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Robert Rallo, age 59, of New York City, was sentenced on Wednesday, March 1, to 40 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release, for the March 2020 murder and robbery of Mark Vuono, of Marco Jewelers in Stamford, said US Attorney for the District of Connecticut Vanessa Roberts Avery.
“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.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on Saturday, March 28, 2020, around 2:50 p.m. Stamford 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, court documents show.
Investigators collected and analyzed surveillance video from Marco Jewelers, surrounding businesses, and Stamford city cameras. Video obtained from Marco Jewelers revealed that Paul Prosano drove 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, court documents said.
During the more than three-minute struggle, Rallo reached into the safe and pulled out a third firearm, a .357 Magnum revolver. Rallo shot and killed Vuono, officials said.
Following the robbery, law enforcement located the black Jaguar in Staten Island and maintained surveillance on the vehicle.
Rallo and Prosano were captured in a BMW on Tuesday, March 31, when they pulled up to the Jaguar on Staten Island. Both men fled but were captured.
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, officials said.
His two accomplices were found guilty during a jury trial and are awaiting sentencing.
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