Sebastian Russo

Sebastian Russo (15 November 1924 – 27 February 1981) was a primary care physician from Baltimore, Maryland. He was murdered in his office in February 1981, and his case remains unsolved. After his death, he was declared "the last of the $5 doctors" in Baltimore, referring to his tendency to charge patients $5 or less for his services.

Life and career Russo was born on 15 November 1924 in Riposto, Sicily, Italy. Russo and his wife, Mary, married in 1957. They had one daughter, Rosann.

Russo emigrated from Italy to the United States in July 1959. He soon settled in Baltimore and opened a medical practice on Harford Road in the city's Hamilton neighborhood. He was described as an old-fashioned family doctor who worked long hours, charged $5 or less for his services, and did not have a nurse or secretary. His keys were on the floor next to him, and the door to a drug cabinet had been left open. Detectives suspected at the time that Russo's murderer had been searching for drugs. One local detective called Russo's murder "the toughest case I've ever been on". The clock stands today at the southwest corner of Harford Road and Hamilton Avenue in the Hamilton Hills neighborhood, three blocks northeast of Russo's former office.

In 2007, the Baltimore City Health Department created the Dr. Sebastian Russo Award. The award recognized local health care providers who offered "dedicated and compassionate service to low-income individuals and families".