Tragic Details About New York's Fox Anchor Rosanna Scotto

Between the family business that brings her a ton of joy, a successful marriage to Louis Ruggiero and her decades-long career on Fox 5 NY, one would be mistaken for thinking Rosanna Scotto has always led a fairytale life. However, like most people, the Fox veteran has also had her share of heartache — and sadly for Rosanna, some of it has played out incredibly publicly. 

One particularly sad moment came before Rosanna began her tenure at Fox. As some will know, Rosanna is the daughter of Anthony Scotto. Anthony was a powerful union leader, but was also rumored to have links to the Gambino crime family, the same mob family to which many old Hollywood stars were said to have been connected. In 1978, he was investigated for taking payments from Brooklyn waterfront business owners. The following year, he was convicted of racketeering, the accusation being that he'd solicited a whopping $200,000 in payments from the business owners. 

According to The New York Times, Rosanna had been present when her father was found guilty. "[Rosanna] Scotto, the defendant's daughter, sobbed as her mother, Marion, stared at the wall across the room, her face registering disbelief," the outlet noted of the 1979 trial's conclusion. She would have been just 21 at the time. Rosanna's father began his sentence in 1981, and was released in 1984 for good behavior. We're sure the Fox star was thrilled, especially because at the time of his conviction, there was a possibility he'd have to serve 20 years. Even so, there's also no doubt that it would be a tough thing for any 21-year-old to experience.

Nearly 40 years after Rosanna Scotto was seen sobbing in a court room over her dad's conviction, her name was brought up in another high-profile trial. This time, though, it was her son, Louis "L.J." Ruggiero, who was involved. 

Back in 2018, Ruggiero was called on as a witness in a horrifying murder trial. A friend of his, James Rackover, was accused of murder — and as Ruggiero revealed, he'd told him about it the day after it had happened. Horrifyingly, Ruggiero recounted Rackover telling him that, after slitting the victim's throat, he'd thrown the body out the window to avoid cameras inside his apartment building seeing anything, and that after he'd buried Joseph Comunale, he'd "ordered pancakes from a diner and ate it like nothing ever happened," according to the New York Post. 

As for how Scotto became directly involved, she was also brought up during the proceedings when it turned out Rackover had previously planned to blackmail the celebrity's son into having her pay off gambling debts they'd racked up together. As recounted by the New York Post, Rackover told Ruggiero he had footage of him having sex with prostitutes in his bedroom and that if he didn't get Scotto to pay off their debts in full, he'd make sure his girlfriend saw it. The judge stopped the attorney general from addressing the situation in redirect and Scotto never addressed the situation either, so it's not clear if the plot worked. That said, it's likely to have come as a blow to her on more than one front: after all, James was the faux-adoptive son (and irl lover — yes, there was a lot going on) of Jeffrey Rackover, a very close family friend of Scotto's. 

Back to Rosanna Scotto's dad, in August 2021 the longtime Fox 5 NY personality shared the devastating news that Anthony Scotto had passed away. "We are broken hearted to share the passing of Anthony M Scotto," her Instagram announcement began. In another statement from the Facebook page for the family's restaurant, Fresco by Scotto, the family reiterated their grief. "He was our rock, our sounding board, and our motivator. We love him so much," it read. The following year, on Father's Day, Rosanna shared on Instagram that Anthony had taken ill that same weekend the year prior.

Unfortunately for Rosanna and her loved ones, Anthony's death prompted a ton of articles about his past, with headlines referring to him as a mobster. That couldn't have been easy for the family, especially given Rosanna's reaction to his conviction so many decades prior. What's more, Anthony continued to claim he was innocent for years after the investigation into his activities. Even so (and perhaps unsurprisingly), Rosanna didn't respond to any of the headlines, nor did she try to refute anything. Instead, she and her family thanked those who'd offered kind words about Anthony. "We appreciate your comforting notes and outpouring of love," they noted in their Fresco by Scotto statement. 

It's certainly a credit to Rosanna and the extended Scotto family's grace during what was a very difficult time. 

As some might know, Rosanna Scotto counts Wendy Williams as one of her close friends. In light of that, it only makes sense that she's been extremely concerned about the talk show host. That being said, she's also made it clear that she doesn't want to be running a bunch of stories on Williams. 

Speaking to Page Six in 2022, Scotto explained, "It's hard for me to talk about her sometimes. I try not to. When there's something that I don't really want to talk about on air I kind of excuse myself from it." Simply put, she explained, "I don't want the scoop on my friend. They can have the exclusive." Yet another classy move on Scotto's part. 

It is worth noting that, despite her preference to not talk about Williams, there have also been times when she's used her platform to highlight her friends' health taking a positive turn. For starters, in her interview with Page Six, she seemed to hint at Williams just needing some time out and said she'd love to have a girls day at a spa. "A little massage and some girl time. No fancy clothes and make-up. Just a good girls' time," she said of what the plans might include. A few years later, in March 2025, Scotto once again spoke about her friend doing well, allowing Williams to call in to "Good Day New York" live and talk about the results of her cognitive evaluation. It was a great way to let Williams speak for herself in wake of her depressing reality, and Scotto ended their call with a promise to her and a reminder to viewers as to why she decided to get the exclusive, after all. "I got your back," she promised. 

Sticking with March 2025, those who follow Rosanna Scotto on social media will likely know that early on in the month, the longtime Fox 5 NY star shared the news that her beloved Maltese poodle, Lulu, had died. She didn't hold back on sharing how heartbroken she was by the loss. 

"It's been very difficult to even discuss this with family and friends, but we had to say goodbye to our little Lulu. We were so grateful to have her for over 16 years. She brought us such joy and we will really miss her," Scotto wrote on the Instagram while sharing snaps of the family with Lulu. Over the years, Scotto has shared countless pictures and videos of Lulu with her followers — from birthday posts to health updates — and it was no secret that she treated her pet like one of her human children. As such, her announcement received an outpouring of love, with friends, family and fans alike sending in their well-wishes.

Hopefully the kind messages were a small consolation for Scotto and her family. And as many pointed out, there was no question how much they adored the pup. "She crossed the rainbow bridge knowing she was loved," one fan wrote.