Long Beach Woman Sentenced For Killing Boyfriend Of 20 years

LONG BEACH, NY — A Long Beach woman was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison today for killing her boyfriend from Center Island in 2018.

Jennifer Gross, 55, pleaded guilty on March 12 to first-degree manslaughter. She was sentenced today to 22 years in prison and five years post-release supervision.

“This case represents the violent end of an off-and-on relationship that included police-involvement, money and arguments back and forth over the years,” said Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas. “It was revealed through the excellent investigative work of the Nassau County Police Department and my office that James Coppola was killed in a fit of rage when a demand for money was not met. That rage was followed by calculated efforts to cover up the killing and theft by fire. This sentence holds the defendant responsible for her actions and seeks to provide justice to the Coppola family.”

According to Singas, between 4:30 and 6 p.m. on Nov. 20, 2018, Gross went to the home of 75-year-old James Coppola in Centre Island to ask him for money. When Coppola refused, Gross attacked him and beat him to death. She then set the house on fire to try to cover up the murder.

Before setting the fire, Gross stole jewelry from the home. The two had been in a romantic relationship that lasted about 20 years.