[1] He authored the book No Cause For Indictment: An Autopsy of Newark, which exposed the role of police in the violence that occurred during the riots, which left 26 people dead.

Porambo became passionate about revealing the depths of institutional racism and corruption of state and local governments of New Jersey.

[2][3] Porambo's parents encouraged him to join a youth-boxing program in nearby Newark, which was run by Jack Reno, a police officer and local sports legend.

[1] He moved away from boxing and joined the military, but that career was cut short when he strayed from his post at Fort Slocum, NY, for a midnight rendezvous with a woman he'd just met.

He was eager to cover topics other reporters avoided: Kingsport's black neighborhoods, drug abuse, and the city's homeless population.

[1] Porambo and Carol had two more children together, and they lived in a house in the Weequahic neighborhood of Newark, a middle-class, mostly black area.

[2] In later life, Porambo became bitter due to his disillusionment with journalism and the impact of his works, leading him to become physically and emotionally abusive.

When Porambo was arrested for a botched armed robbery in Toronto, his family moved back to Newark while he served his sentence.

Porambo strove to emulate New York City journalist Jimmy Breslin, for providing unflinching coverage of the lives of blue-collar workers, marginalized minorities, and crime lords.

[2] Over the next year and a half, Porambo joined and left several newspapers, including the Morning-Journal in Lorain, OH; the Suffolk Sun in Deer Park, NY; and the Toronto Telegram.

This sparked angry looting throughout the night, and police director Dominick Spina advised his officers to allow the events to unfold without interference.

When mayor Hugh Addonizio called in state troopers and the National Guard, he said in dismay to an arriving officer, “It’s all gone, the whole town is gone.”[2] After 5 days of riots, 13,319 rounds of ammunition were fired in what authorities described as a peacekeeping effort.

The authorities denied that the riots were caused by poverty, racism, and state-sanctioned violence, instead claiming the unrest was due to communist agitators, paid protestors, and criminal thugs.

Porambo covered a meeting of the Newark Human Rights Commission, a community group that advocated for police reform.

[2] The New York publishing house Holt, Rinehart, and Winston heard of Porambo's series on the riots and offered him a $7,500 advance to expand his investigation into a book.

Porambo told the stories of the 26 people killed, using first-hand accounts that often contradicted official news reports released by law enforcement or the local media.

"[1][2][3][4] The book drew anger from the police department and the Italian-American community of Newark's North Ward, and it revealed the deeply embedded racism and graft present in both.

Newark Police Captain Rocco Paradiso was quick to write off both incidents as a publicity stunt by Porambo's publisher.

"[2][5] Porambo was later quoted saying, “The book was written for the sole purpose of getting a job, not to make money,” in the February 4, 1972, issue of The New York Times.

[6] The book helped him land a job as correspondent for 51st State, a nightly public television program that aired in the New York City area.

[1][2] However, after a botched story in which a source was revealed to be forging documents, Porambo was fired for putting the program's reputation in jeopardy with the segments that had already aired.

Porambo's behavior became increasingly erratic, and he began taking small payoffs from freelance correspondents at the TV station in exchange for guarantees that their clips would be broadcast.

Davis died within the hour, and police found a black wig, a blue fireman's hat, and a silver .32-caliber revolver with two spent cartridges at the scene.

One month after the murder, Porambo robbed a major drug dealer named David Williams in a bold home invasion.

Porambo couldn't remember the man who shot him, but he remained in police custody while in the hospital as he had become the prime suspect in the Davis murder investigation.

His sister-in-law, Nancy Porambo, mailed him food and books, but he became enraged if she didn't select the correct brand or author.

[3] Porambo took a substantial blow when he found out that his daughter Rhonda slipped into a coma during routine surgery related to rheumatoid arthritis in 1989.

[2] Porambo had been estranged from his family for so long that officials at New Jersey State Prison looking to notify next of kin were unable to find them.