Law & Order Special Victims Unit s10e06 Episode Script
Babes
In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous.
In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
Okay.
You're sensitive and charming.
Now, invite her back to your place and let us go home.
What do you bet he stiffs us harder than he stiffs her? Ready for the check? Actually, we're thinking about dessert.
And something exciting.
Flambé, maybe? Folks, the only thing here that's flaming is the maitre d' and he left an hour ago.
Time to call it a night.
Oh, my God.
You dragged my ass out of bed because Benson's on vacation? Not a vacation.
She's on a three-day conference for battered women.
It's not exactly Club Med, you know.
What have we got on the menu for tonight? Barbecue.
A little too well done.
Let me go out on a limb, here.
No ID.
You've done this before.
A lot of nightclubs around here.
So a Wall Streeter comes stumbling out drunk, gets rolled, but why fry the poor guy? He's missing a few things more valuable than his wallet.
Ow! Yeah.
Goodbye, family jewels.
They get burned off? No.
There would be charred remnants.
I'd say it was a chop job.
Probably just before he was torched.
Any idea where our crispy critter came running from? Follow the bloody brick road.
I'd say this is where he lost his boys.
Accelerant on the ground.
Looks like he was lit up over here by this car.
Castrated, then immolated.
Whoever did it wanted this guy to suffer.
Puncture wounds match the scalpel you found.
More than a dozen deep ones to his groin, abdomen and thighs.
A sloppy attack.
Emotional.
Exactly.
The excised genitals show the same kind of ragged hacking.
Are we done yet? If it's any consolation, you're probably feeling more pain than he did.
Tox screen for alcohol and crack was off the chart.
Small mercies.
Toasted, then roasted.
How did you get so much info from burned skin? Same way I'll get a print.
Juice him up.
The problem with fire-damaged tissue is loss of bodily fluids.
Rehydration restores the natural contours.
Now we hope our victim has a record.
And the winner is Joshua Michael Galli, 22.
Arrests for loitering, turnstile jumping, and public urination.
Those are not the usual beefs that a Wall Streeter racks up.
My guess? This guy was homeless.
My boy wasn't homeless.
This was his home.
Played football for Blessed Heart High School.
Good team.
Faced them a couple of times when I was at Bayside.
Josh was tough on the field.
That's where he left it.
Sweetest kid you ever met.
Friends with everyone on the block.
Even after he got sick.
Sick with what? Schizophrenia.
Diagnosed in 12th grade.
His mom couldn't take it.
Left after a year.
Pissed at Josh, like he was making it all up.
Pissed at me for believing him.
It's hard to think that something's wrong with your kid.
I took him to every doctor appointment.
Watched him try one pill after another.
When none of those worked, he started getting high.
Wandering off for weeks.
Mr.
Galli, the attack looked personal.
Was Josh having trouble with anyone? I don't know.
Last time he was home was September.
He just walked through that door, smiling like the old Josh.
Even had himself a job interview.
I made him breakfast, watched him head off for his interview.
He never came back.
So, no enemies that he ever talked about? Only the Street Cleaners.
Not the big white sweeper trucks? I'm talking about the sick bastards who hunt the homeless and videotape it.
When Josh told me, I thought he was imagining it.
Like a delusion.
Then I went online.
Found the videos they post, so everyone can get a good laugh watching street people getting their heads kicked in.
This is what a real street cleaning looks like.
If the politicians won't take care of the trash, we will.
Two dozen more of these on the web.
Different attacks, different victims, same result.
A lot of busted heads.
And they've got the balls to crow about it online.
Let's face it.
Deviancy has run amok on the internet.
Ten years ago, only freaks knew where to get snuff videos or amputee porn.
Now, Grandma e - mails "Two Girls, One Cup," signs it "LOL.
" Well, whoever these scumbags are, they're smart enough not to show their faces or any landmarks.
But too stupid to realize how smart their cell phone camera is.
Every video they've posted has a geotag.
It's like a mother lode of data.
Date and time, f-stop, even GPS coordinates where it was shot.
In this case, every attack location.
Does it give us a phone number so we can track down the owner? Numbers can be changed, and the Street Cleaners know enough to do that.
But geotags give us something unchangeable.
The International Mobile Identity Number.
It's like a serial number for the device.
Gives us every call made on their phone.
Including a bunch made that night a block away from where Josh Galli got lit up.
So how do we find these morons? Oh, they'll find you.
They've got a concerned citizen tip line on their website.
"Got a problem? Let us solve it.
" So we just introduce them to the laziest, filthiest bum they've ever seen.
They're watching us.
The CIA.
Brain waves.
I've got to say, the man does crazy good.
Good? That's the same old crap he says every day, only louder.
It ain't working, either.
There ain't a damn Street Cleaner in sight.
The Illuminati are after us.
Or they're after you.
Nobody's after me.
Is anybody after me? You picked the wrong corner, cockroach.
Police.
Drop the bat.
Drop the bat.
Drop the bat.
You're under arrest.
What did I do, besides save this city from those vermin out there? Those vermin are people.
Sara, maybe we shouldn't say anything.
Shut up, Seth.
Just sit there and look like the dumbass that you are.
When someone you love gets killed by one of those vermin, you get a vote.
Till then, shut your ugly face.
Go back.
Go back.
Go back.
Who got killed? Last year my father was coming home on the subway.
Then this thing gets on.
Didn't say a word.
Just smashed a brick against my dad's skull.
He was dead before he hit the floor.
My dad was the third person this guy attacked.
It was the 26th time he'd been in and out of prison.
Okay? And what did any of you do? You just shuffled him in and out of hospitals and jail cells and didn't do a damn thing to stop him.
Since you can't do your job, okay, I will.
Anything else you want to confess to? We've got you for the video assaults, The murder you're on the hook for.
Wait, we never murdered anyone.
Last night a homeless man was castrated and set on fire, and your phone was there at the exact same time.
Where? At the Meatpacking District? It's funny.
We didn't mention that.
Because we were there.
At the bar on top of the Gansevoort Hotel.
We went up at, like, 10:00, and came down at sunrise.
Seth shoots for Party People.
Who? Party People.
We go to bars and take snapshots of drunk idiots, and they can buy them off our website.
Sara went with me last night.
I got pretty wasted.
Ended up being in most of his shots.
Show them your phone, Seth.
Right here.
See? Sit.
Look at that.
Josh died at 1:17.
Two hundred feet below.
Told you we didn't do it.
Wish we had, though.
O'Halloran's got something for us.
Have fun in prison.
What have you got for us? Puzzling pieces from your crime scene.
Arsonists almost always use gasoline or lighter fluid.
Josh Galli's killer used formaldehyde.
The stuff that pickles people.
Burns them, too.
From the puddling and scorch marks, I'd say our perp poured too much, maybe fumbled getting a spark, fumes built up, and whammo! So our guy might be a little crispy himself.
I also found this.
An electric match? Flash must have blown it out of the perp's hand, into the flames.
Originally looked like this.
Any way to trace it? Well, this one has letters engraved on the barrel.
See? "Property of B.
H.
H.
S.
" Blessed Heart High School.
The science lab is right through here.
I'm Max, by the way.
Nice to meet you, Max.
This science lab, does everyone have access to it? Uh, during class.
Otherwise, just our chem teacher, Sister Elizabeth, and one of the seniors, Alec Bernardi.
He cleans up, makes sure all the equipment is accounted for.
He gets an extra credit for it, sort of like I do for being student escort.
Alec a trustworthy kid? I guess so.
He's an honor student.
Then again, he's never joined my club.
Chastity Circle.
In my day, they called that the A.
V.
Club.
My girlfriend and I both belong.
We've made a commitment to sexual abstinence.
Oh, hey.
There's Alec right there.
Okay.
Max? We don't need you anymore.
Thanks.
Alec.
Slow down.
Slow down.
I didn't hear any bells ringing.
Yeah, you're moving like someone lit a fire under your ass.
Fire? I don't know anything about a fire.
Really? How did you burn your hand? Welcome back.
Thanks.
How was the conference? The usual.
A lot of good information, a lot of bad coffee.
Elliot and John have an interesting suspect in interrogation.
You want to watch? What I live for.
Hey, who's in charge here? Can I help you? You got my boy.
I want to see him.
What's his name? What's your name? Donald Cragen, Captain of SVU.
His name is Alec Bernardi.
Ms.
Bernardi, your son is in custody.
You can see him after we're done questioning him.
You can't do that without me there.
He's over 16, so, yes, we can.
Alec was read his rights and he declined a lawyer.
He's just a kid.
What the hell does he know? Come on.
I want to see him now.
He must be scared to death.
Scared? Not the word I'd use.
I am proud of what I did.
You murdered a mentally ill man.
The guy was high as a kite.
Wasn't even a fair fight.
Well, Josh had it coming.
Oh, you knew him? He used to live in my neighborhood.
But I didn't mean to kill him.
You stocked up on weapons from your school science lab.
You hunted him down.
We call that intent.
Yeah, well, you know, I'd call that honor.
Kid's got a way of twisting words.
Mom out there is in for a shock.
I'm telling you, it was an accident.
Okay? And I didn't go hunting Josh.
I saw him hanging out in the Meatpacking District a couple of times.
Look, I only took that stuff from the school to scare him, not to kill him.
Then, he punched me, grabbed for the scalpel, I started to stab him.
In the genitals.
That was no accident.
It just got out of control.
You were in control enough when you set him on fire.
I only did what my dad would have done.
He would have been proud of me.
I'd like to meet the old man who gives his kid a pat on the back for doing something like that.
Yeah, well, he's not around anymore.
But, you know, if he found out what Josh did Yeah, what did he do? He raped my sister and got her pregnant.
That's why I cut his balls off.
Now, can I see my boy? Not yet.
First, we need to speak with your daughter.
Tina? Why? Raped me? No one raped me.
Tina, I know how difficult this is to admit.
You want to forget that it ever happened.
Maybe you even blame yourself a little bit But I didn't do anything.
Neither did Josh.
Tina, you need to go to a doctor.
You need to be tested for STDs.
These are diseases that may hurt you and your baby.
Baby? What is she talking about? Mom.
What does she mean, baby? Tina.
You need to tell us.
Christina Davola Bernardi, I asked you a question.
Would both of you just stop? That Galli kid did this to you? I'm gonna kill the little bastard.
Oh, my God.
Your son already beat you to the punch.
My son didn't do anything.
Neither of you get it.
Josh didn't rape me.
We had sex.
It was What do you call it? Consensual? Oh, my God.
Tina, why does your brother think that Josh raped you? Because he's an idiot.
The other day, I was I was on the phone with Bianca, and I made a joke about Josh doing me.
Alec was there.
He must have misunderstood.
Yeah, I'm still misunderstanding.
Tina, I need you to tell me what happened with Josh.
It was three months ago.
And I saw Josh upstairs, coming out of his dad's place.
I know Josh gets sick sometimes and wanders off.
But he was better.
Talking normal.
He looked good.
He said I looked good.
And I always had a crush on him, from when I was little.
You're still little.
And now, you're knocked up by a nutcase? Mrs.
Bernardi, please.
Go on.
We went up to the roof.
We talked for a while.
He had a bottle from his dad's liquor cabinet.
It just happened.
Without a condom? He said he could go get one.
But I told him not to.
What did you just say? You wanted to get pregnant? Yeah.
We all did.
We grew up together.
Now, we're going to have kids together.
How sweet is that? And the baby's father? This is about us.
You're in school.
Catholic school.
If they kick us out, we'll get jobs.
Our parents will totally help us.
Right, Dad? Or I'll go on welfare.
What's the big deal? That Vice President lady's daughter is going to have a baby.
Yeah, why can't we? Josh suffered from schizophrenia.
You're not worried that your baby is going to be predisposed to it? No way.
What does "predisposed" mean? Whose idea was this? Fidelia's.
She got pregnant first.
Said we all should.
Yeah, it was my idea.
It rocks, huh? We're totally going to be the hottest MILFs on the block.
MILFs? It means "mother I'd like to " Oh, I know what it means.
Want to see the stroller I picked out? It's so cute.
Fidelia.
You need to screw your head on straight.
This is a baby we're talking about.
Not a new shade of lipstick.
Don't say another word, angel.
Are you charging my daughter with something, Detective? Because I don't like your tone.
I'm just here to ask a few questions, Mr.
Vidal.
Daddy, let her ask.
I'm fine.
Good.
Fidelia, why don't we talk about the father of the baby, huh? So, what's your story? Excuse me? You have kids? You're pretty old.
We're here to talk about you.
I bet you're jealous.
Old chicks are totally jealous of me.
Is that it? Did you wait too long? Tick tock.
Fidelia.
A baby is not an accessory.
It is not a bracelet or a pair of earrings or a slamming pair of jeans.
This is a living, breathing human being that you are bringing onto this earth.
You think I don't know that? If you did, you'd be petrified about your future.
Do you know the odds of a teen mom finishing high school? Forget college.
Or any other dream that you might have.
Life as you know it is over now.
There's no going to the mall or hanging out with your friends.
I mean, you might see them, but if you do, it'll probably be in line waiting for food stamps.
Or all of you going to the doctor, trying to get an appointment at the free clinic.
Daddy, make her be quiet.
That's enough, Detective.
Do you know the health risks to babies of teen moms? Dyslexia, retardation, increased risks of blindness Daddy.
cerebral palsy.
Don't you try to blame my daughter.
She's just a child.
That's my point, exactly.
Oh, yeah? What about the kid that knocked her up, huh? Fidelia.
Is it true? Max.
I was going to tell you.
We made a commitment to each other.
To God.
You were supposed to be my first and true wife.
I was supposed to be your first and true husband.
It's okay.
I still love you.
It's okay.
Even Christians make mistakes.
Any other candidates? So, four teenage girls make a pact to get pregnant, and then just laugh about it.
Doesn't sound like Fidelia was laughing when Liv got done with her.
I may have dropped the hammer a little too hard.
Well, the girl could use all the reality she can get.
I'll bet she's not getting it from the nuns at school or the Chastity Circle.
Wouldn't have mattered, anyway.
These girls wanted to get pregnant.
And their parents weren't much help, either.
Some of these apples didn't fall far from the tree.
Any idea what their plans are? Oh, they're all going to have their kids.
There's no need to turn a mistake into a bigger mistake.
Babies having babies doesn't bother you? Babies killing babies bothers me.
So, it's that easy, huh, altar boy? Well, there's no rape or incest.
So, yeah, it is that easy.
There's a thing called adoption.
Well, it's off our plate now.
There's no crime here.
Uh, I'm not so sure about that.
All four girls are under the age of consent.
Josh Galli would have gone down for having sex with Tina Bernardi.
How old are the other dads? Well, Bianca and Carlotta got pregnant by boys in their class, both minors, so they can't be charged.
And like Kim said, we could have gone after Josh Galli, except he's dead.
Which leaves us only with our little ringleader, Fidelia Vidal, who thinks the guy who got her pregnant is 22.
Thinks? Oh, she's only met him once.
Doesn't know his real name.
Only his street name, Dizzer.
Goofy name or not, if he's over Wait a minute.
Wait a minute.
I thought this Max kid was Fidelia's boyfriend.
So did he.
Fidelia met Dizzer at a house party that he was DJing.
They snuck away, got high, and got busy.
No judge would order a paternity test on a fetus.
We need a parent to file charges.
Sounds like Fidelia's dad is already on the warpath.
Check this out.
This isn't about what a group of young, vulnerable girls might have done.
It's about a culture that sexualizes kids at a younger and younger age.
And the police who do nothing to protect our daughters against male predators.
I just found out that the man that impregnated my daughter is 22 years old.
Twenty-two years old.
And what are the police doing? Nothing.
Oh, that's great.
In blows Hurricane Vidal, and we don't even know the name of the kid we're looking for.
Seek and ye shall find, my Captain.
Doing a little digging in the CARS database of criminal aliases.
And who pops up but a young man named Dizzer, a.
k.
a.
Donald Zuccho.
Don Zuccho? Yo, yo.
Name's Dizzer.
What up? Uh-oh.
It's the po-po.
What're you all looking for, a copy of I Shot the Sheriff? Uh, no.
We're actually looking for you to tell us about Fidelia Vidal.
Who? The sweet little thing you tapped in Bensonhurst last summer.
Son, you're gonna have to be more specific.
All right? Because my motto is "wrecking decks and getting sex.
" You know what's up, don't you, my brother? She's about to have a baby.
Yours.
Yo, tell her to get in line.
I already got two.
You make child support by spinning records and working in this dump? Child support? Baby mamas just happy their kids look like me.
Well, Fidelia's dad wants more.
Well, fool should want to keep his teefs.
Did you just threaten him? And the word is teeth.
DNA warrant.
Pull your pants up and get your ass down to the medical examiner's office.
You just got touched, my brother.
Mr.
Vidal? Thought you should know we just slapped a court order on the father of your upcoming grandchild.
He's gone for a paternity test.
It's about time.
Well, your daughter will need to have an amniocentesis so we can make a match.
Otherwise, you'll have to wait until the baby is born.
We have a doctor on call at Mercy Hospital.
Let's take her now.
Angel, would you come out here, please? Sweetie? What's our rule? No locked doors.
Come out here right now.
You're going to the doctor.
Fidelia, open this door.
I have a bum shoulder.
Would you mind? As long as you don't sue for damages.
Angel, you better be decent.
No.
No.
No.
Oh, my God.
Why would she do this? Why would she do this? It's okay, Max.
It's okay.
It's all right.
Ms.
Vidal, we're sorry about your loss.
I know why.
I know why she did it.
Ma'am? Someone made my baby kill herself.
They drove her to it.
What do you mean? Last night, someone started e-mailing her.
They were calling her a slut and a whore.
She was crying.
They wouldn't leave her alone.
Where's the computer? In the den, usually.
We don't let Fidelia have one in her room.
But last night me and Gordon, we were fighting and we were screaming and yelling and we were both drinking, and I told Fidelia to go to her room, and she took the laptop with her.
Mrs.
Vidal, we need to see it.
Where is it? Why didn't I go help her? I heard her crying and I All I did was pour myself another drink and Okay.
Why didn't I help her? I just had another drink.
Why didn't I help her? Where's the family computer? Huh? Inside.
"Dizzer4ever?" Freaking lame-o.
Well, that's who was taunting her all last night.
We got it off her computer.
"You are a dumb whore.
" "How dumb do you think that baby will be?" "Everyone hates you, so STFU.
Laugh out loud.
"The world doesn't need you, slut.
End it.
End it now.
" And she responds, "You are so mean.
"Forget it, fath is knocking.
Gotta go.
" So she signed off with you after her father was knocking on the door.
And I'm saying it wasn't me.
All right? My email is DizzerDawgDJ.
Y'all want to check it? Yeah, we do.
Was I lying? Besides, last night, after I went and I gave my DNA to that fine Nubian princess, I hopped on the R train over to Brooklyn to do a gig, then did some more rocking with a couple of twins afterward.
You know what I'm saying? Did I mention? Yeah, yeah.
We know.
Decks and sex.
That's right.
I'm telling you.
Whoever dissed that bitch into killing herself is setting me up.
Well, don't get too torn up about that bitch.
She was only going to be the mother of your child.
I'm going to need that phone back, 5-0.
Yeah, them twins are going to be wanting me to drop that rope on them again.
Dizzer didn't send any e-mails last night.
Damn, I would've liked busting his dumb ass.
All right, well, whoever did this had to know about Fidelia's one-night stand.
Maybe one of her friends is Dizzer4ever.
Nothing crueler than high school girls.
Why not ask somebody who knows? While you were out, I did some digging on those e-mails.
I got the IP address, tracked down where they were sent from, a delightfully skeezy little internet café on Grand Street.
There's no sign-in sheet.
And whoever paid for the computer time did so in cash.
So, what are you so cocky about? Two doors down is a nail salon.
And in between there's an ATM machine with a security camera.
So, guess who got a pedicure, took and then bopped into the net nook three minutes before the e-mails started? Peggy Bernardi.
Yeah.
Good timing.
We've been out all day.
Guess you got over being mad that Tina had a bun in the oven.
Hey.
What am I going to say? I had her brother when I was Ah.
You bailed your son out, huh? Yeah.
Had to put the deed up to this place.
And you still found time to go on a shopping spree.
You're Mother of the Year.
Hey.
I take care of my kids.
Just like I'm going to do with my grandbaby.
And won't he look cute in this? "My grandma is a GILF.
" Too bad Fidelia's mother won't have a chance to hold her grandchild.
Oh, God.
Isn't that horrible? Tina loved Fidelia like a sister.
We all did.
Then, why did you taunt her into killing herself, Dizzer4ever? What is that? Tina, you better go to your room.
No, you stay here.
They're leaving.
Hey, what's going on? Pull up a chair.
Read how your mother drove Fidelia to suicide.
Mom? Is that true? Get the hell out of my house.
First, just tell us why.
You want me to admit that I wrote it? Okay.
Fine.
I wrote it.
Okay? But that little slut ruined this family.
If it wasn't for her, my daughter wouldn't have gotten pregnant and my son wouldn't have made the mistake that he did.
A teenage girl has more influence over your kids than you do? Boo-hoo.
Her death is on you.
Leave her alone.
Step back, tough guy.
Alec, stop it.
Take your sister and go in the other room.
Now.
Both of you.
I didn't tie a rope around the bitch's neck.
I only typed words on a computer.
If you had anything more than threats against me and my kids, you would have arrested me already.
So, get out.
Out.
We can't charge her.
That woman murdered Fidelia Vidal.
New York has nothing on the books yet against cyber-bullying.
Technology always outpaces the law.
Whatever.
So, just give us another strategy, then.
I only said murder is out.
We can try for promoting a suicide attempt.
Try? It was written as an anti-Kevorkian law to stop doctor-assisted suicide.
But maybe I can get it past Judge Moredock.
And if you can't? Then we go for criminal impersonation, aggravated harassment and endangering the welfare of a child.
All misdemeanors.
So we throw in reckless endangerment to get another felony.
Folks Cragen.
What's immoral is not always what's illegal.
Peggy Bernardi may be a psycho, but she only used words.
Right.
Against an impressionable, hormonally volatile teenage girl.
So write a new law.
But don't trample on the First Amendment.
Thanks.
That was Downtown with a heads-up.
Somebody put the Bernardis' address on Google Earth.
There's a crowd chasing her around Little Italy calling her "Monster Mom.
" You don't like my approach, Munch? Is mob rule any better? Get out here, Bernardi.
My daughter is dead because of her.
Please.
Everyone, calm down.
This is crazy.
My boy's dead.
The Vidal girl is dead.
Do we really want more death? We're neighbors.
NYPD.
Clear the hall.
Clear the hall now.
Everybody.
Get back.
Open the door.
Mrs.
Bernardi, this is Detective Stabler.
Open up.
You've got to save us.
Yeah, we'll save you right into jail.
Come on.
Let's go.
Come on.
They're trying to kill me and my family.
You killed Fidelia.
You killed her.
"Docket ending 1488.
People v.
Peggy Bernardi.
"One count, promoting a suicide attempt, "one count, reckless endangerment, "one count, criminal impersonation, "one count, aggravated harassment, "one count, endangering the welfare of a child.
" Mr.
Granger, how does your client plead? I didn't promote anything or harass anyone recklessly or any other way.
This is a bunch of crap.
Guilty or not? She pleads not guilty, Your Honor.
Bail, Ms.
Greylek? $500,000.
Are you off your nut? Counselor, control your client.
Might need a stun gun.
Peggy, be quiet.
I'm sorry, Your Honor.
But Ms.
Bernardi needs to be at home to make sure her daughter receives proper prenatal care.
Her other child is on home-confinement on an unrelated charge and needs his mother's aid in preparing a defense.
Do them both a favor.
Keep her caged.
What is your problem? My client has lived in the same community for her entire life and is hardly a flight risk.
And these charges are as tenuous as they are numerous.
I'll agree there, Ms.
Greylek.
Bail is set at $50,000.
Your Honor, as a condition of bail, the people ask that the defendant be prohibited from using a computer or any form of electronic communication, lest any other young person's life be threatened.
Hey, I got auctions on eBay.
Ms.
Bernardi, unplug the computer.
Adjourned.
Next case.
Come on.
"Docket ending 5592.
The People of the State of " Your animosity is showing, Counselor.
So is your lack of judgment.
Your client's a murderer.
Funny.
Of all the charges you filed, you forgot to file that one.
The law hasn't quite caught up to what Monster Mom did.
But I'll get it there.
You really think you can convince a jury that a single mother of two kids took time out from her busy day to taunt a neighbor girl into committing suicide? You kidding? Five minutes of her on the stand, and they'll see she's the Devil.
I'm a loving mother.
A good person.
So a good person goes online, attacks an underaged kid, while pretending to be someone else? It was just in fun.
Then why did you send her e-mails from an internet café? Was there something wrong with your computer at home? It was convenient.
Ms.
Bernardi, would you please read to the jury what you wrote, impersonating someone else, to Miss Vidal? "OMFG.
"You're a dumb whore.
How dumb do you think that baby will be?" And OMFG means? "Oh, my blanking God.
" So, that's what a good person writes to a pregnant teenage girl? I was mad about what she did to this family.
She told my girl to get pregnant.
Next line, please.
"Everyone hates you, so STFU.
LOL.
" And STFU means? "Shut the blank up.
" And LOL? "Laughing out loud.
" So a good person laughs out loud after telling a pregnant teenage girl to shut the blank up.
She did a lot worse to my family.
Next line, please.
I'm sorry.
Did you suddenly forget how to read? "The world doesn't need you, slut.
"End it.
End it now.
" And a good person writes "End it.
End it now" to a pregnant teenage girl and never thinks for a second that she might actually do it? It was just a goof.
I never One last thing, Ms.
Bernardi.
Please read to the jury what Miss Vidal wrote to you in her final e-mail.
"Why are you so mean? Forget it, fath is knocking.
Gotta go.
" That's right.
Her father was knocking.
Coming to check on Fidelia after she had been crying for hours.
That's what a good person does.
A good parent? They don't persecute other people's kids.
They don't let their daughters become teenage moms or their sons become revenge killers.
No.
You're wrong.
Miss Bernardi, you need to sit down.
But she's wrong.
My mom is wrong, too.
"Fath" isn't short for "father.
" Bailiff, remove that young lady.
"Fath" means FATH.
"First and true husband.
" They say it in a club at school.
The Chastity Circle.
Fidelia's first and true husband was Max Matarazzo.
Yeah, the Vidals were home when Fidelia answered the front door.
They would have seen Max come in.
Fidelia's dad is kind of a jerk.
I came up the fire escape to visit her so he wouldn't know.
Well, we didn't know because you didn't tell us.
Even when we asked you questions about Fidelia.
And I should have.
Look.
It was just all too crazy.
Okay? Maybe you were feeling guilty.
Guilty? About what you did to her.
Something bad.
No, I didn't do anything bad.
Murder is a sin, Max.
You know that.
What? No.
Listen.
I loved Fidelia.
Okay? And she committed suicide.
Did she? Why would I kill her? We have been together forever.
Look, it's not like we didn't want to do it.
Okay? Of course we did.
Everyone's doing it.
But we made a commitment to each other.
We made a commitment to God.
That you were her first and true husband.
And she was my first and true wife.
She wasn't exactly so true.
I forgave her for that.
Really? You forgave her, huh? But she gave it up to Dizzer.
She took her clothes off for Dizzer.
She let Dizzer touch her body all over.
She made love to Dizzer, a complete stranger.
And all you got was a broken promise.
No.
That's why you went back to her house that night.
Maybe you forgave her too fast.
I kept e-mailing her.
I kept texting her.
And she kept blowing me off, saying that she was in the middle of something.
Right.
And when you crawled into her window, there she was again with Dizzer.
This time, online.
He was calling her a slut and a whore.
She was crying.
I'll bet she never cried like that for you.
None of this would have ever happened if she had kept her promise to me.
The only thing she cared about is whether Dizzer or other people hated her.
The only person she didn't care about was you, Max.
I tried to hug her to get her to stop crying.
And she slapped me.
Said that she never loved me.
That she never would have married me.
Said that the only reason I was staying a virgin was because I was scared to have sex.
Scared that I couldn't do it.
That's when you put your hands around her neck.
I just wanted her to stop yelling.
So you kept squeezing and squeezing until she finally did.
Then you wrapped the belt around her neck and made it look like a suicide.
I've asked for forgiveness every night since.
But God doesn't answer me.
He says nothing.
I'm the one who kept my promise.
I am not the bad one.
Why? Why won't he answer me? Max Matarazzo, on the charge of manslaughter in the first degree, you are hereby sentenced to four years in the state penitentiary.
Alec Bernardi, on the charge of murder in the second degree, you are sentenced to 15 years to life.
Ms.
Bernardi, in light of the conviction of Max Matarazzo, this court dismisses all charges against you.
You are free to go.
It's all right.
I told you I was innocent.
There's a big difference between charges dropped and innocent.
I'm sure your neighbors will explain it to you when you get home.
They can go to hell.
You, too.
Just try and wash the blood off your hands before you hold Tina's baby for the first time, okay? You shut your freaking mouth.
I'll freaking kill you.
Bailiff.
Remove that woman! I'm a good mother.
I'm a good mother.
Why are you doing this to me? Get off of me.
Tina.
Come on.
Let's go.
I'm a good mother.
You don't even know me.
What do you have against me? You okay? Fine.
Collar that bitch for assault.
Family Court, huh? It's going to be bad, isn't it? Uh If I hadn't have been so stupid, none of this would have happened.
Tina, right now, what you've got to do is take care of yourself and take care of that baby.
How? My whole family's in jail.
And now, they're going to send me to a foster home.
I'm not so sure about that.
Hi, Tina.
Mr.
Galli.
What are you doing here? Came to talk to the judge.
Tell him, a baby shouldn't be born surrounded by strangers.
A baby needs a home.
Especially my grandchild.
I'm so sorry about what my brother did.
It's not about the past, Tina.
It's about right now.
Good luck.
In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
Okay.
You're sensitive and charming.
Now, invite her back to your place and let us go home.
What do you bet he stiffs us harder than he stiffs her? Ready for the check? Actually, we're thinking about dessert.
And something exciting.
Flambé, maybe? Folks, the only thing here that's flaming is the maitre d' and he left an hour ago.
Time to call it a night.
Oh, my God.
You dragged my ass out of bed because Benson's on vacation? Not a vacation.
She's on a three-day conference for battered women.
It's not exactly Club Med, you know.
What have we got on the menu for tonight? Barbecue.
A little too well done.
Let me go out on a limb, here.
No ID.
You've done this before.
A lot of nightclubs around here.
So a Wall Streeter comes stumbling out drunk, gets rolled, but why fry the poor guy? He's missing a few things more valuable than his wallet.
Ow! Yeah.
Goodbye, family jewels.
They get burned off? No.
There would be charred remnants.
I'd say it was a chop job.
Probably just before he was torched.
Any idea where our crispy critter came running from? Follow the bloody brick road.
I'd say this is where he lost his boys.
Accelerant on the ground.
Looks like he was lit up over here by this car.
Castrated, then immolated.
Whoever did it wanted this guy to suffer.
Puncture wounds match the scalpel you found.
More than a dozen deep ones to his groin, abdomen and thighs.
A sloppy attack.
Emotional.
Exactly.
The excised genitals show the same kind of ragged hacking.
Are we done yet? If it's any consolation, you're probably feeling more pain than he did.
Tox screen for alcohol and crack was off the chart.
Small mercies.
Toasted, then roasted.
How did you get so much info from burned skin? Same way I'll get a print.
Juice him up.
The problem with fire-damaged tissue is loss of bodily fluids.
Rehydration restores the natural contours.
Now we hope our victim has a record.
And the winner is Joshua Michael Galli, 22.
Arrests for loitering, turnstile jumping, and public urination.
Those are not the usual beefs that a Wall Streeter racks up.
My guess? This guy was homeless.
My boy wasn't homeless.
This was his home.
Played football for Blessed Heart High School.
Good team.
Faced them a couple of times when I was at Bayside.
Josh was tough on the field.
That's where he left it.
Sweetest kid you ever met.
Friends with everyone on the block.
Even after he got sick.
Sick with what? Schizophrenia.
Diagnosed in 12th grade.
His mom couldn't take it.
Left after a year.
Pissed at Josh, like he was making it all up.
Pissed at me for believing him.
It's hard to think that something's wrong with your kid.
I took him to every doctor appointment.
Watched him try one pill after another.
When none of those worked, he started getting high.
Wandering off for weeks.
Mr.
Galli, the attack looked personal.
Was Josh having trouble with anyone? I don't know.
Last time he was home was September.
He just walked through that door, smiling like the old Josh.
Even had himself a job interview.
I made him breakfast, watched him head off for his interview.
He never came back.
So, no enemies that he ever talked about? Only the Street Cleaners.
Not the big white sweeper trucks? I'm talking about the sick bastards who hunt the homeless and videotape it.
When Josh told me, I thought he was imagining it.
Like a delusion.
Then I went online.
Found the videos they post, so everyone can get a good laugh watching street people getting their heads kicked in.
This is what a real street cleaning looks like.
If the politicians won't take care of the trash, we will.
Two dozen more of these on the web.
Different attacks, different victims, same result.
A lot of busted heads.
And they've got the balls to crow about it online.
Let's face it.
Deviancy has run amok on the internet.
Ten years ago, only freaks knew where to get snuff videos or amputee porn.
Now, Grandma e - mails "Two Girls, One Cup," signs it "LOL.
" Well, whoever these scumbags are, they're smart enough not to show their faces or any landmarks.
But too stupid to realize how smart their cell phone camera is.
Every video they've posted has a geotag.
It's like a mother lode of data.
Date and time, f-stop, even GPS coordinates where it was shot.
In this case, every attack location.
Does it give us a phone number so we can track down the owner? Numbers can be changed, and the Street Cleaners know enough to do that.
But geotags give us something unchangeable.
The International Mobile Identity Number.
It's like a serial number for the device.
Gives us every call made on their phone.
Including a bunch made that night a block away from where Josh Galli got lit up.
So how do we find these morons? Oh, they'll find you.
They've got a concerned citizen tip line on their website.
"Got a problem? Let us solve it.
" So we just introduce them to the laziest, filthiest bum they've ever seen.
They're watching us.
The CIA.
Brain waves.
I've got to say, the man does crazy good.
Good? That's the same old crap he says every day, only louder.
It ain't working, either.
There ain't a damn Street Cleaner in sight.
The Illuminati are after us.
Or they're after you.
Nobody's after me.
Is anybody after me? You picked the wrong corner, cockroach.
Police.
Drop the bat.
Drop the bat.
Drop the bat.
You're under arrest.
What did I do, besides save this city from those vermin out there? Those vermin are people.
Sara, maybe we shouldn't say anything.
Shut up, Seth.
Just sit there and look like the dumbass that you are.
When someone you love gets killed by one of those vermin, you get a vote.
Till then, shut your ugly face.
Go back.
Go back.
Go back.
Who got killed? Last year my father was coming home on the subway.
Then this thing gets on.
Didn't say a word.
Just smashed a brick against my dad's skull.
He was dead before he hit the floor.
My dad was the third person this guy attacked.
It was the 26th time he'd been in and out of prison.
Okay? And what did any of you do? You just shuffled him in and out of hospitals and jail cells and didn't do a damn thing to stop him.
Since you can't do your job, okay, I will.
Anything else you want to confess to? We've got you for the video assaults, The murder you're on the hook for.
Wait, we never murdered anyone.
Last night a homeless man was castrated and set on fire, and your phone was there at the exact same time.
Where? At the Meatpacking District? It's funny.
We didn't mention that.
Because we were there.
At the bar on top of the Gansevoort Hotel.
We went up at, like, 10:00, and came down at sunrise.
Seth shoots for Party People.
Who? Party People.
We go to bars and take snapshots of drunk idiots, and they can buy them off our website.
Sara went with me last night.
I got pretty wasted.
Ended up being in most of his shots.
Show them your phone, Seth.
Right here.
See? Sit.
Look at that.
Josh died at 1:17.
Two hundred feet below.
Told you we didn't do it.
Wish we had, though.
O'Halloran's got something for us.
Have fun in prison.
What have you got for us? Puzzling pieces from your crime scene.
Arsonists almost always use gasoline or lighter fluid.
Josh Galli's killer used formaldehyde.
The stuff that pickles people.
Burns them, too.
From the puddling and scorch marks, I'd say our perp poured too much, maybe fumbled getting a spark, fumes built up, and whammo! So our guy might be a little crispy himself.
I also found this.
An electric match? Flash must have blown it out of the perp's hand, into the flames.
Originally looked like this.
Any way to trace it? Well, this one has letters engraved on the barrel.
See? "Property of B.
H.
H.
S.
" Blessed Heart High School.
The science lab is right through here.
I'm Max, by the way.
Nice to meet you, Max.
This science lab, does everyone have access to it? Uh, during class.
Otherwise, just our chem teacher, Sister Elizabeth, and one of the seniors, Alec Bernardi.
He cleans up, makes sure all the equipment is accounted for.
He gets an extra credit for it, sort of like I do for being student escort.
Alec a trustworthy kid? I guess so.
He's an honor student.
Then again, he's never joined my club.
Chastity Circle.
In my day, they called that the A.
V.
Club.
My girlfriend and I both belong.
We've made a commitment to sexual abstinence.
Oh, hey.
There's Alec right there.
Okay.
Max? We don't need you anymore.
Thanks.
Alec.
Slow down.
Slow down.
I didn't hear any bells ringing.
Yeah, you're moving like someone lit a fire under your ass.
Fire? I don't know anything about a fire.
Really? How did you burn your hand? Welcome back.
Thanks.
How was the conference? The usual.
A lot of good information, a lot of bad coffee.
Elliot and John have an interesting suspect in interrogation.
You want to watch? What I live for.
Hey, who's in charge here? Can I help you? You got my boy.
I want to see him.
What's his name? What's your name? Donald Cragen, Captain of SVU.
His name is Alec Bernardi.
Ms.
Bernardi, your son is in custody.
You can see him after we're done questioning him.
You can't do that without me there.
He's over 16, so, yes, we can.
Alec was read his rights and he declined a lawyer.
He's just a kid.
What the hell does he know? Come on.
I want to see him now.
He must be scared to death.
Scared? Not the word I'd use.
I am proud of what I did.
You murdered a mentally ill man.
The guy was high as a kite.
Wasn't even a fair fight.
Well, Josh had it coming.
Oh, you knew him? He used to live in my neighborhood.
But I didn't mean to kill him.
You stocked up on weapons from your school science lab.
You hunted him down.
We call that intent.
Yeah, well, you know, I'd call that honor.
Kid's got a way of twisting words.
Mom out there is in for a shock.
I'm telling you, it was an accident.
Okay? And I didn't go hunting Josh.
I saw him hanging out in the Meatpacking District a couple of times.
Look, I only took that stuff from the school to scare him, not to kill him.
Then, he punched me, grabbed for the scalpel, I started to stab him.
In the genitals.
That was no accident.
It just got out of control.
You were in control enough when you set him on fire.
I only did what my dad would have done.
He would have been proud of me.
I'd like to meet the old man who gives his kid a pat on the back for doing something like that.
Yeah, well, he's not around anymore.
But, you know, if he found out what Josh did Yeah, what did he do? He raped my sister and got her pregnant.
That's why I cut his balls off.
Now, can I see my boy? Not yet.
First, we need to speak with your daughter.
Tina? Why? Raped me? No one raped me.
Tina, I know how difficult this is to admit.
You want to forget that it ever happened.
Maybe you even blame yourself a little bit But I didn't do anything.
Neither did Josh.
Tina, you need to go to a doctor.
You need to be tested for STDs.
These are diseases that may hurt you and your baby.
Baby? What is she talking about? Mom.
What does she mean, baby? Tina.
You need to tell us.
Christina Davola Bernardi, I asked you a question.
Would both of you just stop? That Galli kid did this to you? I'm gonna kill the little bastard.
Oh, my God.
Your son already beat you to the punch.
My son didn't do anything.
Neither of you get it.
Josh didn't rape me.
We had sex.
It was What do you call it? Consensual? Oh, my God.
Tina, why does your brother think that Josh raped you? Because he's an idiot.
The other day, I was I was on the phone with Bianca, and I made a joke about Josh doing me.
Alec was there.
He must have misunderstood.
Yeah, I'm still misunderstanding.
Tina, I need you to tell me what happened with Josh.
It was three months ago.
And I saw Josh upstairs, coming out of his dad's place.
I know Josh gets sick sometimes and wanders off.
But he was better.
Talking normal.
He looked good.
He said I looked good.
And I always had a crush on him, from when I was little.
You're still little.
And now, you're knocked up by a nutcase? Mrs.
Bernardi, please.
Go on.
We went up to the roof.
We talked for a while.
He had a bottle from his dad's liquor cabinet.
It just happened.
Without a condom? He said he could go get one.
But I told him not to.
What did you just say? You wanted to get pregnant? Yeah.
We all did.
We grew up together.
Now, we're going to have kids together.
How sweet is that? And the baby's father? This is about us.
You're in school.
Catholic school.
If they kick us out, we'll get jobs.
Our parents will totally help us.
Right, Dad? Or I'll go on welfare.
What's the big deal? That Vice President lady's daughter is going to have a baby.
Yeah, why can't we? Josh suffered from schizophrenia.
You're not worried that your baby is going to be predisposed to it? No way.
What does "predisposed" mean? Whose idea was this? Fidelia's.
She got pregnant first.
Said we all should.
Yeah, it was my idea.
It rocks, huh? We're totally going to be the hottest MILFs on the block.
MILFs? It means "mother I'd like to " Oh, I know what it means.
Want to see the stroller I picked out? It's so cute.
Fidelia.
You need to screw your head on straight.
This is a baby we're talking about.
Not a new shade of lipstick.
Don't say another word, angel.
Are you charging my daughter with something, Detective? Because I don't like your tone.
I'm just here to ask a few questions, Mr.
Vidal.
Daddy, let her ask.
I'm fine.
Good.
Fidelia, why don't we talk about the father of the baby, huh? So, what's your story? Excuse me? You have kids? You're pretty old.
We're here to talk about you.
I bet you're jealous.
Old chicks are totally jealous of me.
Is that it? Did you wait too long? Tick tock.
Fidelia.
A baby is not an accessory.
It is not a bracelet or a pair of earrings or a slamming pair of jeans.
This is a living, breathing human being that you are bringing onto this earth.
You think I don't know that? If you did, you'd be petrified about your future.
Do you know the odds of a teen mom finishing high school? Forget college.
Or any other dream that you might have.
Life as you know it is over now.
There's no going to the mall or hanging out with your friends.
I mean, you might see them, but if you do, it'll probably be in line waiting for food stamps.
Or all of you going to the doctor, trying to get an appointment at the free clinic.
Daddy, make her be quiet.
That's enough, Detective.
Do you know the health risks to babies of teen moms? Dyslexia, retardation, increased risks of blindness Daddy.
cerebral palsy.
Don't you try to blame my daughter.
She's just a child.
That's my point, exactly.
Oh, yeah? What about the kid that knocked her up, huh? Fidelia.
Is it true? Max.
I was going to tell you.
We made a commitment to each other.
To God.
You were supposed to be my first and true wife.
I was supposed to be your first and true husband.
It's okay.
I still love you.
It's okay.
Even Christians make mistakes.
Any other candidates? So, four teenage girls make a pact to get pregnant, and then just laugh about it.
Doesn't sound like Fidelia was laughing when Liv got done with her.
I may have dropped the hammer a little too hard.
Well, the girl could use all the reality she can get.
I'll bet she's not getting it from the nuns at school or the Chastity Circle.
Wouldn't have mattered, anyway.
These girls wanted to get pregnant.
And their parents weren't much help, either.
Some of these apples didn't fall far from the tree.
Any idea what their plans are? Oh, they're all going to have their kids.
There's no need to turn a mistake into a bigger mistake.
Babies having babies doesn't bother you? Babies killing babies bothers me.
So, it's that easy, huh, altar boy? Well, there's no rape or incest.
So, yeah, it is that easy.
There's a thing called adoption.
Well, it's off our plate now.
There's no crime here.
Uh, I'm not so sure about that.
All four girls are under the age of consent.
Josh Galli would have gone down for having sex with Tina Bernardi.
How old are the other dads? Well, Bianca and Carlotta got pregnant by boys in their class, both minors, so they can't be charged.
And like Kim said, we could have gone after Josh Galli, except he's dead.
Which leaves us only with our little ringleader, Fidelia Vidal, who thinks the guy who got her pregnant is 22.
Thinks? Oh, she's only met him once.
Doesn't know his real name.
Only his street name, Dizzer.
Goofy name or not, if he's over Wait a minute.
Wait a minute.
I thought this Max kid was Fidelia's boyfriend.
So did he.
Fidelia met Dizzer at a house party that he was DJing.
They snuck away, got high, and got busy.
No judge would order a paternity test on a fetus.
We need a parent to file charges.
Sounds like Fidelia's dad is already on the warpath.
Check this out.
This isn't about what a group of young, vulnerable girls might have done.
It's about a culture that sexualizes kids at a younger and younger age.
And the police who do nothing to protect our daughters against male predators.
I just found out that the man that impregnated my daughter is 22 years old.
Twenty-two years old.
And what are the police doing? Nothing.
Oh, that's great.
In blows Hurricane Vidal, and we don't even know the name of the kid we're looking for.
Seek and ye shall find, my Captain.
Doing a little digging in the CARS database of criminal aliases.
And who pops up but a young man named Dizzer, a.
k.
a.
Donald Zuccho.
Don Zuccho? Yo, yo.
Name's Dizzer.
What up? Uh-oh.
It's the po-po.
What're you all looking for, a copy of I Shot the Sheriff? Uh, no.
We're actually looking for you to tell us about Fidelia Vidal.
Who? The sweet little thing you tapped in Bensonhurst last summer.
Son, you're gonna have to be more specific.
All right? Because my motto is "wrecking decks and getting sex.
" You know what's up, don't you, my brother? She's about to have a baby.
Yours.
Yo, tell her to get in line.
I already got two.
You make child support by spinning records and working in this dump? Child support? Baby mamas just happy their kids look like me.
Well, Fidelia's dad wants more.
Well, fool should want to keep his teefs.
Did you just threaten him? And the word is teeth.
DNA warrant.
Pull your pants up and get your ass down to the medical examiner's office.
You just got touched, my brother.
Mr.
Vidal? Thought you should know we just slapped a court order on the father of your upcoming grandchild.
He's gone for a paternity test.
It's about time.
Well, your daughter will need to have an amniocentesis so we can make a match.
Otherwise, you'll have to wait until the baby is born.
We have a doctor on call at Mercy Hospital.
Let's take her now.
Angel, would you come out here, please? Sweetie? What's our rule? No locked doors.
Come out here right now.
You're going to the doctor.
Fidelia, open this door.
I have a bum shoulder.
Would you mind? As long as you don't sue for damages.
Angel, you better be decent.
No.
No.
No.
Oh, my God.
Why would she do this? Why would she do this? It's okay, Max.
It's okay.
It's all right.
Ms.
Vidal, we're sorry about your loss.
I know why.
I know why she did it.
Ma'am? Someone made my baby kill herself.
They drove her to it.
What do you mean? Last night, someone started e-mailing her.
They were calling her a slut and a whore.
She was crying.
They wouldn't leave her alone.
Where's the computer? In the den, usually.
We don't let Fidelia have one in her room.
But last night me and Gordon, we were fighting and we were screaming and yelling and we were both drinking, and I told Fidelia to go to her room, and she took the laptop with her.
Mrs.
Vidal, we need to see it.
Where is it? Why didn't I go help her? I heard her crying and I All I did was pour myself another drink and Okay.
Why didn't I help her? I just had another drink.
Why didn't I help her? Where's the family computer? Huh? Inside.
"Dizzer4ever?" Freaking lame-o.
Well, that's who was taunting her all last night.
We got it off her computer.
"You are a dumb whore.
" "How dumb do you think that baby will be?" "Everyone hates you, so STFU.
Laugh out loud.
"The world doesn't need you, slut.
End it.
End it now.
" And she responds, "You are so mean.
"Forget it, fath is knocking.
Gotta go.
" So she signed off with you after her father was knocking on the door.
And I'm saying it wasn't me.
All right? My email is DizzerDawgDJ.
Y'all want to check it? Yeah, we do.
Was I lying? Besides, last night, after I went and I gave my DNA to that fine Nubian princess, I hopped on the R train over to Brooklyn to do a gig, then did some more rocking with a couple of twins afterward.
You know what I'm saying? Did I mention? Yeah, yeah.
We know.
Decks and sex.
That's right.
I'm telling you.
Whoever dissed that bitch into killing herself is setting me up.
Well, don't get too torn up about that bitch.
She was only going to be the mother of your child.
I'm going to need that phone back, 5-0.
Yeah, them twins are going to be wanting me to drop that rope on them again.
Dizzer didn't send any e-mails last night.
Damn, I would've liked busting his dumb ass.
All right, well, whoever did this had to know about Fidelia's one-night stand.
Maybe one of her friends is Dizzer4ever.
Nothing crueler than high school girls.
Why not ask somebody who knows? While you were out, I did some digging on those e-mails.
I got the IP address, tracked down where they were sent from, a delightfully skeezy little internet café on Grand Street.
There's no sign-in sheet.
And whoever paid for the computer time did so in cash.
So, what are you so cocky about? Two doors down is a nail salon.
And in between there's an ATM machine with a security camera.
So, guess who got a pedicure, took and then bopped into the net nook three minutes before the e-mails started? Peggy Bernardi.
Yeah.
Good timing.
We've been out all day.
Guess you got over being mad that Tina had a bun in the oven.
Hey.
What am I going to say? I had her brother when I was Ah.
You bailed your son out, huh? Yeah.
Had to put the deed up to this place.
And you still found time to go on a shopping spree.
You're Mother of the Year.
Hey.
I take care of my kids.
Just like I'm going to do with my grandbaby.
And won't he look cute in this? "My grandma is a GILF.
" Too bad Fidelia's mother won't have a chance to hold her grandchild.
Oh, God.
Isn't that horrible? Tina loved Fidelia like a sister.
We all did.
Then, why did you taunt her into killing herself, Dizzer4ever? What is that? Tina, you better go to your room.
No, you stay here.
They're leaving.
Hey, what's going on? Pull up a chair.
Read how your mother drove Fidelia to suicide.
Mom? Is that true? Get the hell out of my house.
First, just tell us why.
You want me to admit that I wrote it? Okay.
Fine.
I wrote it.
Okay? But that little slut ruined this family.
If it wasn't for her, my daughter wouldn't have gotten pregnant and my son wouldn't have made the mistake that he did.
A teenage girl has more influence over your kids than you do? Boo-hoo.
Her death is on you.
Leave her alone.
Step back, tough guy.
Alec, stop it.
Take your sister and go in the other room.
Now.
Both of you.
I didn't tie a rope around the bitch's neck.
I only typed words on a computer.
If you had anything more than threats against me and my kids, you would have arrested me already.
So, get out.
Out.
We can't charge her.
That woman murdered Fidelia Vidal.
New York has nothing on the books yet against cyber-bullying.
Technology always outpaces the law.
Whatever.
So, just give us another strategy, then.
I only said murder is out.
We can try for promoting a suicide attempt.
Try? It was written as an anti-Kevorkian law to stop doctor-assisted suicide.
But maybe I can get it past Judge Moredock.
And if you can't? Then we go for criminal impersonation, aggravated harassment and endangering the welfare of a child.
All misdemeanors.
So we throw in reckless endangerment to get another felony.
Folks Cragen.
What's immoral is not always what's illegal.
Peggy Bernardi may be a psycho, but she only used words.
Right.
Against an impressionable, hormonally volatile teenage girl.
So write a new law.
But don't trample on the First Amendment.
Thanks.
That was Downtown with a heads-up.
Somebody put the Bernardis' address on Google Earth.
There's a crowd chasing her around Little Italy calling her "Monster Mom.
" You don't like my approach, Munch? Is mob rule any better? Get out here, Bernardi.
My daughter is dead because of her.
Please.
Everyone, calm down.
This is crazy.
My boy's dead.
The Vidal girl is dead.
Do we really want more death? We're neighbors.
NYPD.
Clear the hall.
Clear the hall now.
Everybody.
Get back.
Open the door.
Mrs.
Bernardi, this is Detective Stabler.
Open up.
You've got to save us.
Yeah, we'll save you right into jail.
Come on.
Let's go.
Come on.
They're trying to kill me and my family.
You killed Fidelia.
You killed her.
"Docket ending 1488.
People v.
Peggy Bernardi.
"One count, promoting a suicide attempt, "one count, reckless endangerment, "one count, criminal impersonation, "one count, aggravated harassment, "one count, endangering the welfare of a child.
" Mr.
Granger, how does your client plead? I didn't promote anything or harass anyone recklessly or any other way.
This is a bunch of crap.
Guilty or not? She pleads not guilty, Your Honor.
Bail, Ms.
Greylek? $500,000.
Are you off your nut? Counselor, control your client.
Might need a stun gun.
Peggy, be quiet.
I'm sorry, Your Honor.
But Ms.
Bernardi needs to be at home to make sure her daughter receives proper prenatal care.
Her other child is on home-confinement on an unrelated charge and needs his mother's aid in preparing a defense.
Do them both a favor.
Keep her caged.
What is your problem? My client has lived in the same community for her entire life and is hardly a flight risk.
And these charges are as tenuous as they are numerous.
I'll agree there, Ms.
Greylek.
Bail is set at $50,000.
Your Honor, as a condition of bail, the people ask that the defendant be prohibited from using a computer or any form of electronic communication, lest any other young person's life be threatened.
Hey, I got auctions on eBay.
Ms.
Bernardi, unplug the computer.
Adjourned.
Next case.
Come on.
"Docket ending 5592.
The People of the State of " Your animosity is showing, Counselor.
So is your lack of judgment.
Your client's a murderer.
Funny.
Of all the charges you filed, you forgot to file that one.
The law hasn't quite caught up to what Monster Mom did.
But I'll get it there.
You really think you can convince a jury that a single mother of two kids took time out from her busy day to taunt a neighbor girl into committing suicide? You kidding? Five minutes of her on the stand, and they'll see she's the Devil.
I'm a loving mother.
A good person.
So a good person goes online, attacks an underaged kid, while pretending to be someone else? It was just in fun.
Then why did you send her e-mails from an internet café? Was there something wrong with your computer at home? It was convenient.
Ms.
Bernardi, would you please read to the jury what you wrote, impersonating someone else, to Miss Vidal? "OMFG.
"You're a dumb whore.
How dumb do you think that baby will be?" And OMFG means? "Oh, my blanking God.
" So, that's what a good person writes to a pregnant teenage girl? I was mad about what she did to this family.
She told my girl to get pregnant.
Next line, please.
"Everyone hates you, so STFU.
LOL.
" And STFU means? "Shut the blank up.
" And LOL? "Laughing out loud.
" So a good person laughs out loud after telling a pregnant teenage girl to shut the blank up.
She did a lot worse to my family.
Next line, please.
I'm sorry.
Did you suddenly forget how to read? "The world doesn't need you, slut.
"End it.
End it now.
" And a good person writes "End it.
End it now" to a pregnant teenage girl and never thinks for a second that she might actually do it? It was just a goof.
I never One last thing, Ms.
Bernardi.
Please read to the jury what Miss Vidal wrote to you in her final e-mail.
"Why are you so mean? Forget it, fath is knocking.
Gotta go.
" That's right.
Her father was knocking.
Coming to check on Fidelia after she had been crying for hours.
That's what a good person does.
A good parent? They don't persecute other people's kids.
They don't let their daughters become teenage moms or their sons become revenge killers.
No.
You're wrong.
Miss Bernardi, you need to sit down.
But she's wrong.
My mom is wrong, too.
"Fath" isn't short for "father.
" Bailiff, remove that young lady.
"Fath" means FATH.
"First and true husband.
" They say it in a club at school.
The Chastity Circle.
Fidelia's first and true husband was Max Matarazzo.
Yeah, the Vidals were home when Fidelia answered the front door.
They would have seen Max come in.
Fidelia's dad is kind of a jerk.
I came up the fire escape to visit her so he wouldn't know.
Well, we didn't know because you didn't tell us.
Even when we asked you questions about Fidelia.
And I should have.
Look.
It was just all too crazy.
Okay? Maybe you were feeling guilty.
Guilty? About what you did to her.
Something bad.
No, I didn't do anything bad.
Murder is a sin, Max.
You know that.
What? No.
Listen.
I loved Fidelia.
Okay? And she committed suicide.
Did she? Why would I kill her? We have been together forever.
Look, it's not like we didn't want to do it.
Okay? Of course we did.
Everyone's doing it.
But we made a commitment to each other.
We made a commitment to God.
That you were her first and true husband.
And she was my first and true wife.
She wasn't exactly so true.
I forgave her for that.
Really? You forgave her, huh? But she gave it up to Dizzer.
She took her clothes off for Dizzer.
She let Dizzer touch her body all over.
She made love to Dizzer, a complete stranger.
And all you got was a broken promise.
No.
That's why you went back to her house that night.
Maybe you forgave her too fast.
I kept e-mailing her.
I kept texting her.
And she kept blowing me off, saying that she was in the middle of something.
Right.
And when you crawled into her window, there she was again with Dizzer.
This time, online.
He was calling her a slut and a whore.
She was crying.
I'll bet she never cried like that for you.
None of this would have ever happened if she had kept her promise to me.
The only thing she cared about is whether Dizzer or other people hated her.
The only person she didn't care about was you, Max.
I tried to hug her to get her to stop crying.
And she slapped me.
Said that she never loved me.
That she never would have married me.
Said that the only reason I was staying a virgin was because I was scared to have sex.
Scared that I couldn't do it.
That's when you put your hands around her neck.
I just wanted her to stop yelling.
So you kept squeezing and squeezing until she finally did.
Then you wrapped the belt around her neck and made it look like a suicide.
I've asked for forgiveness every night since.
But God doesn't answer me.
He says nothing.
I'm the one who kept my promise.
I am not the bad one.
Why? Why won't he answer me? Max Matarazzo, on the charge of manslaughter in the first degree, you are hereby sentenced to four years in the state penitentiary.
Alec Bernardi, on the charge of murder in the second degree, you are sentenced to 15 years to life.
Ms.
Bernardi, in light of the conviction of Max Matarazzo, this court dismisses all charges against you.
You are free to go.
It's all right.
I told you I was innocent.
There's a big difference between charges dropped and innocent.
I'm sure your neighbors will explain it to you when you get home.
They can go to hell.
You, too.
Just try and wash the blood off your hands before you hold Tina's baby for the first time, okay? You shut your freaking mouth.
I'll freaking kill you.
Bailiff.
Remove that woman! I'm a good mother.
I'm a good mother.
Why are you doing this to me? Get off of me.
Tina.
Come on.
Let's go.
I'm a good mother.
You don't even know me.
What do you have against me? You okay? Fine.
Collar that bitch for assault.
Family Court, huh? It's going to be bad, isn't it? Uh If I hadn't have been so stupid, none of this would have happened.
Tina, right now, what you've got to do is take care of yourself and take care of that baby.
How? My whole family's in jail.
And now, they're going to send me to a foster home.
I'm not so sure about that.
Hi, Tina.
Mr.
Galli.
What are you doing here? Came to talk to the judge.
Tell him, a baby shouldn't be born surrounded by strangers.
A baby needs a home.
Especially my grandchild.
I'm so sorry about what my brother did.
It's not about the past, Tina.
It's about right now.
Good luck.