STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The grisly murder of Anthony Casalaspro inside his West Brighton home marks the final chapter for a man remembered fondly by many who say they are “heartbroken” over his death, but whose life was marked by complex challenges that included family loss, legal run-ins and, according to sources, a fraught domestic environment strained by the mental illness of the young man now accused of killing him.

Authorities confirmed Casalaspro, 45, an auto mechanic who was retired on disability from the city Sanitation Department, was found murdered and mutilated inside a bathtub in his home on Cary Avenue on Monday.

Damien Hurstel, the 19-year-old son of Casalaspro’s longtime girlfriend, was arrested a day later and arraigned on Wednesday on charges that include second-degree mu

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