Gafforio was last seen at the Spa Lounge in the Port Richmond area of the New York City borough of Staten Island at 4:00 a.m. on June 9, 1984. He had gone out drinking and first went to Mugs Away, but was declined service. He then went to the Spa Lounge and stayed there until closing time. Gafforio has never been heard from again. He was reported missing at 7:00 p.m.

Andre Rand, a mentally incompetent convicted child sex offender from New York, is considered a possible suspect in Gafforio's disappearance, as well as the disappearances of Alice Pereia, Tiahease Jackson and Audrey Nerenberg. He was convicted in connection with the 1987 New York kidnapping of a twelve-year-old Downs Syndrome-afflicted girl named Jennifer Schweiger, who was murdered on the grounds of the Willowbrook state mental facility near his campsite. He was not convicted of her murder; the jury could not reach a verdict on that charge. Rand was also convicted of kidnapping Holly Hughes, who is still missing. With the exception of Nerenberg, all of Rand's suspected victims vanished from Staten Island. Gafforio lived with his parents and three brothers in the 90 block of Heberton Avenue, on the same block as Rand and just around the corner from Hughes's residence.

It has not been proven that Rand was involved in Gafforio's disappearance. His case remains unsolved and foul play is suspected.

Left: Rand, circa 1987;
Right: Rand in 2004