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UNIVERSITY of Missouri freshman Daniel Santulli was left blind and paralyzed after a fraternity hazing ritual went wrong – and a frat member sent a disturbing text after the horrifying incident.
Danny, who was 18 at the time, was forced to drink an entire bottle of vodka at a pledge father reveal party at Mizzou in the fall of 2021.
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According to court documents, Ryan Delanty was responsible for Santulli that night as his pledge dad at the Phi Gamma Delta, or Fiji, frat house.
As part of a hazing ritual for new pledges hoping to join the popular club, Santulli was expected to drink the full bottle of vodka, which was taped to his hands, according to court documents.
The freshman collapsed after drinking vodka and some beer. He was put on a couch in the house, where he was left for over an hour.
Moments after Santulli collapsed, court documents obtained by the Columbia Tribune show that Delanty texted his friend, “My son is dead.”
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Members of the fraternity decided to take the teen to a nearby hospital, where he went into cardiac arrest. His blood alcohol content was reported to be .468 – nearly six times the state’s legal limit.
He was left with severe brain damage from alcohol poisoning that has left him unable to see, speak, or walk.
In May, Delanty pleaded guilty to reduced misdemeanor charges for hazing and supplying alcohol to a minor.
He agreed to spend six months in jail and an additional six months on house arrest.
“On the night of Oct. 19, 2021, no one had Danny’s back,” Danny’s brother, Nick Santulli, said in a victim impact statement in court.
“Because of peer pressure, he was left to die on that dreadful night.
“And they’ve shown no remorse, especially to our family,” he said.
Delanty’s attorney, Stephanie Fortus, said her client is remorseful.
“He knows how devastating this has been to Danny’s family,” Fortus said in court.
How to watch new A&E series
Houses of Horror: Secrets of College Greek Life will feature Danny Santulli’s story on the series premiere.
The show sets out to “expose the dark side of Greek Row and its impact on some of those involved,” A&E’s site says.
The premiere episode is called Bingeing to Belong.
“On October 19, 2021, Phi Gamma Delta pledge Danny Santulli was hazed into drinking excessive quantities of vodka and beer on what was supposed to be a celebratory evening in the fraternity,” according to A&E.
“Poisoned and neglected, Danny approached the precipice of death—and it was all caught on camera.”
The new series premieres Monday on A&E at 9 pm ET.
The episode will be available for streaming the next day.
“He knows the injuries that Danny has suffered. He understands the recklessness of handing him that bottle of vodka that night.
“There is not a minute that goes by that he doesn’t wish that could change. I hope by [Delanty] pleading guilty and accepting this punishment, that everybody can start to move forward.”
The Santulli family filed a civil lawsuit against the frat and 23 members but settled out of court for an unspecified amount.
Timeline of the pledge party
Footage from October 19, 2021, shows what University of Missouri freshman Danny Santulli experienced when he suffered alcohol poisoning due to a hazing ritual he went through as a pledge to the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, according to court documents.
10:55 pm – Santulli collapses to the floor after drinking vodka and beer
10:57 pm – Santulli’s pledge dad, Ryan Delanty, texts his friend, “My son is dead,” according to court documents
12:28 am – Santulli partially slides off the couch
12:42 am – A fraternity member enters the room and puts Santulli back onto the couch moments later. Shortly after that, multiple frat members pick Santulli up and carry him to the car to take him to the hospital
The tragic case is being highlighted in A&E’s new series, Houses of Horror: Secrets of College Greek Life.
The premiere episode will show the Santulli family uncovering the truth about what happened to Danny, who is now in a wheelchair and taken care of by his parents at their home in Minnesota, after security video from that night was revealed.
CHILLING FOOTAGE
The recovered footage shows the depths of the hazing as pledges were seen blindfolded and wearing only shirts as they walked around the Fiji house.
The video also shows Santulli drinking out of a beer funnel tube before collapsing.
In the footage, Santulli is placed on a couch in the house, where he partially slid off and laid on the floor before frat members picked him up and eventually brought him to the hospital.
Houses of Horror: Secrets of College Greek Life premieres on Monday at 9 pm ET on A&E.
