Opinion ID: 787685
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Shootings of Lombardi and D'Urso

Text: 15 At some point during 1994, Polito and his cousin Imbrieco, an associate of the Bonnano Crime Family, asked another one of their cousins, Cerasulo, to kill D'Urso and Lombardi. According to Cerasulo, Polito told him that D'Urso and Lombardi had previously set [Polito] up for a robbery, 1 that Polito owed them a lot of money, and that they were pieces of shit who had to go. Cerasulo testified that he agreed to participate in the murder because he wanted to get a reputation and that Polito had promised him that Fortunato and others would pay Cerasulo to commit the murder. Cerasulo also testified that he asked Polito if he had received permission from higher-ups in the Genovese Family to kill two Genovese associates; Cerosulo never testified as to what Polito's response was, if any. Cerasulo did testify that Fortunato provided him with one of Polito's guns to commit the murder. Cerasulo and Imbrieco later went to Lombardi's house to ambush Lombardi and D'Urso, but Cerasulo got cold feet at the last minute and aborted the mission. 16 Polito subsequently asked Cerasulo to find someone else to commit the murders, so Cerasulo recruited Bruno, who was a close friend of both Cerasulo and Imbrieco and, according to the Government, an aspiring mobster. Bruno agreed to kill D'Urso and Lombardi to enhance his standing with connected people — i.e., Polito and Imbrieco, whom Bruno knew to be associated with organized crime. With Bruno in on the scheme, the plan was that he and Imbrieco would do the shooting, and Cerasulo would drive the getaway car. Bruno also got cold feet, however, and when he had the opportunity, he failed to shoot Lombardi and D'Urso. 17 By the end of November 1994, Polito owed Lombardi about $50,000 and D'Urso about $10,000. Polito explained to his cohorts that he wanted the murders to be committed before late November to avoid repaying those debts. Three days before Polito's debt to Lombardi was due, D'Urso was playing cards at a Genovese Family social club. The door to the club was locked from the inside to prevent uninvited persons from entering the club. Polito and Fortunato later joined the game and suggested that D'Urso invite Lombardi as well. Lombardi eventually arrived. Imbrieco, Bruno, and Cerasulo arrived still later (around midnight). 18 Just before the shooting began, Lombardi and D'Urso were seated next to each other, with Imbrieco and Bruno standing directly behind them. At some point during the card game, Bruno pulled out his gun, placed it to the back of D'Urso's head, and fired. Cerasulo then ran out of the club to start the car, while Bruno and Imbrieco began shooting at Lombardi. Lombardi subsequently died from his gunshot wounds, but D'Urso eventually recovered. 19 Immediately after the shootings, Polito and Fortunato ran out of the club. Bruno and Imbrieco followed them and joined Cerasulo in the getaway car. Cerasulo drove Bruno and Imbrieco to an automobile impound yard in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, where they abandoned the car. Polito later picked them up and drove to a diner in Queens. Fortunato walked home and went to bed. 20