Cranston Man, 74, Sentenced To 30 Years For 2020 Murder

CRANSTON, RI — A Cranston man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for a 2020 Cranston murder. Charles Gangi, 74, pleaded no contest to one count of second-degree murder.

According to Attorney General Peter Neronha's office, Gangi was sentenced to 60 years at the Adult Correctional Institution in Cranston, with 30 to serve.

Gangi admitted to shooting Paul Zois during an argument on Dec. 29. Police determined that Gangi shot Zois five times with a .38 caliber revolver. At the time, Gangi was in a relationship with Zois' mother and lived with her and Zois on B Street in Cranston.

"Far too often, and at a pace that seems to only be increasing in the past year, disagreements and arguments have led to extraordinary overreactions – even acts of violence, as occurred here," Neronha said. "The defendant’s decision to resolve an argument at the point of a gun ended one person’s life and forever changed others. Such senseless violence warrants a lengthy sentence, and I am grateful to the court for imposing one in this case."

Cranston Police Chief Michael Winquist called the case "an example of how a menial argument within a household can quickly escalate and result in tragic consequences when a firearm is easily accessible and is used with no forethought."