BALTIMORE — Hundreds of people attended a candlelight vigil for beloved restaurant general manager Chesley “Chesco” Patterson who was shot and killed early Monday morning in Fells Point.
RELATED: General Manager of La Scala killed in Baltimore shooting
Patterson was the general manager at La Scala restaurant in Little Italy for 14 years but worked at the restaurant for nearly two decades.
“Everybody loved Chesley,” said Nino Germano, who is the owner of La Scala.
Germano said Patterson was more than an employee. He said he was family.
“Always smiling. Even if he had something bothering him, always smiling especially to the customers,” he said
George Hutchinson worked with Patterson at the restaurant and considers him a friend. He wants him to be remembered for his character and how he treated others.
“He was just a humble guy; he was a kindhearted guy. He treated everyone the same,” he said.
The good in him is why his loved ones can’t wrap their minds around his murder. Patterson was shot and killed blocks away from La Scala early Monday morning on Eastern Ave and South Broadway in Fells Point.
The shooting happened when Patterson was on his way home from work just after midnight.
“There’s no reason for that,” Germano said. “And we got to start doing something because we are losing our city. Our city is going down the drain.”
Councilman Zeke Cohen knew Patterson well and is devastated over his death. Cohen said it’s a painful moment for the city as gun violence continues to impact families in Baltimore.
He said he will look to hold the mayor accountable for his crime plan as he hopes for justice for Patterson’s family and many others in Baltimore.
“The city is in a lot of pain right now, but we have to continue to push and continue to hold the folks that did this accountable," Cohen said. "We have to continue to honor his memory because he was such a decent human being, and it hurts to have lost him.”
No arrests have been made in the case and police continue to search for those responsible.
If you know anything about the shooting, you’re asked to give police a call.
