2 Men Found Guilty In Deadly 2020 Stamford Jewelry Store Robbery

STAMFORD, CT — Two men have been found guilty on federal charges in connection with the March 2020 robbery of a Stamford jewelry store which left the store owner dead, according to U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut Vanessa Roberts Avery.

Thomas Liberatore, 65, of White Plains, N.Y., and Paul "Tony Pro" Prosano, 62, of Brooklyn, N.Y., were each found guilty by a federal jury in Bridgeport Monday of interference with commerce by robbery, an offense that carries a maximum prison term of 20 years; and interstate transportation of stolen property, an offense that carries a maximum prison term of 10 years.

Liberatore was also found guilty of aiding and abetting the use of a firearm to cause a death during a robbery, a charge that carries a maximum term of life in prison.

Sentencing dates have not been scheduled yet.

Robert Rallo, 59, of New York, pleaded guilty in April to interference with commerce by robbery, interstate transportation of stolen property, and using a firearm to cause a death during a robbery. He awaits sentencing.

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, on the ground in front of an open safe. Vuono was pronounced dead, prosecutors said.

Investigators collected and analyzed surveillance video from the jewelry store and from surrounding businesses and city cameras. Prosecutors said video obtained from Marco Jewelers showed that on that date, Rallo and Liberatore were driven in a black Jaguar to Marco Jewelers by Prosano, and that Rallo and Liberatore entered the store.

Rallo, who was armed with a handgun, got into a physical altercation with Vuono, while Liberatore stole items from the display cases, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors noted that Vuono was also armed, and he struggled with Rallo next to a large open safe. During the struggle that lasted more than three minutes, Rallo reached into the safe and pulled out a .357 Magnum revolver and shot and killed Vuono, prosecutors said.

A short time after the robbery, law enforcement officials located the black Jaguar in Staten Island, N.Y., and kept surveillance on it. On March 30, 2020, at approximately 5:30 p.m., Rallo was seen exiting the backseat of a BMW X3 driven by Prosano and getting into the driver's seat of the Jaguar.

Officers followed and the two vehicles fled at a high rate of speed, crashing nearby, prosecutors said. Rallo and Prosano tried to flee on foot but were quickly apprehended by officers.

A search of the BMW found 63 rings, eight bracelets, two tie pins, an earring and a cufflink, prosecutors noted. A search of Prosano's home found 23 pairs of earrings and three rings — all items stolen from Marco Jewelers on March 28, prosecutors said.

All three men have been in custody since their arrests, prosecutors said.

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 Police Department and New Rochelle Police Department.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis and Rahul Kale.