Little Italy community finds relief after man sentenced for murder of restaurant manager Chesley Patterson

BALTIMORE - A man was convicted and sentenced for killing Chesley Patterson, a restaurant general manager and a fixture in the Little Italy community.

"He was one-of-a-kind, full-of-love, just a great human being," Sweet Louise's Salon Owner Pam Needleman said.  

Patterson, known as "Chesco," was shot to death in January 2022, just blocks away from La Scala Ristorante Italiano, the restaurant where he worked as general manager for nearly two decades.

He was on his way home after closing up.

"Everybody knew Chesley because he was the face that you saw when you went into the restaurant," Needleman said.  

Prosecutors said the man who pulled the trigger was Samuel Wise. He was 22 at the time.

Wise took a plea deal Monday and will serve life in prison with all but 50 years suspended.

"It was a relief and sad," Amicci's manager Jody Baker said.

Baker told WJZ she had known Patterson for 15 years.

She also said the Little Italy community hasn't been the same without him.

"It was a big loss for the neighborhood," Baker said. "Even for the people who didn't know him well. He was a genuine soul and it was very rough for the neighborhood."

In court, prosecutors revealed new details about how detectives tracked down Wise following the murder.

Court documents show that Wise was on a robbery spree that night.

Surveillance video captured him getting out of a minivan near Patterson's car. The two fought before Wise shot Patterson in the chest. Wise then escaped.

Police later connected him to the crime through fingerprints found inside the minivan, cellphone data and text messages.

After the conviction, Patterson's loved ones are now trying to heal.

"I feel like for the first time, we're kind of coming back," Needleman said. "Always be a hole. Always be a hole."

Wise also pleaded guilty for trying to run from police when he was arrested.

He will have to serve three years probation after his release.