The owner of an illegal gambling den cast doubt on a staged police raid at his establishment while testifying Thursday, shedding new light on an ex-Nassau County detective’s alleged attempt to pressure rival crime families into closing their operations.
Hector Rosario, 51, is currently on trial for obstructing justice and making false statements to the FBI.
Alleged Ties with the Bonanno Family
Federal prosecutors argued that Rosario took money from associates of the Bonanno crime family in exchange for orchestrating fake police raids on competing gambling spots run by other crime families.
Despite these alleged efforts, Rosario’s plan hit roadblocks. According to testimony from a Bonanno associate on Wednesday, Rosario was only able to raid one gambling operation, as others simply refused him entry.
The one targeted location was a storefront disguised as a shoe repair shop, run by Salvatore Rubino, a Genovese crime family affiliate better known as “Sal the Shoemaker.”
Rubino’s establishment, known as Sal’s Shoe Repair, became a problem for the Bonannos when one of their regular patrons started frequenting it instead of the Gran Caffe, a gambling hub aligned with their family.
Rubino Recounted a Suspicious 2013 Encounter
Like many witnesses in the case, Rubino chose to cooperate with authorities following his 2022 arrest on racketeering and illegal gambling charges.
During his testimony, Rubino recounted a suspicious encounter from 2013 when Rosario and two others allegedly appeared outside his storefront at night, wearing jackets marked “police” and badges around their necks.
“Right away, they start pushing me to the back room,” Rubino said, describing the space where he housed gambling machines and card tables.
Once inside, Rosario and his group allegedly demanded to see “Joe Box,” identified as Joseph Rutigliano, a Genovese associate responsible for supplying the gambling machines. When they realized Rutigliano was absent, Rubino said they resorted to smashing one of the machines before fleeing.
During his testimony, Rybino claimed Rosario and his group “ran out pretty fast” and that he “went after them,” recalling how he chased the group as they sped off in a white car.
Despite their reported police disguises, Rubino remained skeptical of the raid’s legitimacy. He pointed out key inconsistencies in their behavior, noting they failed to request identification, seize equipment, or produce official paperwork.
“Why did they break the machines,” he questioned in court. “Something was not right,” he added.
As Rosario’s trial continues, he remains free on a $500,000 bond. If convicted, he could face up to 25 years in prison.
U.S. District Judge Eric N. Vitaliano, a George W. Bush appointee, is overseeing the case.
New York has been long shaped by the power struggles of the infamous Five Families – the Bonannos, Genoveses, Colombos, Gambinos, and Luccheses.
While these organizations have not yet vanished, their influence is not as powerful as it was a few years ago, largely due to federal racketeering laws that have dismantled much of the traditional mafia structure while encouraging former insiders to become government informants.
