A New York man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison in connection with the March 2020 robbery of Marco Jewelers in Stamford, CT. Mark Vuono, owner of the store, was shot and killed in the incident.
Robert Rallo, 59, pleaded guilty in April to one count of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery), one count of interstate transportation of stolen property and one count of using a firearm to cause a death during a robbery, according to a press release from Vanessa Roberts Avery, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
“This sentence will protect society from a dangerous individual who brutally killed a much loved and respected man and small business owner,” Avery said.
Following his imprisonment, Rallo is to serve five years of supervised release.
More from the release:
“The system of justice in which the FBI and all of our law enforcement partners work within everyday has just spoken,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Fuller. “The joint efforts of the investigators and prosecutors has been recognized and justice has been served.”
“We are very pleased to see these three career criminals held accountable for this senseless murder, and we want to commend the tireless, cutting edge police work that led to this outcome, said Assistant Chief Richard Conklin of the Stamford Police Department. “While nothing we do can restore what the Vuono family has lost, we hope that this conviction and sentence can offer some solace. We are grateful for the expertise of our officers, as well as the collaboration with the FBI and our other law enforcement partners, that contributed to bringing this painful case to a positive conclusion.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 28, 2020, at approximately 2:48 p.m., Stamford Police Officers responded to Marco Jewelers, located at 16 Sixth Street in Stamford. When officers arrived, they found evidence of a robbery and encountered the storeowner, Mark Vuono, lying on the ground in front of an open safe. Emergency medical personnel arrived and pronounced Vuono deceased.
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, Paul Prosano drove Robert Rallo and Thomas 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 more than three-minute 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.
Following the robbery, law enforcement located the black Jaguar in Staten Island and maintained surveillance on the vehicle. On March 31, 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. These items were stolen from Marco Jewelers on March 28.
Liberatore was arrested on April 1.
Rallo’s criminal history, which includes two prior murder convictions, spans approximately 40 years. He met Liberatore and Prosano while incarcerated within the New York State Department of Corrections, and had been released from prison in March 2019.
Rallo has been detained since his arrest. On April 5, 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery), one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, and one count of using a firearm to cause a death during a robbery.
On December 19, 2022, a jury found Liberatore and Prosano guilty of Hobbs Act robbery and interstate transportation of stolen property. Liberatore was also found guilty of aiding and abetting the use of a firearm to cause a death during a robbery. They are detained while awaiting sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Stamford Police Department and Greenwich Police Department, with the assistance of the New York Police Department, Yonkers (N.Y.) Police Department and New Rochelle (N.Y.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis, Rahul Kale and Margaret Donovan.
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