A reputed gangster who beat up a New York City restaurant owner has “no remorse” for robbing him, his lawyer said Monday. This older, burly man has been sentenced to two years in prison for an extortion scheme.
Jerry McMahon, the attorney for Genovese crime family suspect Anthony “Rom” Romanello, said in Brooklyn federal court that he punched steakhouse owner Shukeri “Bruno” Selimagi during a 2017 confrontation. he argued in federal court in Brooklyn.
“His lawyers think there is no question that Rom is not remorseful. And why should he be?” McMahon said.
“What would Jerry McMahon do? Knock him hard.”
Prosecutors said the 86-year-old Romanello was found guilty by a jury in December of two counts of extortion for punching Serimaj in the jaw while trying to collect $86,000 in gambling debts.
McMahon claimed during the week-long trial that Romanello punched Serimagi in the jaw not as part of a shakedown, but because the restaurateur had called him a “depressed Italian with no balls.”
The lawyer said Monday he was angered by prosecutors’ request for Romanello to be locked up for about six years, far exceeding the recommended federal sentencing guidelines of about four years.
“Will Jack Dennehy ask for 71 months for Romero? No,” McMahon argued, referring to the veteran assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of New York who has spent decades prosecuting gangsters.
“It’s unreasonable to ask for a guideline sentence of 71 months.”
But Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana Rehnquist said Romanello deserved a longer sentence because he hadn’t changed his ways even after being convicted of conspiracy to obstruct justice in 2007 and racketeering conspiracy in 2012. insisted.
Rehnquist told Judge Eric Comity that Goodfellas had served only 36 months and five days in prison for previous convictions and argued that despite his advanced age, Goodfellas would continue to participate in organized crime. did. the crime he committed.
“You can’t use your age as a shield for impunity,” Rehnquist said, asking the judge to send a message to the other allegedly “elderly” captains of the La Cosa Nostra. slapped with harsher punishment.
“The defendant has been told many times that he needs to change his life. He won’t,” she added.
The alleged Mafia man, who was taken to jail after his conviction, appeared at the hearing with the aid of a walker, wearing a short-sleeved tan prison jumpsuit that revealed a dull tattoo on his forearm.
Romanello’s lawyer asked the judge to “show mercy to this old man” and sought to place Romanello under house arrest, despite prosecutors’ attempts to paint the suspected gangster as “the devil incarnate.” did.
McMahon also hinted that Lonello was no longer part of the mob after indicting Genovese’s Christmas party last year, and prosecutors said Lonello was trying to get his client because Lonello was a member of the reputed consiglieri “Tough Tony.” ” He claimed it was because he was Anthony’s right-hand man. Federici passed away in 2022.
“I don’t try to sell anything that doesn’t sell,” McMahon said. “I didn’t come here saying my client was a monsignor. He is who he is.”
Prosecutors had alleged that Romanello visited Serimaji three times, including on the day of the attack, and threatened the restaurant owner to repay a relative’s debt.
A 55-second recording from the Lincoln Square Steak Restaurant, which Mr. Serimaj had closed, was shown at trial when the defendant mobster landed a right hook on Mr. Serimage’s jaw.
Serimagi testified at trial that Romanello punched him because he said he could only pay a portion ($6,000) of an $80,000 debt owed by his nephew and brother-in-law, which enraged Romanello.
The judge gave Romanello a lenient sentence but ordered him to forfeit $28,666.
After hearing the verdict, Romanello’s daughter signed a cross and the alleged mobster thanked his family for coming to the packed courtroom.
Family members booed the prosecutor as he left the courtroom.
The sentencing of co-defendant Joseph Celso, who was convicted of one of the two extortion charges, has been postponed to next month.
