John and his younger sister Giannina were supposed to go on an outing on the day of their disappearances. They had planned to meet up with a friend of their family and go to the beach with him and his three children. Giannina and John apparently never arrived, however, and have never been heard from again. Authorities believe the two children were kidnapped for a $72,000 ransom. Eight months after their disappearances, a man named Thomas Rodriguez committed suicide in Florida and left a note explaining the plot and his role in it. No arrests were ever made in the case, however.

John and Giannina's father died in 1982. Their mother is still alive, but has cancer. She had them declared legally dead in 2012.