Three men have been charged with federal robbery offenses in connection with the March 28 robbery of Marco Jewelers in Stamford, CT. Mark Vuono, owner of the story, was shot and killed in the incident.
The suspects are Robert Rallo, 56, of Brooklyn, Thomas Liberatore, 62, of White Plains, and Paul “Tony Pro” Prosano, 59, of Brooklyn.
A customer entered the store at about 2:45 p.m. and “observed evidence of a crime,” Stamford police said in a Facebook post. Police and paramedics responded and found owner Mark Vuono with a gunshot wound.
Paramedics pronounced Vuono dead at the scene. He was 69.
Vuono way lying in front of a safe, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.
“These three defendants are alleged to have committed a brazen, violent robbery that left an innocent victim dead,” U.S. Attorney John H. Durham said in the release. “The FBI, Stamford Police, Greenwich Police and our other law enforcement partners have conducted an extraordinary investigation that resulted in the quick apprehension of these three men before they could wreak any additional havoc. I thank them for their efforts during what has been, due to this pandemic, an especially challenging time for law enforcement. This investigation is ongoing and, in coordination with our state counterparts, additional charges are expected.”
According to the release:
It is further alleged that investigators collected and analyzed surveillance video from Marco Jewelers, surrounding businesses and Stamford city cameras. Video obtained from Marco Jewelers revealed that, on March 28, Prosano drove Rallo and Liberatore in a black Jaguar to Marco Jewelers. Rallo and Liberatore then entered the store. Rallo, armed with a handgun, engaged in a physical altercation with Vuono, while Liberatore stole items from the display cases. Vuono, who also possessed a firearm, and Rallo struggled next to a large open safe. During the struggle, Rallo reached into the safe and pulled out a third firearm, a .357 Magnum revolver. Rallo subsequently shot and killed Vuono with the .357 revolver.
It is further alleged that, following the robbery, law enforcement located the black Jaguar in Staten Island and maintained surveillance on the vehicle. On March 30, at approximately 5:30 p.m., a black BMW X3, driven by Prosano, pulled up beside the black Jaguar. Rallo exited the rear door of the BMW and entered the driver’s door of a black Jaguar. The two vehicles then left the area and rapidly accelerated. The Jaguar crashed on Tompkins Street. Rallo attempted to flee on foot, but was quickly apprehended. The BMW crashed into a tree and parked car at the intersection of Daniel Low Terrace and Corson Avenue. Prosano also attempted to flee and was apprehended.
A search of the BMW revealed 63 rings, eight bracelets, two tie pins, an earring and a cufflink, and a search of Prosano’s residence revealed 23 pairs of earrings and three rings. It is alleged that these items were stolen from Marco Jewelers on March 28.
Liberatore also was arrested on March 30. It is alleged that prior to the Marco Jewelers robbery, on March 18, 2020, Liberatore drove a Honda Civic he had stolen from a car dealer in Yonkers, New York, to Byram Jewelers in Greenwich, Connecticut. He entered the store at approximately 4:45 p.m. and asked a store employee to show him engagement rings. He then pointed a pistol at the employee, stole several rings, smashed a display case with his pistol and stole other items before exiting the store.