A man suspected of fatally stabbing his wife in their Queens home was found dead of an apparent suicide hours later, according to police. Joseph Azzaretto, 33, was discovered hanging from a tree in Astoria Park on Tuesday morning.
The incident is believed to be a murder-suicide. Azzaretto is suspected of stabbing his wife, Mary Kate Golding, 34, to death in their Astoria residence around 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
Azzaretto and Golding had reportedly moved to Astoria from Pennsylvania approximately two months prior to the incident. Neighbors described Azzaretto as having "mentally disturbed" tendencies, recalling an instance where he allegedly fought with repo men over his car.
Golding worked as an assistant set decorator for productions such as "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" and "Goosebumps." Azzaretto also worked within the film industry, according to an anonymous neighbor.
This is not the first instance of extreme violence within Azzaretto's family. In February 2020, his younger brother, Nicholas Azzaretto, then 20, fatally shot their father, Frank Azzaretto, 58, during an argument at the family's home in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. Court records indicate that Nicholas Azzaretto pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in November 2021 and received a sentence of 10 years of probation, with two years under electronic monitoring.
During the 2020 court hearing, it was revealed that Frank Azzaretto had a history of abusive behavior. He had reportedly become enraged over a phone bill, throwing objects and threatening his wife. Nicholas Azzaretto emerged from his room during the altercation and, after returning with a shotgun, fatally shot his father.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Joseph Azzaretto and Mary Kate Golding.