The missing head chef of the upscale Cipriani Dolci restaurant in New York City has been found dead in a hostel in Queens.
Andrea Zamperoni, 33, who had worked for the Cipriani company for over a decade, was last seen on Saturday evening by his roommate following his night-shift. He was reported missing Monday when he didn’t show up for work.
The Italian chef was found at the Kamway Lodge in Elmhurst, in an area known for drugs and prostitution located blocks away from his own apartment, around 8.30pm on Wednesday.
A woman called police to report an unconscious man Wednesday evening.
Police found the body wrapped in a blanket on the floor ‘as if someone was going to dispose of it’, according to CBS, but there were no obvious signs of trauma on the body.
Authorities are calling his death suspicious as the cause of death is not clear. A medical examiner will determine the official cause of death and the investigation is ongoing.
Cipriani Dolci head chef Andrea Zamperoni, 33, was found dead in a Queens hostel on Wednesday, four days after he was reported missing
He was last seen by his roommate following his Saturday night shift and co-workers called police after he failed to show up for work on Monday. He was found dead at the Kamway Lodge in Elmhurst, Queens Wednesday evening
He was found at the hostel located near LaGuardia Airport that goes for $89 a night for a double room.
It is located just blocks away from Zamperoni’s apartment on 74th Street in Woodside, Queens.
Security video from the lodge shows cops responding to the scene Wednesday night. Officers were seen removing a body from the building around 1am.
The security footage also shows a woman being handcuffed and escorted into a police vehicle.
‘When I entered last night, we had to be escorted back into our rooms by the cops cause all my stuff was in there, and once we were in we couldn’t leave, so I had to stay the night,’ hostel guest Avery Mullen, a tourist from Scotland, said to CBS.
Security video from the lodge shows cops responding to the scene Wednesday night. Officers were seen removing a body from the building around 1am and arresting a woman
He was found at the Kamway Lodge in Elmhurst (pictured), located blocks from his own home in Woodside, Queens, in an area known for drug and prostitution problems
Police say Zamperoni left was last seen on Monday around noon near his Woodside, Queens apartment (above)
Police say Zamperoni left was last seen on Monday around noon near his apartment.
Zamperoni had worked at the Cipriani Grand Central Terminal restaurant for over a year.
He worked with the esteemed restaurant for over a decade, including a stint at its eatery in London, where his brother works as a chef.
His disappearance caused shock among his coworkers who called him a family man.
‘Chefs are known for being temperamental. This guy’s a sweetheart,’ Cipriani’s manager, Fernando Dallorso, said to the New York Post. ‘He’s a family man. He’s got a brother in London and a mother in Italy.’
‘It’s very heartbreaking,’ he said. ‘He’s very respected here. He climbed very well in the corporation.’
‘So strange about this particular case because he’s not a guy that goes out or parties or whatever, he’s a hard worker,’ Dallorso added.
‘He’s always the first one to call if he’s a minute late,’ sous chef Manuel Ignacio Albo said.
‘He talks to his mom every day in Italy. All of a sudden, his mom calls me Monday asking me where her son is. His passport is still inside his apartment, and he’s here on a work visa, that’s the only documentation he has. So how can he be going anywhere without his passport?’ Ignacio added.
Zamperoni had worked at the Cipriani Grand Central Terminal restaurant for over a year
The Cipriani family released a statement in light of Zamperoni’s death praising him as a ‘well-respected and beloved member of the Cipriani team’
Police are investigating the circumstances of his death
His mother in Italy grew concerned when he missed their daily call Sunday, according to NBC.
His twin brother flew to New York to help in the search for Zamperoni.
The Cipriani family released a statement in light of Zamperoni’s death praising him as a ‘well-respected and beloved member of the Cipriani team’.
‘His brother is overcome with grief and regrets he will not be available to provide any comments. We will keep Andrea’s family in our thoughts and prayers and respect their privacy during this difficult time.
‘Andrea was a responsible, good-hearted, kind and very hard-working individual who will be deeply missed by all of us. We trust the NYPD is exerting all efforts to investigate and bring clarity to this tragic situation,’ the company said.
Cipriani Dolce was one of seven New York restaurants run by the esteemed Cipriani company, which boasts elegant eateries throughout Europe, Asia, South America, Miami and Los Angeles.