Carroll Gardens Story

It’s 1998 in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, where the close-knit Italian-American community clings to its traditions. In the week leading up to Halloween, a shocking discovery shatters the holiday mood: a prickly and unpopular neighbor is found dead on her balcony, meticulously costumed and posed as a witch.

Some fingers point to Helper, a beloved local handyman known for his gentle nature and neurodivergent quirks. When the case is assigned to a rookie detective—who also happens to be Helper’s nephew—long-held family secrets and buried traumas begin to surface.

What are the psychological stakes when family and murder mix? Told from three perspectives, Carroll Gardens Story explores the tension between loyalty and the wounds of childhood. Like a character itself, the neighborhood is portrayed with affection and wit as we follow the mystery toward its unconventional resolution—and, quite possibly, to healing.