Episode 130: The Dosso Family Murders

In December of 1997, Bartow, Florida was the town where nothing horrible was supposed to happen. But this month, the quiet, close-knit community became the setting for a brutal massacre. Inside a local business, Erie Manufacturing, four people were executed in broad daylight: Frank Dosso, his brother-in-law George Patisso, business partner George Gonsalves, and Frank’s sister, Diane Dosso. The crime scene offered little for the investigation. No weapon. No witnesses. No forensic evidence. Investigators believed it was a professional hit but for years, they couldn’t prove who was responsible. Suspicion kept circling back to one man, but he seemingly had an airtight alibi, he was supposedly out of town. But investigators uncovered a hidden trail: an alias, rental car, a mysterious flight, and one overlooked detail that would change everything. Almost a decade later, a single fingerprint would unravel the case. Afterwards, an international pursuit occurred, a legal loophole in Ecuador’s constitution, and a detective who refused to let the case go cold even when ordered to walk away. This is the story of a family destroyed, a town forever changed, and a crime that ALMOST became the perfect murder.     Sources: “Probe into 4 Shootings Turns to Owners’ Fights” by The Ledger in the Tampa Bay Times on December 5, 1997 “Co-Owner Cleared as Suspect” by Sam Cardinale in The Ledger on December 6, 1997 “Unfinished business” by Dennis Murphy on NBC News on December 21, 2006 (https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna16306307) “To Catch A Killer” by 48 Hours on CBS News on March 1, 2007 (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/to-catch-a-killer-01-03-2007/) “Trial Begins in Polk County Mass Slaying” by The Associated Press in The St. Augustine Record on September 6, 2006 “Defendants Migraine Delays Trial” by Associated Press in Florida Today on September 7, 2006 “911 Calls Take Jury to Slaying” by Billy Townsend in The Tampa Tribune on September 14, 2006 “Businessman to pay for killings with his life” by Phil Davis, The Associated Press in The Herald Tribune on June 27, 2007 (https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2007/06/27/businessman-to-pay-for-killings-with-his-life/28556202007/) Unusual suspects season 5, episode 8 “Manufacturing Murder” on Peacock https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/281558335/george-emanuel-gonsalves https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/50050258/frank_vito-dosso https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/188783869/george_anthony-patisso https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/188783919/diane-patisso https://www.cityofbartow.net/307/City-History https://grokipedia.com/page/Nelson_Serrano#death-and-legacy