Neighbors raise funds for man shot in robbery

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The family of Chris Carucci Sr., the father of a jewelry store owner shot in a robbery gone awry over the weekend, has sent up a crowdfunding campaign to help pay his medical bills. 

Carucci Sr., was working in his son Chris Carucci Jr.’s jewelry store, Marilyn’s Diamond Collection at 3264 Johnson Ave., Saturday morning when two men in their 20s walked in demanding he hand over money from the register.

Instead, Carucci Sr. hit the silent alarm, according to police, prompting the would-be thieves to shoot him in the stomach and run away empty-handed. 

The two suspects jumped into a tan Ford Explorer, according to police, but the car had no plates and the investigation has since cooled down. A search of the area produced few leads.

Police released photos of two men wanted for questioning in connection to the botched robbery on Saturday.

Ryan Carucci, one of Carucci Sr.’s children, said he was shocked after hearing about the shooting. 

“I felt like I fell out of my own body,” he said. “I never thought I’d have to say someone tried to murder my father.”

Carucci Sr., is in stable condition at Saint Barnabas Hospital, according to his son, and is expected to start breathing on his own again over the course of the week. 

“Thank God,” Ryan Carucci said. “They are saying that he is trending in a positive way.” 

But the good news for Carucci Sr., doesn’t come without its drawbacks. The patriarch has no health insurance, according to his son, and the medical bills are starting to add up. 

On April 9, Carucci Sr.’s son-in-law Cody Derespina tried to take matters into his own hands by asking for $10,000 in donations to cover medical costs. 

The GoFundMe page had since raised $3,750 by the time The Press went to print Tuesday. 

The 57-year-old lived and worked in Riverdale as a jeweler for 20 years, where he also raised his children. Carcucci Jr., moved back to Riverdale nearly a decade ago to open Marilyn’s Diamond Collection, on Johnson Avenue where his father was working when he was attacked. 

Anyone interested in making a donation can visit GoFundMe/3miuj3c.

Chris Carucci, Ryan Carucci, Marilyn's Diamond COllection, NYPD, shooting, Anthony Capote