A former Nassau County detective is standing trial in Brooklyn federal court, accused of using his badge to aid one of New York’s infamous crime families in a yearslong turf war over illegal gambling operations.
Prosecutors allege that Hector Rosario, 51, secretly worked for the Bonanno crime family while serving as a detective, leveraging his authority to eliminate competition from rival operations run by the Genovese family. According to federal investigators, Rosario staged a sham police raid on a shoe repair store in Merrick, N.Y., which was a front for a Genovese-run gambling operation, to benefit his underworld bosses.
Rosario was indicted in 2022 along with eight other defendants following a broad federal crackdown on illegal gambling activities linked to organized crime. While his co-defendants have all pleaded guilty to charges ranging from racketeering to illegal gambling, Rosario has denied wrongdoing. He faces charges of obstruction of justice and lying to federal agents, with opening statements in his trial beginning Tuesday before Judge Eric N. Vitaliano in U.S. District Court.
Federal prosecutor Anna Karamigios told jurors that Rosario “chose loyalty to the Bonanno crime family over his duty to the public.” She alleged that when questioned by the FBI, he repeatedly lied about his involvement. “Again and again,” she said, “he concealed the truth.”
Though organized crime families once wielded considerable power in industries such as construction and labor unions, federal prosecutions have significantly diminished their influence since the 1980s. The Bonanno family, in particular, suffered heavy losses as high-ranking members were convicted or turned informants. In 2011, longtime boss Joseph C. Massino became the first head of a New York Mafia family to cooperate with the government.
Federal authorities in Brooklyn have continued their crackdown on organized crime. In 2017, they charged members of the Bonanno and Gambino families with distributing cocaine through a gelato shop in Manhattan. Five years later, Rosario and his co-defendants were indicted as part of an effort to dismantle the Bonanno and Genovese families’ gambling enterprises.
These operations, prosecutors say, were highly profitable, operating discreetly behind legitimate businesses such as cafes, clubs, and repair shops. One such establishment, a cafe, reportedly generated over $10,000 per week through illicit card games and electronic gambling machines hidden from everyday customers.
To protect the Bonanno family’s interests, Rosario allegedly used his police position to pressure competing gambling dens, prosecutors contend. In at least one instance, he is accused of orchestrating a fake raid on the Genovese-controlled shoe repair store to intimidate their rivals.
During a 2020 FBI interview, Rosario denied ever setting foot in illegal gambling locations or knowing Salvatore Rubino, the store’s owner and a Genovese associate. Prosecutors argue that these statements were false.
Rosario’s defense attorney, Lou Freeman, countered in his opening remarks that the prosecution’s case hinges on testimony from convicted criminals seeking reduced sentences. “Each of these witnesses was involved in organized crime,” Freeman said, urging jurors to scrutinize their motives.
One key witness, former Bonanno soldier Damiano Zummo, testified Tuesday that he and Sal Russo, a Bonanno associate, directed Rosario to carry out the raid. Zummo explained that competition, along with an uneasy profit-sharing agreement with the Genovese family over another gambling operation in Lynbrook, N.Y., prompted the Bonannos to take action. He further claimed that Rosario received $1,500 per month for several months in exchange for his services.
Freeman challenged Zummo’s credibility, highlighting his involvement in a 2017 indictment tied to the gelato shop operation and the potential for a lighter sentence in return for his cooperation.
The case against Rosario is the final chapter in this particular probe. Earlier this year, Rubino and four other Genovese associates pleaded guilty to illegal gambling charges. Three Bonanno-linked defendants followed suit a month later. With the others convicted, Rosario remains the sole defendant still fighting the charges in court.
