Cuff Vegas Man For 2002 H. Beach Homicide
Luck ran out for a reputed mobster that federal agents picked up in Las Vegas last Tuesday, Oct. 28, for allegedly whacking an associate in Howard Beach more than 12 years ago, it was announced.
Gennaro (a.k.a. Jerry) Bruno, 41, of Las Vegas was collared by the FBI and brought back to New York after being indicted on racketeering and related racketeering conspiracy charges, which included the January 2002 murder of Martin Bosshart.
Federal law enforcement sources said Bruno and another associate-Todd LaBarca- conspired to kill Bosshart, who allegedly crossed them by trying to block a fellow wiseguy out of a marijuana importing operation. LaBarca, who was picked up by federal agents in a January 2011 mafia sweep, was convicted in April 2012 for his role in the crime and other charges.
“As alleged, Gennaro Bruno started his criminal career at a young age as a member of a street gang where he earned his criminal credentials,” U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Loretta E. Lynch stated. “He then graduated to become an associate in the Gambino crime family, where he proved himself to be both an earner for the family and capable of murder. The arrests and charges announced today are a testament to the tireless pursuit of justice by law enforcement.”
“Bruno was as ruthless as he was calculating, and after a long run of evading justice, Bruno’s gig is up,” added FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge George Venizelos.
“I was at the crime scene that night and saw firsthand that this was a deliberate and calculated execution of the deceased individual,” added Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, who praised federal agents and prosecutors for their efforts. “While it has taken more than a dozen years to bring the alleged triggerman to justice, I congratulate our federal law enforcement colleagues for their perseverance, commitment and hard work in ensuring that justice delayed is not justice denied. I am also pleased that our office could be of assistance and support in this case and look forward to continuing to work closely with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners in the future.”
Federal agents said Bruno belonged to a faction known as the “Liberty Posse” or the “Young Guns,” a street gang based in Queens.
After a four-year prison stint, Bruno became an associate in the Gambino family, working under consigliere Joseph Corozzo.
Along with his alleged associates (including Bosshart), Bruno allegedly helped smuggle large quantities of high-quality marijuana from Canada.
Late in 2001, authorities noted, Bosshart allegedly began to make efforts to cut one of Bruno’s associates out of the operation. Upon learning of the plot, Bruno and LaBarca reportedly began plotting Bosshart’s demise.
On the night of Jan. 2, 2002, they reportedly lured Bosshart to a desolate location south of the Belt Parkway, off the intersection of 155th Avenue and Lahn Street. There, Bruno allegedly shot Bosshart in the head at point-blank range, law enforcement agents noted.
Police found Bosshart’s body at the scene the next day.
Federal agents also accused Bruno of obstructing a grand jury’s investigation into Bosshart’s murder. Additionally, he reportedly continued to conduct drug trafficking and extorted money from a Queensbased waste carting company.
Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Kristen Mace is prosecuting the case.
