Daniel Pelosi

Case record: Daniel Pelosi

Daniel Pelosi (born 2 August 1963 in Center Moriches, New York) was convicted of second-degree murder in the 2001 bludgeoning death of Wall Street financier Ted Ammon. He was also described as the convicted murderer of Wall Street financier Ted Ammon, and as the widower of Generosa Ammon.

Background

Pelosi met Generosa Ammon while seeking work as an electrician. Generosa hired Pelosi to supervise the renovation of her townhouse, and Pelosi and Generosa began an affair. Pelosi was also married with three children.

Pelosi stayed at Ammon’s East Hampton home with Generosa and her two adopted children, and drove Ammon’s Porsche Carrera. Ammon had not updated his will to reflect his marital situation, and Generosa inherited the bulk of his $97 million estate after Ammon was found murdered. Pelosi married Generosa on 15 January 2002, one day after his divorce became final.

Before Generosa died in 2003, she cut Pelosi out of her will. Pelosi later challenged the will and a postnuptial agreement that entitled him to $2 million for legal fees. After Generosa’s death, Pelosi wanted custody of her children; the children wanted to live with him. Generosa’s children lived with their aunt and uncle.

Pelosi’s father testified that Daniel had asked him how to get rid of incriminating evidence. Pelosi pleaded guilty to witness tampering in his murder trial so that he could marry his fiancée, Jennifer Zolnowski, who was described as a bank teller as well as Pelosi’s alleged accomplice. Zolnowski gave birth to their son on August 31, 2004.

Pelosi was described as having a history of drug and alcohol abuse, acknowledged when he filed suit after a work-related accident, claiming a back injury had led to his excesses.

The offence

Ted Ammon was found murdered in the master bedroom of his $10 million mansion. He was discovered naked and bludgeoned in the bedroom of his house on Middle Lane. Ammon was beaten more than 30 times on the head with a blunt object.

Pelosi was convicted on charges that he killed Theodore Ammon, the estranged husband of Pelosi’s lover, at Ammon’s home in the eastern Long Island community of East Hampton. Prosecutors theorized that Pelosi killed Ammon to ensure his new-found lifestyle. Prosecutors also said Pelosi killed Ammon in October 2001 because he was angry over a proposed divorce settlement presented to Ammon’s estranged wife, Generosa.

Investigation

During police investigation of Ammon’s murder, Pelosi was arrested for punching a crew member of a tour boat when he refused to serve more alcohol. Pelosi was also charged with stealing $43,000 of electricity from the Long Island Power Authority.

Chief Randall Sarris of the East Hampton Village Police was quoted regarding a report of a naked man being seen on Middle Lane while Ammon was still in Manhattan.

Arrest

Pelosi was arrested for Ammon’s murder on March 24, 2004.

Trial

Pelosi was convicted in December 2004.

Jurors deliberated for three days before deciding the charges. The verdict was read after an eight-week trial filled with tales of adultery and family betrayal. Pelosi made the sign of the cross and shook hands with his three lawyers before hearing the verdict, and after hearing the verdict he sat down with his hands on his face.

The defence suggested Generosa Ammon might have been the killer. Pelosi maintained his innocence and continued to do so.

Prosecution witnesses in the predominantly circumstantial case included three people who claimed he confessed the slaying to them. A former co-worker testified that Pelosi had told him a year earlier about plans to get Ammon’s money by romancing the millionaire’s wife and then killing her husband. The trial also included testimony from Pelosi’s father, who voluntarily testified for the prosecution, about Pelosi seeking his advice on disposing of something so it would never be found hours after the killing.

Pelosi faced additional charges of attempting to intimidate and tamper with prosecution witnesses. Prosecutors also alleged there was evidence that he made efforts to reach out to a juror. Pelosi pleaded guilty to witness tampering in his murder trial so that he could marry his fiancée.

Sentencing

Sentencing was set for January 25, and Pelosi received a sentence of 25 years to life in prison on January 25, 2005.

Pelosi was incarcerated in the Southport Correctional Facility and was described as being eligible for parole in August 2031.

Appeals

Pelosi’s attorney Richard Mischel said he would file an appeal to overturn Pelosi’s conviction. Mischel declined to comment on confinement.

Aftermath

After Generosa’s death, Pelosi wanted custody of her children, and Generosa’s children lived with their aunt and uncle.

In September 2005, Pelosi was placed in solitary confinement for 50 days after a correction officer witnessed his inappropriate conduct in the visiting area of the Clinton Correctional Facility in upstate New York.

In August 2008, Pelosi was placed in solitary confinement for six months for using other inmates’ PINs to place unauthorized phone calls.

In May 2009, he served 30 days in confinement again for phone misuse.

In 2011, Pelosi was again placed in solitary confinement at Southport Correctional Facility in upstate Pine City for nearly two months. This was described as being after he made threatening phone calls to an unidentified woman on Nov. 26.

An inmate misbehavior form said the woman contacted the Elmira Correctional Facility to report that Pelosi left a voice mail on her cell phone threatening her and telling her:

"this is the last vacation you'll ever take"
"I'm sending some people over to your home."

Pelosi admitted to authorities he made the phone call. As a result, Pelosi was sentenced to a year in disciplinary confinement for 23 hours a day, and he was no longer allowed to make calls or send or receive packages. His commissary purchase privileges were revoked.

The account described that it was not the first time Pelosi had been placed in solitary or faced discipline. He was already in confinement as of Nov. 23 for disobeying a direct order from a correction officer. He served three days in solitary and made the phone call on the last day. Correction spokeswoman Linda Foglia said details of the Nov. 23 incident could not be disclosed due to privacy rules.

Timeline

• 15 January 2002 — Pelosi married Generosa Ammon, one day after his divorce from his wife became final.
• October 2001 — Prosecutors said Pelosi killed Ted Ammon.
• 2003 — Generosa Ammon died of breast cancer and cut Pelosi out of her will.
• August 31, 2004 — Jennifer Zolnowski gave birth to Pelosi’s son.
• March 24, 2004 — Pelosi was arrested for Ammon’s murder.
• December 2004 — Pelosi was convicted of murder.
• January 25, 2005 — Pelosi was sentenced to 25-years-to-life in prison.

Other details

• Ammon ran the private equity firm Chancery Lane Capital and was chairman of Jazz at Lincoln Center.
• Ammon had built much of his $80 million fortune as one of the top LBO players at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts in the 1980s.
• Mark Angelson was described as Ammon’s partner in a boutique private equity firm, Chancery Lane Capital.
• Ammon’s body was discovered on Middle Lane in East Hampton.
• A report described that Ammon’s house’s state-of-the-art alarm system, replete with nine cameras, had been turned off.
• It was described that burglary appeared not to be the motive and that nothing was ransacked or seemed out of place.
• An account described that for almost two weeks after the murder, the house at 59 Middle Lane was kept fully lit all night, and then the lights were turned off when the property was turned back over to the family.