SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Family and friends of a beloved Sacramento DJ - slain in an attempted robbery turned double homicide - took action to keep his memory alive.
Giovanni Pizano, who went by the name DJ Gio, was killed April 10. His loved ones created a billboard hoping it could keep him in people's thoughts.
"The purpose of it is to keep my son's memory alive," said Anita Razo, DJ Gio's mother. "I don't want him to be forgotten. He's a Sacramento DJ, and we wanted to keep his memory alive here in Sacramento and in the Bay Area because he meant a lot to a lot of people."
The billboard shows DJ Gio smiling and performing in front of a large crowd with the words "Long Live DJ Gio" and "Forever in our hearts".
DJ Gio started deejaying at 11 years old after walking down K Street in Downtown Sacramento and discovering DJ lessons at a record shop called Marsupial Records.
"His teacher shared with me that Gio was his very first student, and that it was unusual for the student to surpass the instructor but Giovanni did," Razo said. "It was his passion; this is what he wanted to do. He pursued it, and he was good."
From there, he deejayed for crowds of more than 120,000 people, opened for and toured with various artists and musicians and traveled around the United States performing in different states and cities.
After this tragedy involving her own son, Razo said her heart goes out to people that have lost loved ones because it is the worst feeling in the world. She also believes her son didn't realize how much he was loved.
As for the case, the Sacramento Police Department told ABC10 that the homicide investigation remains active and detectives are following up on the circumstances of what occurred.
The shooting also took the life of a man named Vernon Mulder, who was allegedly with the shooting suspect at the time.
"In his short life, he lived a good life," Razo said. "Gio has this Instagram post that says, 'When I die, look through my camera roll. I had a great life.' He wrote that last year, and he really did."
The billboard comes shortly after a mural was painted by friends and family members on the walls of Jazz Alley in Sacramento. It shows DJ Gio sitting down and holding his phone with the words "Long Live DJ Gio" at the bottom.
There is also a website at the bottom of the billboard, www.DJGioOfficial.com, where you can click on the different tabs to read about his life story, memories shared and posted by friends and family members. You can also order merchandise that will go to the DJ Gio Foundation, which helps fund young and upcoming artists as well as raises awareness to end gun violence.
WATCH MORE ON ABC10: Community mourns the loss of popular Sacramento entertainer 'Dj Gio'