Giordano probe continues; some turn to Web

On Internet sites, people chronicle, read about Hightstown woman’s disappearance.

By: Matt Chiappardi and Vic Monaco
   As the probe into the disappearance Amy Giordano of Hightstown moved into its third month, talks apparently continued between the Mercer County prosecutor’s office and the lawyer representing the father of Ms. Giordano’s abandoned baby.
   But perhaps just as much talk has occurred online, as several Web sites have cropped up in the hope that someone with pertinent information will come forward and end the mystery.
   Rosario DiGirolamo remained free on bail this week as he awaited an Oct. 9 case review hearing to precede his trial on child abandonment and reckless endangering charges for allegedly leaving Michael DiGirolamo outside a Newark, Del., hospital June 9.
   The 32-year-old married Millstone man turned himself in on those charges Aug. 2, after spending about a month-and-a-half in Italy.
   His lawyer, Jerome Ballarotto, has claimed Ms. Giordano is alive and said he is cooperating with the Mercer County prosecutor’s office. And those talks continued over the last couple of weeks, according to an office spokesman.
   "There have been some discussions but I wouldn’t characterize them," Assistant Prosecutor Angelo Onofri said Wednesday.
   Prosecutor Joseph Bocchini told the Herald about two weeks ago that he is "very skeptical" of the so-called help that Mr. Ballarotto is providing.
   Ms. Giordano, 27, has been missing since June 7 when she was videotaped at the ShopRite in East Windsor with Mr. DiGirolamo and their then 11-month-old child.
   Since that time, some folks have turned to the Internet to chronicle and read about her disappearance. On several crime blogs, Ms. Giordano is included with a host of other stories of people who have disappeared under curious circumstances across the country.
   But there is at least two Web sites dedicated wholly to Ms. Giordano’s case.
   On the social networking site MySpace.com, a page appeared sometime this month under the display name "Amy Giordano is Missing." The page includes Ms. Giordano’s basic information along with pictures and a video slide show.
   There, people post messages hoping for her safe return.
   "Still praying for you and your beautiful son," writes one person whose profile name is "Lolly" from Philadelphia.
   "Jenny" from Elkton, Md., according to the profile information, writes, "As a single mother myself, I’m devastated by this story!"
   There are also a few birthday wishes for her son Michael, who became a year old in July. Michael dominates much of the page with more than a dozen photos and a video slide show of his own.
   Mr. DiGirolamo — labeled by law enforcement officials as a "person of interest" in his mistress’ disappearance — is not absent from the page. It links to another one with his picture as its default and with the headline, "Find This Man."
   That page, which remained there this week, posts a description of Mr. DiGirolamo in both English and Italian and urges anyone with information about him to contact law enforcement officials.
   There is at least one other Amy Giordano-related MySpace page. Shortly after her disappearance, a Web search revealed a page with the headline "please help find amy!!!"
   That page is private and can only be accessed with an invitation. An e-mail from the Herald seeking one was not returned.
   Stephen Fishbaum, Ms. Giordano’s cousin through her adoption, has expressed interest in setting up a site of his own to gather any information that could help find Ms. Giordano.
   Mr. Fishbaum lives in Marlboro and describes himself as an older-brother figure and confidant of Ms. Giordano.
   That site is on hold, Mr. Fishbaum says, because he hopes the return of Mr. DiGirolamo will reveal some clues to his cousin’s whereabouts and condition.
   "I’m going to keep everything status quo for now. Let’s see where the next month brings us," he said.
   October will bring the case review hearing in Wilmington, where the defense and prosecutor will likely share evidence and possibly discuss plea agreements, according to Jason Miller of the Delaware attorney general’s office.
   In the interim, Prosecutor Phyllis Scully will not be publicly discussing the case, he said.
   Mr. Miller previously explained that there will likely be two such case review hearings before a trial begins.
   In the meantime, Michael DiGirolamo remained this week with a foster family in Delaware and is doing well, according to Kelly Bachman of the Delaware Children’s Department.