Son of murdered Manifold Heights man says he ‘needs answers’ over the 1988 cold case

The son of slain Manifold Heights man Salvatore “Sam” Rotiroti is desperate for the cold case murder to be solved.

The son of slain Manifold Heights man Salvatore “Sam” Rotiroti is desperate for the cold case murder to be solved.

Vince Rotiroti is still haunted by the 1988 death of his father and is frustrated that a $1m reward, put up by Victoria Police in 2018, has not resulted in any arrests.

Police this week revealed investigators have received a number of reports relating to the death, but confirmed the reward remained on offer.

It has previously been revealed that the prime suspect is of Calabrian descent and detectives believe several people who know he beat Salvatore Rotiroti to death in 1988 are still too terrified of him to help police.

Vince Rotiroti found his father dead in the driveway of the family’s home about 12.25am on September 6, 1988.

Salvatore Rotiroti had earlier paid a $100,000 ransom to have his kidnapped son Tony released and the extortionist was trying to get more cash out of him at the time of the murder.

Vince Rotiroti, who was 21 when his father died, said he was desperate for answers.

“I’ve been putting up with this pain and trauma all my life and I need answers,” he said.

The now 55-year-old, who lives at Winchelsea, said his father’s death had a “terrible, terrible” impact on his life and had left him unable to enjoy simple pleasures.

“There were things I enjoyed when I was younger (and life has) never been the same,” he said.

“There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about this case.

Vincent Zangari was charged on September 29, 1988, with the murder of his uncle Salvatore Rotiroti, 46, however those charges were later withdrawn.

In December 1989, Geelong coroner Ian Von Einem returned an open finding on the death of Salvatore Rotiroti.

“I am unable to say as to who contributed to his cause of death,” Mr Von Einem said in his written finding.

“In this case there has been a great deal of innuendo and suspicion surrounding the death of the deceased.

“It is of considerable importance to note that there is no direct evidence of any person who was at the scene at the time of the deceased’s death.”

Victoria Police spokeswoman Natalie Webster said the investigation into Salvatore Rotiroti’s death remained ongoing.

“As with all cold case investigations, we have received a number of information reports in relation to the investigation and each piece of information is followed up thoroughly,” she said.

“The $1 million reward remains on offer.

“Any new information provided to police will be assessed thoroughly and we encourage anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.”

Originally published as Son of murdered Manifold Heights man says he ‘needs answers’ over the 1988 cold case