ELDERLY GENOVESE CAPO, 86, GETS TWO YEARS FOR PUNCHING NYC STEAKHOUSE OWNER IN EXTORTION CASE.

An elderly Mafia capo got two years in prison for socking a Manhattan steakhouse owner to collect a gambling debt, and his lawyer said he had no regrets about the fateful punch.
Federal prosecutors were asking Anthony “Rom” Romanello get a much more serious sentence, nearly six years, to account for the 86-year-old Genovese member’s long, mostly unpunished life of crime.
But Romanello’s lawyer, Gerald McMahon, called the charges a “meatball case” that prosecutors sat on for years in the hopes Romanello would do something more serious so they could try to flip him against now-deceased Genovese big Anthony “Tough Tony” Federici.
“When the government asks for 71 months, and the judge gave 24, thank God justice was done in Brooklyn,” an ebullient McMahon said after the sentencing in Brooklyn Federal Court Monday. “His lawyer thinks, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that Rom has no regrets.”
Romanello was convicted in December of extortion-related charges after he punched steakhouse owner Shuqeri “Bruno” Selimaj on May 11, 2017, to collect an $86,000 gambling debt owed by the restaurateur’s kin. The punch, inside Selimaj’s now-closed swanky Lincoln Square Steak, was caught on video
McMahon argued that his elderly client punched Selimaj because the restaurateur called him a “washed-up Italian.”
“What would Gerry McMahon do? I would have knocked him flat out,” the defense lawyer told reporters Monday.
The confrontation happened after Selimaj’s nephew, Toni, and the nephew’s brother-in-law, Eddie, lost big gambling with a Queens ring run by bookie Michael Regan, according to prosecutors.
Romanello, a regular at Selimaj’s restaurants, knew all the parties involved, and was brought in to resolve the debt — which he did in three menacing visits over two months, prosecutors allege.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana Rehnquist characterized Romanello as a lifelong career criminal who hasn’t held legitimate work since the 1960s. In a letter to Judge Eric Komitee, she argued that Romanello was convicted of 23 crimes over his life, but only sentenced to 36 months.
He got no jail time for bribing cops in the 1970s, three years for a $900,000 armed robbery in the 1980s, and probation in 2007 and 2012 for obstruction of justice and racketeering conspiracy.
In a one-sentence response letter, McMahon referred to Rehnquist’s arguments as “unhinged screeching” — a description Rehnquist took issue with Monday.
“This is about a defendant who lived his whole life as someone who commits crimes,” Rehnquist told the judge on Monday. “What this defendant did was illegal … and the defendant has never understood that, because he’s never been held accountable for his crimes.”
She also suggested that a longer sentence would put other aging La Cosa Nostra members on notice. “He can’t use old age as a shield to not be punished,” she said.

Two members of Romanello’s family booed the prosecutors as they left the courtroom after the sentencing.
McMahon also blasted the victim’s family as degenerate gamblers who collected $300,000 from Regan when their bets paid off, but refused to pay $86,000 when they lost.
“On the street, street justice would say that those guys deserve a far bigger beating than what was administered to Bruno,” he said. “They know it’s a meatball case. It’s a nothing case.”
He said prosecutors waited on the charges for more than four years, but Romanello never committed any new crimes. Romanello even skipped last year’s big Genovese crime family Christmas party while he was out on bail, McMahon said.
“He’s pretty much been out of the life. He certainly intends to stay out of the life,” McMahon said.
Romanello’s been in jail since December, which means he’ll likely be released in 15 months with good time.
Komitee said he hoped Romanello manages to uphold the law for the rest of his golden years. “We all know people are living well into their 90s these days, sometimes their hundreds,” he said. “I have every confidence as I sit here today that the meaning of this sentence, as reduced as it is, has come through clearly.”
Romanello’s co-defendant, Joseph Celso, had his sentencing adjourned until next month.

https://www.nydailynews.com/2024/04...ars-after-punching-nyc-steakhouse-owner/

Reputed Genovese mobster Anthony ‘Rom’ Romanello has ‘no regrets’ about viral punch of NYC restauranteur: lawyer
Kyle Schnitzer

A reputed mobster caught-on-camera slugging a New York City restauranteur has “no regrets” about landing the blow, his lawyer said Monday — as the elderly tough guy was sentenced to two years in prison for the extortion plot.
Jerry McMahon, the attorney for alleged Genovese crime family capo Anthony “Rom” Romanello, argued in Brooklyn federal court that even he would have punched steakhouse owner Shuqeri “Bruno” Selimaj during the 2017 encounter.
“His lawyer thinks that beyond any shadow of a doubt that Rom has no regrets. And why should he?” McMahon said.

“What would Jerry McMahon do? Knock him flat out.”

Romanello, 86, was convicted by a jury in December of two counts of extortion for slugging Selimaj in the jaw while trying to collect on an $86,000 gambling debt, according to prosecutors.
McMahon claimed during the weeklong trial that Romanello had punched Selimaj in the jaw, not as part of a shakedown attempt, but because the restauranteur called him a “washed up Italian with no balls.”
The attorney said Monday he was offended by prosecutors’ request that Romanello get locked up for nearly six years — well above the recommended federal sentencing guidelines of around four years.
“Would Jack Dennehy ask or 71 months for Romanello? No,” McMahon argued, referring to the veteran assistant US attorney for the Eastern District of New York who has prosecuted mobsters for decades.
“Ask for the guideline sentence, but to ask for 71 months is absurd.”

But Assistant US Attorney Dana Rehnquist charged that Romanello deserved the longer sentence because he hadn’t changed his ways following his 2007 conviction for conspiracy to obstruct justice and for racketeering conspiracy in 2012.
Rehnquist noted to Judge Eric Komitee that the accused goodfella had only served 36 months and five days behind bars total for his past convictions — and argued that despite his advanced age, he’ll keep partaking in organized crime because he “does not understand” the offenses he’s committed.
“He can’t use his old age as a shield for no punishment,” Rehnquist said, while asking the judge to send a message to other “aging” alleged captains in La Cosa Nostra by slapping with Romanello with a stiffer sentence.
“The defendant has been told time and again that he needs to change his life. He doesn’t,” she added.
The alleged Mafioso — who was hauled off to a lockup after his conviction — appeared for the hearing with the aid of a walker, wearing a short-sleeved tan prison jumpsuit that left his stark forearm tattoos visible.
Romanello’s attorney tried getting him sprung on house arrest, asking the judge to show “mercy for this old guy” despite prosecutors trying to paint the alleged gangster as “Satan incarnate.”

McMahon also insinuated that Romanello wasn’t part of the mob anymore after bailing on the Genovese Christmas party last year — and claimed prosecutors were out to get his client because he’d served as right-hand man to reputed consiglieri Anthony “Tough Tony” Federici, who died in 2022.
“I don’t try to sell what I can’t sell,” McMahon said. “I don’t come in here saying my client is Monsignor — he is what he is.”
Prosecutors had argued that Romanello paid Selimaj three visits, including the day of the attack, threatening the restauranteur so he would pay off his relatives’ debt.
A 55-second recording from Selimaj’s since-shuttered Lincoln Square Steak restaurant was shown at trial when the accused mobster landed a right hook to Selimaj’s jaw.
Selimaj testified at trial that Romanello punched him after he said he would only be able to pay a portion — a $6,000 tab — off his nephew’s brother-in-law’s $80,000 debt, which enraged Romanello.
The judge ordered Romanello to forfeit $28,666 while handing down the lenient sentence.
Upon hearing the sentence, Romanello’s daughter signed herself with the cross — and the alleged mobster thanked a packed courtroom of family members for coming.
Family members booed prosecutors as they left the courtroom.
Co-defendant Joseph Celso, who was convicted of one of the two extortion counts, had his sentencing adjourned to next month.

NYPost
https://nypost.com/2024/04/29/us-ne...-about-viral-punch-of-nyc-restauranteur/

Although he's an old man, considering how the feds were pushing for a much longer jail term, Romanello got lucky with the 2 years.

Any bio on Romanello? Where he grew up? how did he start out and with who?

I don’t know much about Romanello but I will add I saw a document from the 80s with a Michael romanello listed as a Genovese member and living in queens, born somewhere around 1915 I think it was. I have no evidence but I made the connection that he was possibly Romanellos father or related in some way so potentially there is mob heritage.

The two men share the same surname, but that's it. There is no familiar or blood connection between them.

Early Origins of the Romanello family
The surname Romanello was first found in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies where Alatrino Romano became Baron of the city of Naples in 1286. An admiral bearing the name of Romano lived around the year 1316. He was promoted to this rank by King Roberto D'Angi.

Early History of the Romanello family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Romanello research. The years 1484, 1492, 1610, 1645, 1662 and 1682 are included under the topic Early Romanello History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Romanello Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Romano, Romani, Romàn, Romanèlli, Romanelli, Romanello, Romanèllo, Romaniéllo, Romanéti, Romanetti, Romanini, Romanino, Romanin, Romanucci, Romanazzi, Romanatti, Romanuto and many more.

Early Notables of the Romanello family
Prominent among bearers of this surname in early times was Girolamo Romano, born in Brescia in 1484 whose paintings are on display today all over Europe and the United States; Gian Cristofero Romano, a sculptor, architect and medal engraver who worked for Isabella D'Este, a member of one of the most dominant dynastic families of the period; Urbano Romanelli (c.1645-1682), an Italian...
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Romanello Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Romanello family
Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Domingo Romano, who settled in New Orleans in 1821; Antonio Romanelli, who arrived in New York on May. 24, 1886 aboard the "Plata;" Felice Romanelli, who arrived in New York on May. 27, 1887 aboard the ".

Interrsting, would make sense as romanello was apparently made later in life. But I saw the queens connection and made the assumption

Yes, I can understand why you would think that. It does makes sense trying to connect those dots, so to speak.

Yes, Romanello is a fairly common Italian surname.

Some great insurance is if the “victim” of loan sharking or gambling decided to turn rat, then stake out their family home and do the business to the wife or older son, and so on, maybe word would get out this is natural business if you rat on the Mob, always plenty of hungry cowboys in the Mob wanting to rise through the ranks or replace the guys in jail

And Jesus Christ when are the Mob gonna import some Italians, maybe recreate the Mob families in California, Cleveland etc

Are the Italian born wiseguys in America proven to be more loyal and more trusted to be jailed for 20 year etc less rats than the Americans?