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Mobster Anthony Romanello has been discovered responsible of punching a restaurateur after trying to gather an $86,000 playing debt. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
As much as 40 years
Genovese mobster Anthony Romanello has been discovered responsible of punching a restaurateur whereas trying to gather an $86,000 playing debt. The 86-year-old was convicted of extortion expenses by a Brooklyn federal jury on Monday following hours of testimony.
Romanello, also referred to as “Rom,” was charged after video footage captured him punching restaurateur Shuqeri “Bruno” Selimaj on the jaw with a right-handed jab at Selimaj’s Lincoln Sq. Steak eatery in Manhatten on Might 11, 2017.
What am I gonna say? Nothing — I actually did nothing.”
The punch supposedly stemmed from $86,000 in playing money owed accrued by Selimaj’s nephew, Tony, and one other relative. Exterior the courtroom on Monday, Romanello stated: “What am I gonna say? Nothing — I actually did nothing.”
The mobster now faces as much as 40 years in jail on extortion expenses and will likely be sentenced at a later date.
Defending his honor
Co-defendant crime soldier Joseph Celso was additionally concerned within the assault and is on trial for extortion expenses. In the course of the week-long trial, jurors have been proven a 55-second video that captured the 2 males discussing with Selimaj earlier than Romanello punched him within the jaw.
Following the assault, Selimaj stated: “Rom stored saying, “I’d wish to punch you” … I stated, “You don’t have any guts to punch me. Just a few seconds later, he punched me.”
Nevertheless, in response to Romanello’s lawyer Jerry McMahon, Romanello solely punched Selimaj as a result of he’d offended the crime mobster. McMahon claims that Romanello didn’t punch him due to a playing debt, however as a result of Selimaj known as him “a washed-up Italian, that he had no balls, that he was nothing.”
as a result of an Italian steps in, it’s Mafia”
McMahon downplayed Romanello’s punch in the course of the trial, arguing that he “punches like a lady” and the influence was overstated.” In keeping with Romanello’s lawyer, if his consumer wasn’t Italian, there wouldn’t be an issue “however as a result of an Italian steps in, it’s Mafia,” he stated.
Threatening method
In the course of the trial, Romanello and Celso are alleged to have visited Selimaj 3 times. It’s claimed that they threatened him to get him to repay his relations’ money owed.
In keeping with Selimaj, he stated he’d repay his nephew’s $6,000 debt, however not his nephew’s brother-in-law’s $80,000 debt. When Romanello wasn’t pleased with this final result, he then turned up on the restaurant. Selimaj filed a report with police the subsequent day however later recanted this after his brother relayed an allegedly veiled threatening message from Celso that stated it could be a nasty thought to undergo with the grievance.
Celso’s lawyer Gerrard Marone advised the courtroom that his consumer had nothing to do with the case. Marone stated: “He didn’t menace anybody, definitely didn’t punch anybody. My consumer isn’t concerned within the drama.”
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