Ricky Kasso

Case record

Ricky Kasso (March 1967 - July 7, 1984) was a juvenile.

Background

Ricky Kasso was the son of a local high school history teacher and football coach at affluent Cold Spring Harbor High School. Several years prior to the murder, his father had won the Nassau County, Long Island Football Coach of the Year, awarded by Newsday.

Ricky ran away from home as a young teen and lived on the streets of suburban Long Island. He usually slept in parks or in the cars, garages or houses of friends. He often took drugs, mainly marijuana, LSD (hence the nickname “Acid King”), PCP, and mescaline. He also dealt drugs in Northport and dabbled in the occult and Satanism.

Kasso was a member of a loosely-organized cult at Northport High School called “Knights of the Black Circle”. They held Satanic ceremonies mostly in Northport, but they were said to have celebrated Walpurgisnacht at the infamous Amityville Horror house in 1984. Kasso expressed to friends his great interest in Anton LaVey’s book The Satanic Bible.

On at least one occasion, Ricky’s parents admitted him to the South Oaks Psychiatric Hospital (formerly known as the Amityville Asylum) in Amityville, New York for drug rehabilitation and psychiatric care. Several details of his admissions and clinical assessment were described: he had pneumonia and during his hospital stay his parents tried to convince the doctors to commit him for involuntary psychiatric care, but the conclusion of the psychiatrists was that Kasso exhibited anti-social behavior but was neither psychotic nor a violent danger, and Kasso was released upon recovering from his bout with pneumonia.

In the year prior to the murder, Kasso had been arrested for grave robbing, digging up a grave and stealing a skull and other objects from a cemetery. About a month after his arrest for this crime, Ricky contracted pneumonia and was treated at Long Island Jewish Hospital.

Biographical detail was also included from commentary within the case material, including that Kasso had “secure affluent background” and became involved with drugs and Satanism, and that his nickname included “Acid King”.

The offence

Ricky Kasso murdered Gary Lauwers, a 17-year-old acquaintance, in Northport, Long Island, New York on June 16, 1984.

Two other teens, Jimmy Troiano and Albert Quinones, were present at the murder. The murder took place in the Aztakea Woods of Northport while all four were high on mescaline.

The conflict between Kasso and Lauwers had started several months earlier when Lauwers stole 10 bags of angel dust from Kasso’s jacket while he was passed out at a party. Kasso confronted him soon after the incident. Lauwers gave back five of the ten bags and promised to pay $50 for the five bags that he had used, but failed to pay back the money, and Kasso beat him on four separate occasions.

On the night of the murder, Kasso invited Lauwers along, saying that he was ready to forgive the incident and wanted to be friends. After taking several hits of mescaline, the teens started a small fire in the woods. They used Lauwers’ socks and the sleeves from his denim jacket as kindling for the wet firewood. The situation escalated when Kasso suggested that they use some of Lauwers’ hair in the fire.

The attack included scuffling and physical assault: Kasso scuffled with Lauwers, bit him on the neck and stabbed him in the chest. Kasso continued his assault over an extended period of time (perhaps hours). Quinones claimed that Troiano helped Kasso and held Lauwers during the attack; however, during his testimony (once he had immunity), Quinones did take responsibility for holding Lauwers down as well as chasing him and dragging him back when he ran.

Injuries included stabbing “somewhere between 17 and 36 times,” burns, and “incurred burns,” and had his eyeballs gouged. His face was severely disfigured from the attack and he died during the night.

Kasso and Troiano dragged Lauwers’ body a short distance and covered it with leaves and sticks.

During the attack, Kasso commanded Lauwers “Say you love Satan”, and Lauwers replied with “I love my mother”.

Investigation

In the aftermath, Kasso bragged to friends about his “human sacrifice”. Kasso stated to some that he murdered because a black crow brought him a message from Satan, telling him to do so.

He even brought several disbelieving teens to see Lauwers’ decomposing body. It was described that nobody reported the murder to the police until two weeks went by, on July 1. On July 4, 1984, police recovered the decomposing and mutilated body of Gary Lauwers.

The crime attracted attention due to allegations made by Suffolk County investigators that Kasso was a “member of a satanic cult” and that a throng of chanting cultists witnessed the “sacrificial” slaughter.

Kasso’s prior arrest for grave robbing involved digging up a 19th century grave from which he stole a skull and hand that he intended to use for a satanic rite.

The case material also included that police focused their investigation on Ricky Kasso and James Troiano, and that both were high school dropouts and known drug abusers who lived on the streets. Troiano had a record of burglary arrests.

Arrest

Kasso was arrested along with Troiano and held in a cell. The murder was reported to the police on July 1, and Kasso and Troiano were arrested and held in a cell after that report.

Trial

Jimmy Troiano signed a confession that he later recanted.

Albert Quinones provided witness account about participation in holding and dragging during the attack. Quinones’ testimony was brought into question due to drugged state. Troiano was acquitted of second-degree murder in a trial by jury in April of 1985.

Sentencing

Kasso did not receive a sentence because he died by suicide while detained.

Appeals

No appeals were described regarding Kasso. Troiano’s acquittal in April 1985 was stated as the jury outcome.

Outcome

Ricky Kasso committed suicide by hanging himself in his jail cell on July 7, 1984, two days after his arrest.

Jimmy Troiano was acquitted of second-degree murder in April 1985.

Albert Quinones turned state's evidence.

Aftermath

Kasso’s behavior and statements after the murder were included as part of the narrative material, including the “human sacrifice” claim and the message from a black crow attributed to Satan.

Two days after Kasso’s arrest, he hanged himself in his jail cell on July 7, 1984.

It was also stated that, in 1991, Ricky’s father killed himself.

Other details

Kasso’s nickname included “The Acid King”.

The victim was identified as Gary Lauwers, sometimes referred to in the narrative material as Gary Lauvers or Lauwers, and as a 17-year-old high-school dropout who had often run away from his Northport home.

The Knights of the Black Circle were described as a loosely-organized cult at Northport High School. The case material also described the cult as having members and being known for animal sacrifices.

Books, plays, documentaries, and films were listed as covering the murder, including:

• Books: “Say You Love Satan” (1987, ISBN 0440175747) by David St. Clair; Weird New York: Your Travel Guide to New York's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets by Chris Gethard.
• Plays: Kids in the Dark by Rick Cleveland and David Breskin, performed at Victory Gardens Theater, Chicago, IL in 1987.
• Documentaries: Satan in the Suburbs (2001, TV) directed by Scott Hillier; The Devil Worshippers (1985, TV) Episode of ABC news program 20/20.
• Films: Under Surveillance (2006), also known as Dark Chamber, directed by Dave Campfield; Ricky 6 (2000), also known as Ricky Six and Say You Love Satan, directed by Peter Filardi; Black Circle Boys (1997) directed by Matthew Carnahan; My Sweet Satan (1994) directed by Jim Van Bebber; Where Evil Dwells (1985,1986) by David Wojnarowicz and Tommy Turner.

Further reading items were listed as including multiple dated New York Times entries and other articles.

Notable quotations were included in the narrative material, including:

• Kasso said: “the ultimate high.”
• Kasso commanded Lauwers: “Say you love Satan”
• Lauwers replied: “I love my mother”
• Quinones and others included statements attributed to them within interviews; they were presented verbatim in the narrative material and included, among others:
  • “Hang up, hang up”
  • “Last time Ricky beat me up, he says next time he's coming back for more and it's not gonna be just a black eye.”
  • “You will never see your son again, because I just killed him.”
  • “What should I do with it?”
  • “Throw it in the water.”
  • “Aw, nothing -- it was a rock, man.”
  • “Satan will come forth in the form of fire.”
  • “Oh, Satan has arrived! Welcome! Welcome!”
  • “Say you love Satan!!!”
  • “I love my mother!”
  • “He wasn't really bad. He was just acting out”
  • “He wasn't into relationships. They never last.”
  • “A Child of the Devil.”
  • “SUDDEN IMPACT”
  • “Satan, Satan, Satan.”
  • “You didn't actually think hell would be all that bad, did you?”
  • “We contribute this to the society of the man who invented acid, fucking drugs. Man, i dedicate this tape to the man who invented 'cid and mesc. Man, this fucking dude, thanks a lot, man, wherever you are. Fuck the world.”
  • “Do you have a girlfriend?”
  • “No, I'm not into relationships. They never last.”
  • “Mom, I'm going down to get a few hits of mesc. I'll be back for dinner.”
  • “See what you made me do.”
  • “Ricky asked me if he could have a ride up to Saratoga to see the Dead.”