Thomas Liberatore was sentenced to 32 years in federal prison in connection with the March 2020 murder of Connecticut jeweler Mark Vuono, owner of Marco Jewelers.
Stamford, Conn.—The last of the three men convicted in connection with the 2020 murder of Marco Jewelers owner Mark Vuono has been sentenced.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley sentenced Thomas Liberatore, 66, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, to 32 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release.
His sentencing follows that of Paul “Tony Pro” Prosano, 63, who, in July, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Robert Rallo, 59, was sentenced to 40 years in prison by the same judge in March.
While Rallo pleaded guilty, the other two men went to trial.
In December 2022, a jury found Liberatore and Prosano guilty of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery) and interstate transportation of stolen property. Liberatore was also found guilty of aiding and abetting the use of a firearm to cause a death during a robbery.
The trial evidence established that Liberatore, who formerly resided in Stamford, orchestrated the robbery of Marco Jewelers.
Liberatore has a “lengthy” criminal history, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Connecticut, having served 30 years in prison prior to the robbery.
He met Rallo and Prosano while incarcerated within the New York State Department of Corrections.
“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 in a statement following Rallo’s sentencing in March.
“While nothing we do can restore what the Vuono family has lost, we hope that this conviction and sentence can offer some solace.”
Mark Vuono of Marco Jewelers was remembered by his family as a kind man with a caring soul. (Image courtesy of Marco Jewelers’ Facebook page)
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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 Prosano drove Rallo and Liberatore to Marco Jewelers in a black Jaguar.
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, kept tabs on the car, and eventually apprehended the men.
Investigators found 63 rings, eight bracelets, two tie pins, an earring, and a cufflink inside a vehicle, as well as 23 pairs of earrings and three rings in Prosano’s home, all of which were stolen from Marco Jewelers.
Authorities valued the stolen jewelry at between $360,000 and $430,000.
In a Facebook post, Mark Vuono was remembered by loved ones as, “a hard-working, gentle, kind, and caring soul.”
