Big Bad Mama: Queens Granny Shoots Noisy Neighbor

By Alicia Cruz

The Black Urban Times

Noisy neighbors caused a Queens grandmother to flip out and shoot her neighbor, the wife of famous Latin jazz pianist Eddie Palmieri, Iraida.

Maria's husband, Rafael Cartagena told the New York Post that his wife telephoned him at work Wednesday saying she couldn't take it anymore.

"She said, 'please please rent another place. I can't take it anymore,'" Cartagena told the Post.
Maria reached the end of her noise-tolerating rope Wednesday evening when the two neighbors met in the elevator of their Forest Hill apartment building.

Palmieri says Maria threatened her while in the elevator saying, "Move over or I'll kill you."
A family member of Maria's says that Palmieri had a pair of scissors in her hand and wouldn't put them down. That's when police say Maria pulled a .38-caliber pistol from a fanny pack and began shooting.

The bullet passed through Palmieri's hat, grazing her her head before lodging into the wood-paneling in the elevator car.

Cartagena says he believe the noisy neighbors intentionally tormented his wife with noise because they knew it irked the noise-sensitive granny.

"They were doing this on purpose to annoy us, they did this to drive us nuts," Cartagena said.
Cartagena alleges that Iraida would get up around 1:30 a.m. and put on high heel shoes and walk above their bedroom just to annoy the Cartagenas.

"We called 311 at least 30 times," said Cartagena said who believes the police are protecting Palmieri because of his show-biz status.

Police say the weapon belonged to Maria's husband, who has a permit for it. Cartagena was charged with reckless endangerment and illegal possession of a weapon after police say they found an illegal gravity knife in the couple's apartment.he was released without bail.

Maria, however, has been charged with attempted murder, assault and weapons possession and remains hospitalized at Rikers Island under a psychological observation and is unable to pay the $25,000 bond.