Man stabbed to death in Staten Island drug den, girlfriend blames victim’s dealer (EXCLUSIVE)
A 38-year-old man was stabbed to death on Staten Island, police said Monday — with the victim’s girlfriend describing the scene of the crime as a drug den and blaming the killing on a dealer.
Jonathan Winokur suffered multiple stab wounds throughout his body at a house on Union Ave. near Richmond Terrace in Mariners Harbor around 10:40 p.m. Sunday, cops said.
His girlfriend Elizabeth Ferone believes Winokur was killed by a drug dealer, telling the Daily News that the attacker “was probably high out of his mind.”
A 58-year-old man police described as a person of interest was taken into custody at the scene and is being questioned by cops.
Ferone said that Winokur frequently went to the house where he was stabbed to buy marijuana, and that Sunday’s attack wasn’t the first time his drug dealer had threatened him with a knife.
She described witnessing a previous incident in which the victim and his dealer “started fighting,” with the peddler chasing Winokur out “with a knife.”
The grieving girlfriend said her slain beau projected a tough-guy persona, but was a big softie on the inside.
“Jonathan was a mushy boy,” said Ferone, 35. “He played the tough guy, but I loved him.”
Winokur worked as a security guard and leaves behind two children ages 5 and 7, according to his cousin, who said his slain relative wouldn’t hurt a fly.
“He loved his children and his family,” said the cousin, William. “He didn’t deserve what happened to him. Big teddy bear, we called him. He didn’t have a violent bone in his body.”
The alleged drug den had a nasty reputation prior to the murder, according to neighbors. Residents there constantly scream at each other and police are routinely called to break up fights, they said.
“Police coming ... it’s almost a daily occurrence,” said a man who lives next door to the crime scene. “That house is a troubled house. They are always at each other’s throats. Shouting at each other, calling themselves names.”
“The house is a nuisance on this street,” the neighbor added. “People know it.”
Another local said that youngsters living at the Union Ave. house harass him on a daily basis, claiming that one threatened to stab him after he demanded their bullying stop.
“He threatened to stab me to death,” said Ricardo Ramcharan, a longtime neighbor. “Some young boy. There was an incident.”
Ramcharan was never stabbed, but he says a man he described as the kids’ father once socked him in the face for having the gall to demand the unruly teens leave him in peace.
“I keep to myself. I’m an immigrant. I’m not here to join your scuffle. [Then] the father came home, and he hit me,” said Ramcharan. “This whole neighborhood went to s—t!”
Ferone is still in shock over the slaying.
“We had a crush on each other since [age] 5,” she said. “I’m still waiting for him to walk down the block.”
