Man Commits Suicide in Casino - Niagara Falls, New York

Tragedy struck on Thursday when a man committed suicide in the Seneca Niagara Casino and Hotel in Niagara Falls, New York. The man was later identified as Michael A. Pellegrino, 45, owner of the Perna-Pellegrino funeral homes chain in Buffalo and Amherst. He was a resident of Getzville, New York.

Around 10:30 am, Pellegrino entered the casino and approached a blackjack table where a female dealer was working. It was later learned that the dealer was his girlfriend of 4 years, and the couple planned to get married. They had recently has an argument.

At 10:32 am, Pellegrino stood up from the blackjack table, withdrew a 9-mm handgun from under his coat, pointed it at his chest and then pulled the trigger.

“He was just laying there by himself,” said a witness. “The blackjack dealer was screaming and crying.”

He was treated by casino paramedics before being transported by ambulance to Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center. He died in the emergency room at 11:46 am.

Strangely, this was not the first suicide on casino property. In June of 2006, a Florida man jumped from the top floor of the casino’s parking garage.

Man Commits Suicide in Casino - Niagara Falls, New York