An associate of the Gambino crime family pleaded guilty Wednesday to arson after he and and two other mob associates set a man’s car on fire in Queens in 2015.
Peter Tuccio, who entered his guilty plea in Brooklyn federal court on Wednesday, Jan.13, faces a mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison for playing a part in committing arson against a man who owed money to the crime family, according to the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
The 27-year-old also faces a fine of up to $250,000.
On Dec. 3, 2015, Tuccio, Jonathan Gurino and Gino Gabrielli, all of whom were associates of the Gambino crime family, set out to collect money from a businessman who had cut off communication with a Gambino captain whom he owed money, according to the feds.
The trio spotted the businessman leaving a smoke shop in Howard Beach, driving away in a Mercedes Benz, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.
The three men hopped in a car and chased down the businessman, eventually catching up to him and confronting him outside a pizza shop in Queens, according to the feds.
During the confrontation, Tuccio allegedly mentioned the captain the man owed money to and also commented on the man’s car, according to the charges. Later that night, the man heard a loud noise outside and noticed that his car was on fire outside his home, the authorities said.
Security camera footage outside the home later showed Gabrielli pouring a substance onto the car before it bursts into flames. After the car caught fire, Gabrielli can be seen on camera running away with his pant leg on fire. Later that night, surveillance video shows Gabrielli and Tuccio entering Jamaica Hospital.
Following the arson, the man paid the mob boss over $5,000, according to the authorities.
Gabrielli pleaded guilty to the arson in August 2015 and in June 2020, Gurino pleaded guilty to extortion. All three men are awaiting sentencing.
