PENFIELD, N.Y. — A grieving mother approached News10NBC’s Chief Investigative Reporter Berkeley Brean outside a Fairport restaurant. Her son, Giovanni Malorzo, died from a cocaine and fentanyl overdose.

“He wasn’t an addict,” she said. “He had a job and a girlfriend.”

Giovanni, a gifted mechanic and music lover, was 26 years old when he was found unconscious in a shower in late March 2023. He never regained consciousness.

“Everything,” his mother, Bonnie Quitsch, said when asked what she misses about him. “We talked all day, every day.”

The medical examiner’s report confirmed his death was accidental, caused by cocaine laced with fentanyl. The CDC reports fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45.

Giovanni was friends with accused drug dealer Tarey Korokeyi, who attended his calling hours and signed the guest book. However, police have not charged Korokeyi with Giovanni’s death.

Bonnie and her husband, Mike, were blindsided by their son’s death and his recreational drug use. “It’s a shame,” Bonnie said. “If we can bring to light what happened to our son… it needs to be brought because there’s just too much of it going on.”

Mike added, “If you’re a parent who experienced what we have, understand that you are not alone.” He emphasized the impact of drug use, saying, “You think this only affects you if you’re dabbling in this stuff. You’re wrong. It affects all the people around you. It’s devastating.”

Bonnie and Mike attend group therapy every two weeks, which helps remind them they are not alone. Giovanni was their only son.

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