Overview

• Full name: Vincent Edward Sclafani Jr.
• Nickname: Vinnie
• Age at disappearance: 19
• Date of birth: February 15, 1959
• Date last seen: December 6, 1978
• Last known location: Off the coast of Long Beach; a secondary missing-person listing specifies the USS David R. Ray in Long Beach Harbor
• City: Long Beach
• County: Los Angeles County
• State: California
• Case classification: Missing person
• Current case status: Unresolved in publicly available records
• Reporting agency: Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS)
• Agency case reference: 07APR15002300477HNA

Main circumstances: Vincent disappeared in the Long Beach coastal area on December 6, 1978. The publicly available information does not establish how he disappeared, whether he entered the water, or whether foul play occurred.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Vincent Edward Sclafani Jr.: The Unsolved 1978 Disappearance of a 19-Year-Old Near Long Beach, California

On December 6, 1978, 19-year-old Vincent Edward Sclafani Jr., also known as “Vinnie,” disappeared in the vicinity of Long Beach, California. More than four decades later, his whereabouts remain unknown, and the circumstances surrounding his disappearance have not been publicly resolved.

California’s official missing-person records identify the Naval Criminal Investigative Service as the reporting agency. A historical missing-person listing reproduced on Websleuths provides an additional detail: Vincent was reportedly last seen aboard the USS David R. Ray in Long Beach Harbor.

Although his disappearance has prompted questions about what happened that day, publicly available official records do not establish that Vincent was murdered, abducted, or involved in an accident. His case remains a missing-person investigation.

Case Summary

• Full name: Vincent Edward Sclafani Jr.
• Nickname: Vinnie
• Age at disappearance: 19
• Date of birth: February 15, 1959
• Date last seen: December 6, 1978
• Last known location: Off the coast of Long Beach; a secondary missing-person listing specifies the USS David R. Ray in Long Beach Harbor
• City: Long Beach
• County: Los Angeles County
• State: California
• Case classification: Missing person
• Current case status: Unresolved in publicly available records
• Reporting agency: Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS)
• Agency case reference: 07APR15002300477HNA

Main circumstances: Vincent disappeared in the Long Beach coastal area on December 6, 1978. The publicly available information does not establish how he disappeared, whether he entered the water, or whether foul play occurred.

Sources: California Department of Justice and Websleuths case discussion.

Background: Who Was Vincent Edward Sclafani Jr.?

Vincent Edward Sclafani Jr. was born on February 15, 1959. He was only 19 years old when he disappeared in December 1978.

His nickname, Vinnie, appears in the California Department of Justice’s official missing-person database. The same record provides identifying physical characteristics that could be important if investigators receive information about unidentified remains or historical sightings.

According to the California missing-person profile, Vincent was described as a white male with brown hair and blue eyes. He stood approximately 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighed about 185 pounds.

The official record identifies several distinguishing characteristics:

• A scar on his abdomen.
• Previous fractures of the third and fourth fingers of his right hand.
• A missing fingertip, although the specific hand is not identified.
• A tattoo of unspecified design extending from his right wrist toward his elbow.
• A black-band Seiko watch listed among his personal belongings.

Dental X-rays are also recorded as available, potentially providing an important means of identification.

A Websleuths discussion includes claims drawn from genealogical and marriage records suggesting that Vincent was married shortly before his disappearance and had connections to Miami, Florida. These details have not been independently established through the official case record reviewed here and should not be treated as confirmed biographical facts.

Publicly accessible verified information about Vincent’s childhood, family relationships, education, and personal aspirations is limited.

The Disappearance on December 6, 1978

The central confirmed fact in Vincent’s disappearance is the date and general location.

The California Department of Justice states that Vincent was last seen on December 6, 1978, off the coast of Long Beach.

A historical NamUs description reproduced in a Websleuths discussion is more specific, reporting that Vincent was last seen on the USS David R. Ray in Long Beach Harbor. That account suggests a naval setting, although the reviewed official California record does not independently identify the vessel or explain Vincent’s duties aboard it.

The available records leave several important details unanswered. They do not establish the exact time Vincent was last seen, the identity of the last person to speak with him, his intended destination, or whether anyone witnessed the circumstances of his disappearance.

It is also unclear from the reviewed official materials whether Vincent was aboard the vessel when he disappeared or whether he had left it before anyone realized he was missing.

The distinction matters. A disappearance associated with a harbor or naval vessel does not, by itself, prove that someone fell overboard or that an accident occurred.

No verified public account reviewed for this article establishes that Vincent entered the water.

Investigation History and Available Evidence

Naval investigative involvement

The California Department of Justice identifies the Naval Criminal Investigative Service as the reporting agency for Vincent’s disappearance.

NCIS involvement is consistent with the reported naval setting, but the agency’s listing alone does not establish the circumstances or cause of the disappearance.

The public case profile does not provide a detailed account of the original investigation. In particular, it does not describe any interviews, searches aboard the vessel, searches of harbor waters, or investigative conclusions.

There is also no verified public information in the reviewed sources establishing whether a formal accident investigation was conducted.

Physical identification and forensic information

One of the most significant aspects of Vincent’s official missing-person profile is the availability of dental X-rays.

Dental records can help forensic specialists compare missing individuals with unidentified human remains. His documented injuries, scar, tattoo, and missing fingertip may also assist with identification.

However, the availability of dental records should not be confused with evidence that a forensic comparison has actually taken place.

No publicly confirmed DNA match, forensic identification, or genetic-genealogy breakthrough involving Vincent was located in the reviewed materials.

Missing-person database records

Vincent appears in California’s official missing-person system, which provides his date of disappearance, physical description, and agency contact information.

A historical NamUs entry reproduced in a Websleuths discussion lists June 23, 2014, as the date his NamUs case was created. This is a secondary-source record of a database milestone, not evidence that investigators discovered new information in 2014.

The original NamUs case identifier and the current status of that particular entry could not be independently verified from an accessible official NamUs profile.

Witnesses, suspects, and investigative findings

No publicly verified witness statement explaining Vincent’s disappearance was located.

Similarly, the reviewed official information does not identify a suspect, person of interest, arrest, criminal charge, or court proceeding associated with his disappearance.

These limitations do not establish that investigators never pursued leads. They mean that the details of any such investigative work could not be substantiated from the publicly available records reviewed for this article.

Theories and Unresolved Questions

Because the circumstances of Vincent’s disappearance remain unclear, several possibilities warrant careful distinction from established facts.

Could Vincent have entered the water?

Vincent’s last known location near the Long Beach coastline raises the possibility of an accidental fall into the water.

However, no verified witness account, recovered personal item, official accident finding, or physical evidence reviewed here establishes that such an event occurred.

An accidental drowning therefore remains a possibility rather than a confirmed explanation.

Could foul play have been involved?

Some online discussions have speculated about a possible connection between Vincent’s disappearance and serial killer Randy Kraft, whose crimes occurred in Southern California during the same general period.

A Websleuths discussion specifically raises the possibility of a connection to a reference described as “LB MARINA.”

This is unverified community speculation, not an established investigative connection.

No official source reviewed for this article identifies Vincent as a confirmed victim of Kraft or establishes that Kraft was involved in his disappearance. There is no verified evidence in the reviewed records supporting an accusation against any specific individual.

Questions that remain unanswered

Several fundamental questions continue to define the case:

• Where exactly was Vincent last seen, and who last had confirmed contact with him?
• What were the circumstances of his reported presence aboard the USS David R. Ray?
• Were searches conducted aboard the vessel, in the harbor, or in surrounding waters?
• Were any personal belongings recovered or documented?
• Were contemporaneous naval investigative reports preserved?
• Have his dental records or other identifying information been compared with unidentified remains?

These are unresolved questions, not indications that specific evidence exists or that investigators overlooked particular leads.

Latest Publicly Available Investigative Updates

As of October 18, 2026, the California Department of Justice continues to maintain a publicly accessible missing-person listing for Vincent Edward Sclafani Jr.

The listing provides his identifying characteristics, disappearance date, reporting agency, and contact number. The searchable California database also displays agency reference number 07APR15002300477HNA.

No publicly confirmed recent investigative developments were located in the sources reviewed for this article.

Specifically, no verified recent announcement was located concerning newly recovered remains, DNA identification, genetic genealogy, arrests, charges, or a formal resolution.

The existence or continued availability of an online missing-person record should not be interpreted as a new investigative breakthrough.

Likewise, historical discussion posts and database creation dates are not evidence of renewed investigative activity.

The reviewed sources do not establish whether NCIS has conducted a recent cold-case review or whether additional evidence remains in investigative custody.

Conclusion: Remembering Vincent Sclafani and Seeking Answers

Vincent Edward Sclafani Jr. was 19 years old when he vanished near Long Beach, California, on December 6, 1978.

What should have been an ordinary day in the life of a young man instead became the beginning of an enduring mystery.

The official record establishes his disappearance and preserves identifying information, but it does not explain what happened to him. Decades later, the publicly available evidence still does not support a definitive conclusion of accident, voluntary disappearance, or homicide.

Anyone with credible information about Vincent’s movements on December 6, 1978, his reported presence aboard the USS David R. Ray, or the circumstances of his disappearance is encouraged to contact the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

Even historical information that once seemed insignificant may help investigators reconstruct events or identify records that could clarify the case.

Vincent deserves to be remembered as a person whose life mattered, not merely as a decades-old missing-person file. Until his fate is established, the central question remains unanswered: What happened to Vincent Edward Sclafani Jr?