Stamford, Connecticut – One of the three men charged in the murder of Marco Jewelers owner Mark Vuono has been sentenced.
Robert Rallo, 59, was sentenced to 40 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley, Vanessa Roberts Avery, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced Wednesday.
Rallo, the man who shot Vuono, had a 40-year criminal history with two prior murder convictions, according to prosecutors.
While the other two suspects in the case, 62-year-old Paul “Tony Pro” Prosano and Thomas Liberatore, 65, went to trial, Rallo pleaded guilty in April 2022 to interfering with commerce by robbery, also known as Hobbs Act robbery, interstate transportation of stolen property and using a firearm to cause death during a robbery.
“This sentence will protect society from a dangerous individual who brutally killed a much loved and respected man and small business owner,” said Avery.
“I thank the FBI and the Stamford, Greenwich, Yonkers, New York and New Rochelle police departments for thoroughly investigating this crime and helping to bring these defendants to justice.”
In December 2022, Prosano and Liberatore were found guilty of interfering with commerce by robbery and interstate transportation of stolen property.
Liberatore was also found guilty of aiding and abetting Rallo in a murder with a firearm.Sentencing dates for Prosano and Liberatore, who remain in custody, have not been announced.
“We are very pleased that these three career criminals have been held accountable for this senseless murder, and we want to commend the tireless and innovative police work that led to this outcome,” said Assistant Chief Richard Conklin of the Stamford Police Department.
“While nothing we do can replace what the Vuono family has lost, we hope that this conviction and sentence can provide some comfort.”
The deadly robbery took place on the afternoon of 28 March 2020. Stamford police officers responded to a call from a customer at Marco Jewelers in Stamford, Connecticut.
Police and medical personnel arrived to find Vuono shot and lying on the floor in front of an open safe. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.
After analysing surveillance video, investigators determined that Rallo and Liberatore were driven to Marco Jewelers in a black Jaguar and entered the store.
Rallo, armed with a handgun, got into a physical altercation with Vuono, who also had a firearm, while Liberatore stole items from the display cases.
Vuono and Rallo struggled in front of the open safe for about three minutes, investigators said.
Rallo reached into the safe and pulled out a third gun, a .357 Magnum revolver, and shot Vuono to death.
Law enforcement tracked the black Jaguar to Staten Island, New York, and kept the car under surveillance.
Two days after the robbery, on the night of 30 March, investigators said Prosano pulled up next to the Jaguar in a black BMW X3. Rallo got out of the BMW and got into the driver’s side of the black Jaguar.
Police followed as the two cars sped off, both later crashing and the two men attempting to flee on foot before being arrested.
Investigators found 63 rings, eight bracelets, two tiepins, an earring and a cufflink in the BMW, and 23 pairs of earrings and three rings at Prosano’s home, all stolen from Marco Jewelers.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, Stamford Police Department and Greenwich Police Department, with assistance from the New York Police Departments of Yonkers and New Rochelle.
In a Facebook post, Mark Vuono was remembered by loved ones as “a hardworking, gentle, kind and caring soul”.
