He strangled Hilda Johnson, an 87-year-old woman, using her Christmas tree lights on December 24, 1990, in her Tulsa home. Six months later, after moving to New York with his spaghettios, Lana, he murdered Leslie Holtz, an 81-year-old man from Staten Island, on July 4, 1991, stealing his Social Security check. New York detectives investigating the murder of Leslie Holtz arrested Grasso and within two weeks he had confessed to police.