p.m.

Police received a call about 9:30 p.m. of a shooting in the neighborhood of rowhouses with rear balconies that overlook Columbus Boulevard and the Delaware River.

They found Pisano lying on the floor inside the doorway.

Homicide Capt. Mike Costello said a friend was visiting and heard the exchange about the food order. Two men, he said, were later seen fleeing the area on foot.

“It may have been a robbery attempt,” Costello said, adding that it does not appear that anything was taken, possibly because another person was in the home at the time of the shooting.

It appears, Costello said, that Pisano was specifically targeted, but detectives were still investigating the motive and looking for suspects last night.

Two neighbors on the block said they didn’t know Pisano, but he had frequent visitors at his home day and night.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call police at 215-686-3334.

~ by musingsofagirlobsessed on April 4, 2008.