LEFT WITH THE DECEASED MOTHER: An 11-month-old bab...

A heartbreaking domestic tragedy in Astoria, Queens, has left a tight-knit community rallying to support an 11-month-old infant left orphaned in a matter of hours. Following the violent killing of 34-year-old Mary Kate Golding inside her home near 41st Street and 19th Avenue, investigators revealed that her body was left unattended alongside her defenseless baby boy, Nolan.

The infant was only rescued after his father, 33-year-old Joseph Azzaretto, placed a phone call to a family friend confessing to the crime before fleeing the residence. While the friend rushed to retrieve the child safely, the devastating sequence of events has stripped an innocent child of both parents in a single night.

The Chilling Phone Call and Emergency Discovery

The horrifying incident unfolded during the early morning hours when Joseph Azzaretto reached out via telephone to a trusted family acquaintance. During the brief, frantic conversation, Azzaretto admitted that he had stabbed his wife following a heated domestic altercation.

Alarmed by the confession, the friend immediately alerted 911 dispatchers and rushed to the couple’s Queens apartment. Upon entering the residence around 12:30 a.m., first responders and the friend discovered Golding unresponsive on the floor with severe stab wounds to her back. Paramedics evaluated Golding at the scene, but she was pronounced dead shortly after arrival due to catastrophic trauma.

Rescue of 11-Month-Old Nolan and the Astoria Park Discovery

Amidst the crime scene, emergency responders located the couple’s 11-month-old son, Nolan, unharmed inside the apartment. The defenseless infant had been left completely alone in the residence in the immediate aftermath of the fatal attack.

EMS personnel evaluated the baby before transferring him for precautionary medical checks. Child protective services and extended family members have since stepped in to take custody of the boy, ensuring he receives immediate shelter and care.

Meanwhile, NYPD officers launched a search to track down Azzaretto. Approximately six hours after Golding’s body was discovered, officers searching nearby Astoria Park found Azzaretto hanging from a tree inside the park grounds. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene, concluding the multi-agency dragnet.

Neighborhood Warnings and a Dark Family Legacy

In the wake of the murder-suicide, neighbors expressed deep anger and grief, describing Mary Kate Golding as a warm, loving mother whose entire world revolved around her young son. Residents revealed that Azzaretto had exhibited long-term signs of emotional volatility, frequently leaving aggressive, threatening notes over minor parking space grievances along the block.

The tragedy also unsealed a disturbing history of family violence:

• The 2020 Incident: In February 2020, Joseph Azzaretto’s younger brother, Nicholas Azzaretto, was arrested for fatally shooting their father, 58-year-old Frank Azzaretto, during a violent domestic dispute over a phone bill in Monroe County, Pennsylvania.

• Compounding Domestic Trauma: The revelation that both brothers engaged in separate, fatal domestic incidents years apart has shocked local communities in both New York and Pennsylvania.

Rallying Support for an Orphaned Infant

As NYPD crime scene technicians conclude their work on 41st Street, neighbors, friends, and community members have begun placing candles, stuffed animals, and floral tributes outside the residence. Extended family networks and local advocates are organizing support systems to ensure 11-month-old Nolan is insulated from financial and developmental strain as he grows.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse or intimate partner violence, support is available 24/7. You can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text “START” to 88788 for free, confidential help.