Opinion ID: 718193
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Two Robberies

Text: 3 The charges against defendant and six other defendants arose in connection with two armed robberies, one on September 21 and the other on September 26, 1992, during which cash and checks were taken from employees of Anchor Armored Delivery, Inc. (Anchor). The earlier robbery took place outside the Dubovsky & Sons warehouse on Otto Road in Glendale, a neighborhood in Queens County, New York. The later crime occurred at Citibank on Metropolitan Avenue, in Ridgewood, Queens.
4 In the summer of 1992, before the September robberies occurred, Pipola suggested to some of his co-conspirators the possibility of robbing armored vehicles. After two scouting trips to observe the Dubovsky & Sons location, Pipola and several of the other defendants went to the warehouse in two cars. During that visit, Pipola slightly modified the robbery plan and, in anticipation of the appearance of the armored vehicle, handed a pistol to co-conspirator James Loizzo. That robbery attempt was aborted when the armored vehicle failed to appear. 5 Pipola then enlisted defendant Steven Small's help in late August 1992 for a planned robbery at the Metropolitan Avenue office of Citibank. Small testified that his role was to supply a getaway car, a gun, a police scanner, and walkie-talkies. When Pipola also asked Small if he had any friends who would participate, Small recruited defendant Thomas Donohue. 6 When--in accordance with Pipola's instructions--Small, Donohue, and Donohue's brother went to Pipola's house in early September, Small spoke with Pipola privately and was told to follow defendant Don Louis Dominick Martorella to the bank on Metropolitan Avenue, where he and Martorella were to wait in a pre-arranged location. The plan was for the Donohues to lie in wait close to the bank and intercept the guards once they exited the armored truck. Small gave Donohue a .22 caliber pistol to use in the hold-up. Because Martorella and Small chose the wrong spot, they did not see the armored truck arrive and the four defendants were forced to return to Pipola's residence empty-handed. A similar attempt by Small and the Donohue brothers to rob the bank was equally unsuccessful.
7 Meanwhile, Pipola, undeterred by the earlier failed attempt to rob the armored vehicle at the Dubovsky & Sons warehouse, brought defendants Loizzo, Small, Donohue, and Martorella together at his house to discuss that target. During the discussions Small was told that he was to play the same role as he had for the aborted Citibank robbery--supplying a gun, scanner, and walkie-talkies, and bringing Donohue. When the group convened at Pipola's residence on September 20, it was decided that the robbery would take place the next day. Donohue arrived at Small's house on the day of the robbery and picked up two pistols: a .22 caliber pistol belonging to Small and Donohue's own .380 caliber pistol. After purchasing walkie-talkies, Small met Donohue, Loizzo, James Rogers, and Martorella at a McDonald's restaurant. Martorella and Loizzo had just come from Pipola's house, where they had discussed the plan with Pipola. The entire group then proceeded in two cars to the Dubovsky warehouse. 8 Loizzo testified that he and Donohue, wearing ski masks and brandishing guns, robbed the Anchor guards upon their arrival at the warehouse. Defendant Rogers, who also wore a mask, took the bag of money from one of the guards. Small and Martorella waited in other vehicles near the scene. Loizzo, Martorella, and Rogers went from the scene of the robbery to Pipola's house where Pipola opened the bag and distributed shares of the crime's proceeds to the participants. Small and Donohue also returned to Pipola's place that day and discussed the robbery, and later collected their share of the stolen money from Martorella.
9 On September 25, 1992 Small and Donohue again went to Pipola's house, where they met with Pipola and Martorella to discuss the Citibank robbery. Small and Martorella were to take up positions in their vehicles near the bank; Donohue and Rogers were to wait near the deposit box. Small testified that although he was supposed to supply a gun, the others still had his gun from the September 21 robbery. Pipola, Martorella, Small, Donohue, Rogers, and Mark Jacobowitz met on the day of the Citibank robbery and finalized the plan. According to defendant James Rogers' testimony at trial, Pipola told the others that Jacobowitz--a Pipola associate who had not previously been involved--was just going to drive around, more or less keep tabs on everybody and make sure everything [went] okay. After Pipola ascertained that everyone was ready, the other defendants left Pipola and drove to Metropolitan Avenue in three different vehicles, including a stolen getaway car. Shortly after the robbers took up their positions, the armored vehicle appeared. Rogers and Donohue approached the two guards, pointing their weapons. After disarming one of the guards, they took a bag of money and escaped. 10 Following the commission of this crime, Small picked up Rogers and Donohue and brought the money to Pipola, who again divided the proceeds into shares for the various defendants. A few days later, several of the conspirators met twice at Pipola's house, drinking first to a job well done and later receiving a warning from Pipola not to spend the money or talk about the robberies.