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Queens Man Gets 50 Years To Life In Murder Of Parents

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A New York City man will spend 50 years to life in prison for murdering both of his parents.

Gregory Cucchiara, of Queens, was convicted of second-degree murder last month and sentenced in Queens on Tuesday.

Giusepina Cucchiara, Cucchiara's mother, was bashed on the head with a perfume bottle and choked with a pearl necklace in May 2011. Her head was forced underwater in a bathtub of a Bayside home he shared with his parents.

After suspecting his son had killed his wife, Carmelo Cucchiara got away from Gregory and moved another home in Astoria with his daughter, CBSNewYork reported at the time of Cucchiara's arraignment.

Carmelo Cucchiara was later found smothered in his bed with a pillow in August 2012. He also was struck on the head.

Authorities said Gregory Cucchiara, who was arrested in November 2012, had used drugs and was avoided by relatives.

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown says DNA evidence found under both victims' fingernails was a match for their son.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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