Thousands Raised By DJ For Families Of Girls Slain In Hit-And-Run: Here's How To Help

CRANFORD, NJ — More than $12,000 was raised for the families of Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas after a two-day music sale fundraiser concluded on Sunday in Cranford.

The two 17-year-old girls were killed by a driver in a hit-and-run crash on Sept. 29 while they were riding electronic bikes along Burnside Avenue, the Union County Prosecutor's Office said.

Vincent P. Battiloro, 17 of Garwood, was identified as the suspect through court records along with reports he had been stalking at least one of the girls for months leading up to the crash. He is charged with two counts of murder and 15 other citations.

Through a collaboration with the Old City Cafe & Grill, DJ and Cranford resident Rich Russo used a collection records and CDs he acquired to host a sale and give 100% of the proceeds to both of the girls' families. Old City donated the space to Russo and the nonprofit Cranford Family Care for a month to use however they'd like in order to raise more funds.

"The outreach and support of the community is really what life is all about, helping each other move forward and heal while also trying to implement and correct what went wrong here is vital," Russo told Patch. "What happened to Maria and Isabella was horrific, senseless, and preventable."

Russo bought the entire record collection at an estate sale in Cranford and was offered the space by Rafi Namroud, owner of the restaurant, while the two were having dinner one night. A baked good sale and donation site were also a part of the setup at the sale that began on Oct. 18.

Russo, who hosts a show called "Anything, Anything" on multiple FM stations and two SiriusXM show said that while, "no amount of dollars raised can bring them back," the efforts to bring everyone together for the greater good of others will never stop.

"We as a community locally and as a society have to do a better job protecting our citizens, especially our children," Russo added. "We need to start with this question: what are we going to do differently about keeping our children safe?"

Russo said more online donations are yet to be counted. Monetary donations for the families are being accepted through Cranford Family Care.

He is also working on more sales and ways for people to help that will be announced in the future. Anyone who wishes to donate more records or CDs for a future sale can contact Rich directly at rich@richrusso.net.

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