A notorious former gangster who had been working to turn his life around has been tragically mauled to death by his friend's pit bull terrier in a shocking incident on Staten Island. Frank Monte, aged 59, lost his life in the brutal attack outside a residential property, marking a devastating end to his recent efforts at sobriety and personal reform.
A Fatal Afternoon Visit
The lethal encounter occurred on Sunday afternoon, just after 4pm, when Monte visited a friend's house to pass time between trips to a local pharmacy. According to eyewitness accounts and emergency service reports, several people inside the property witnessed the sudden attack and immediately dialled 911 for assistance.
Despite rapid response from authorities, Monte was pronounced dead at the scene. The black pit bull responsible, named Bean, was subdued by officers using a tranquilizer before being taken into custody by animal control officials from the Animal Care Centers of NYC. The dog was subsequently euthanised following the fatal incident.
A Dog With a Dangerous History
Neighbours and local residents revealed that Bean had exhibited aggressive behaviour on previous occasions, with multiple accounts suggesting the dog had bitten other people in the past. One neighbour, speaking anonymously to local media, described how Monte had often appeared visibly nervous around the animal.
'You could tell Frank was nervous around the dog,' the neighbour told reporters. 'Everybody's devastated by what's happened.' Another resident claimed the 'big dog' had been left outside in unsafe conditions previously and had escaped from the property on multiple occasions.
'The dog did go after some girl one time with a small dog,' the neighbour stated. 'It's not safe, we're all afraid to walk by that house.'
Eight Months of Sobriety and Reform
Despite Monte's criminal past, those closest to him emphasised that he had been committed to sobriety for the past eight months and was actively rebuilding his life. His partner of 25 years, who wished to remain anonymous, described him as 'getting his life together' before the tragic attack.
'What happened to him with this dog is a tragedy,' she told the Daily News. 'He was a good man. He loved my daughter, took great care of her.' The partner, who has a 34-year-old disabled daughter, added: 'He has traveled with me around the world, taking care of my daughter. I would trust nobody with my daughter, except Frank Monte.'
Friends also noted that Monte had been regularly visiting his 96-year-old mother who suffers from dementia and lives in a nursing home, demonstrating his commitment to family responsibilities during his period of reform.
A Troubled Property and Lingering Questions
The house where the attack occurred had previously attracted police attention. In May, authorities raided the property, uncovering pills and drug paraphernalia and arresting 53-year-old Anthony Iovine, according to the Staten Island Advance.
Local business owners and residents expressed little surprise about the violent incident occurring at the address. 'We knew it's gonna happen. Everyday something happened in that house,' a nearby business owner told local media.
Monte's partner expressed confusion about why he would have approached the dog, given his apparent fear of the animal. 'He would not go up to that dog. I am in total shock,' she said. 'I don't know if someone provoked the dog. I don't go near that house. I know of that house that it is a troubled house.'
A Checkered Criminal History
Frank Monte's past included multiple convictions and prison sentences spanning several decades. In 2013, he was arrested in Oakwood Beach after prosecutors said he handed 300 small plastic bags of heroin to a buyer, receiving $1,320 in exchange. He faced felony and misdemeanour charges for criminal possession of a controlled substance, plus a felony charge for criminal drug sales.
Although Monte acknowledged felony drug possession, he maintained he had no role in the sale, arguing that his prior drug offenses had led to a 'biased' view from law enforcement. Speaking to the New York Times in 2014, Monte said: 'When you go to jail on Staten Island, you're labeled for life with these cops.'
In 2014, following a St. Patrick's Day drug bust on the Staten Island Expressway, he was sentenced to five years behind bars. Authorities had stopped Monte's 2011 Toyota Suburban for failing to signal and uncovered 531 envelopes of heroin in a plastic bag on the front-passenger-side floorboard.
He pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and received a concurrent five-year sentence after pleading guilty in an unrelated felony case for attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance. However, Monte was released on a $3,500 bond in the unrelated case and walked free.
Before these later arrests, Monte had already served two prison stints - one in 1994 when he was convicted of two burglaries and sentenced to three to nine years in prison, and another in January 2009 when he was convicted of felony drug possession and sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Ongoing Investigation
Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fatal dog attack, though no arrests have been made so far. A law enforcement source indicated that Monte was playing with the dog when it unexpectedly 'turned on him,' though the exact trigger for the animal's aggression remains unclear.
The tragic incident has left the local community reeling, with neighbours expressing both grief and concern about safety in their area. As investigations continue, those who knew Frank Monte are left to mourn a man who was attempting to leave his troubled past behind, only to meet a violent and unexpected end.
