Man Who Pleaded Guilty in Jeweler’s Murder Sentenced to 40 Years

Stamford, Conn.—One of the three men charged in connection with the murder of Marco Jewelers owner Mark Vuono has been sentenced.

Robert Rallo, 59, was sentenced to 40 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley, as per an announcement Wednesday by Vanessa Roberts Avery, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.

Rallo, the man who shot and killed Vuono, had a criminal history spanning 40 years, with two prior murder convictions, according to the attorney’s office.

While the other two suspects in the case, 62-year-old Paul “Tony Pro” Prosano and Thomas Liberatore, 65, went to trial, Rallo pleaded guilty in April 2022 to interference with commerce by robbery, also known as a Hobbs Act robbery, and to interstate transportation of stolen property and using a firearm to cause a death during a robbery.

“This sentence will protect society from a dangerous individual who brutally killed a much loved and respected man and small business owner,” said Avery. 

“I thank the FBI and the Stamford, Greenwich, Yonkers, New York and New Rochelle police departments for thoroughly investigating this crime and helping to bring these defendants to justice.”

In December 2022, Prosano and Liberatore were found guilty of interference with commerce by robbery and interstate transportation of stolen property.

Liberatore was also found guilty of aiding and abetting Rallo in a firearm-related murder.

Sentencing dates for Prosano and Liberatore, who remain in custody, have not been announced.

“We are very pleased to see these three career criminals held accountable for this senseless murder, and we want to commend the tireless, cutting-edge police work that led to this outcome,” said Assistant Chief Richard Conklin of the Stamford Police Department.

“While nothing we do can restore what the Vuono family has lost, we hope that this conviction and sentence can offer some solace.”

The fatal robbery took place on the afternoon of March 28, 2020. Stamford police officers responded to Marco Jewelers in Stamford, Connecticut, following a call from a customer.
 
Police and medical personnel arrived to find that Vuono had been shot and was lying on the ground in front of an open safe. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

After analyzing surveillance video, investigators determined Rallo and Liberatore were driven in a black Jaguar to Marco Jewelers and entered the store.
 
Rallo, armed with a handgun, got into a physical altercation with Vuono, who also had a firearm, while Liberatore stole items from the display cases.
 
Vuono and Rallo fought in front of the open safe for about three minutes, said investigators.
 
Rallo reached into the safe and retrieved a third gun, a .357 Magnum revolver, and shot and killed Vuono. 
 
Law enforcement traced the black Jaguar to Staten Island, New York, and kept tabs on the car.
 
Two days after the robbery, on the night of March 30, investigators said Prosano pulled up beside the Jaguar in a black BMW X3. Rallo exited the BMW and got into the driver’s side of the black Jaguar.
 
Police followed as the two cars sped off, both later crashing with the two men attempting to flee on foot before being apprehended.
 
Investigators found 63 rings, eight bracelets, two tie pins, an earring, and a cufflink inside the BMW as well as 23 pairs of earrings and three rings in Prosano’s home, all of which were stolen from Marco Jewelers.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI, Stamford Police Department, and Greenwich Police Department, with the assistance of the New York Police Department of Yonkers and New Rochelle. 

In a Facebook post, Mark Vuono was remembered by loved ones as, “a hard-working, gentle, kind, and caring soul.”