Parole denied for Webster man who killed father, brothers in 2011 fire

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — A Webster man convicted of setting a house fire that killed his father and two brothers when he was a teenager has been denied parole. Michael Pilato, now 30, will remain in state prison following his first appearance before the parole board. New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision records list his next parole interview for August 2028. Pilato was 15 years old when authorities said he poured gasoline throughout his family's Cardile Drive home in Webster and set it on fire in December 2011. The fire killed his 71-year-old father, Carmen Pilato, and his brothers, 16-year-old Peter and 12-year-old Josh. Pilato's mother and 13-year-old sister escaped the home with injuries. Pilato was convicted in 2013 of multiple counts of second-degree murder and attempted murder, as well as second-degree arson. Court records show his convictions were later upheld on appeal. He was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison because he was a juvenile at the time of the killings. During the trial, his defense argued that Pilato was experiencing an 'extreme emotional disturbance' when he set the fire. Pilato's case returned to the spotlight in August as he approached his first opportunity for parole. His surviving sisters told local media before the hearing that they opposed his release. State records show Pilato remains incarcerated at Cayuga Correctional Facility. His sentence carries a maximum term of life in prison. His next parole board appearance is scheduled for August 2028.