In Loving Memory of My Sister

Joann Maniscalco April 15, 1956 - December 23, 1977 You have been gone 48 years but time hasn't healed the heartache I have felt since your horrible death. You were only 21 years old when, on December 23, 1977, you were murdered when you opened a package addressed to you that contained a bomb. The thought of your murder haunts me every day. I am writing this because the world needs to know who you truly were-- a beautiful person inside and out; a quiet, soft-spoken, kind, generous, gentle soul in whom all animals found a friend (especially cats). I remember how you used to nurse abandoned, injured baby rabbits so they could be returned to the park; and how much you loved listening and dancing to the "oldies." Sadly, your need to feel noticed, and your poor self-esteem and deep insecurity in your early teens made you very vulnerable to becoming a victim trapped in an evil web that eventually led to your tragic death. Joann, the pain of losing you still feels like yesterday. I will love and miss you forever. Your sister, Celeste (Gwee)