Paul Prosano, aka "Tony Pro," age 63, of Brooklyn, was sentenced to 30 years in prison followed by supervised release for the March 2020 murder of Mark Vuono, age 69, the owner of Marco Jewelers in Stamford, said Vanessa Roberts Avery, US Attorney for the District of Connecticut,
According to court documents, and statements made in court, on Saturday, March 28, 2020, around 2:50 p.m., Stamford Police officers responded to Marco Jewelers, located at 16 Sixth St., in Stamford.
When officers arrived, they found evidence of a robbery and found the storeowner, Vuono, lying on the ground in front of an open safe, dead.
Investigators collected surveillance video from the store and surrounding businesses. Videos revealed Prosano drove Robert Rallo and Thomas Liberatore in a black Jaguar to the store, court documents show.
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.
Court documents show that during the more than three-minute struggle, Rallo reached into the safe and pulled out a third firearm, a .357 Magnum revolver, and shot and killed Vuono.
Between $360,000 and $430,000 worth of jewelry was stolen during the robbery.
Following the robbery, police located the Jaguar on Staten Island, New York, and maintained surveillance of the vehicle. On Tuesday, March 31, 2020, 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 the Jaguar. The two vehicles then left the area and rapidly accelerated. The Jaguar crashed on Tompkins Street. Rallo attempted to flee 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, but was also caught and arrested, court documents said.
Prosano, who has been detained since his arrest, was found guilty in December 2022 by a jury of interference with commerce by robbery and interstate transportation of property.
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