Thomas J. Grasso was born on November 23, 1962, in West Babylon, New York. At a young age, he and his family relocated to Tampa, Florida. It was here that Grasso's life took a dark turn, as he began racking up a criminal record as a teenager, primarily for theft. In 1990, he left Tampa and moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma to stay with his girlfriend Lana's grandmother.
In 1992, Grasso confessed to the murder of Leslie Holtz, which earned him a sentence of 20 years to life. However, later that year, he also pleaded guilty to the murder of Hilda Johnson. This second confession led to a death sentence for Grasso. Before committing these crimes, he had already established a pattern of criminal behavior, but nothing could have prepared anyone for the heinous acts he would commit.
After the New York legislation aimed at reinstating the death penalty was vetoed, George Pataki, the former governor, had Grasso extradited to Oklahoma for his execution. This move was a controversial one, as it sparked debates over capital punishment and the legal system. Grasso's case shed light on the complexities and flaws within the criminal justice system.
Grasso was the son of Joseph and Ruth Grasso. Tragically, before he was born, his older brother Joseph Thomas Grasso was killed in a car accident at the young age of four. Due to a warning from a fortune teller, Grasso's mother changed his name from Joseph Thomas to Thomas Joseph in hopes of avoiding a similar fate for him.
One of the most notable aspects of Grasso's case was his bizarre choice of last words. Before his execution by lethal injection on March 20, 1995, he famously said, "I did not get my SpaghettiOs. I got spaghetti. I want the press to know this." This statement, made in reference to an error in his last meal, garnered widespread attention and added another layer of strangeness to an already complex and tragic story.
After his death, Thomas J. Grasso became infamous for his crimes and his unusual final words. His case also brought attention to the debate surrounding the death penalty and the legalities of extradition. Grasso's story serves as a cautionary tale and a reminder of the complexities of the human psyche and the consequences of one's actions.