WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2005
D.A. BROWN: BRIDGE PAINTING CONTRACTOR GETS 18 YEARS TO LIFE FOR 1989 SHOOTING DEATH OF FORMER BUSINESS PARTNER
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown today announced that a bridge painting contractor convicted after trial in June of the 1989 shooting death of his former business partner -- who was also his mother’s longtime companion -- inside the victim’s Astoria home has been sentenced to 18 years to life in prison.
District Attorney Brown said, “The defendant has been convicted of the brutal murder of his former business partner who had also been both his mentor and a companion to his mother. The evidence showed that the defendant, angry that he had been disrespected, went to the victim’s home, lured him to the basement, shot him several times in the back and then stood over him and shot him repeatedly in the face, killing him. The defendant took a life in cold blood to satisfy his ego. Under the circumstances, the sentence imposed today is more than warranted.”
The District Attorney identified the defendant as Ralph Romano, Jr., 41, of 120-15 Riviera Court in College Point, Queens. He is the owner of Romano Enterprises -- a large bridge painting firm – located at 18-39 128th Street in College Point and which has done work on many of the City’s major bridges. The defendant was convicted on June 3, 2005 of Murder in the Second Degree following a four-week jury trial presided over by Queens Supreme Court Justice Arthur J. Cooperman.
The District Attorney said that according to trial testimony the defendant on June 7, 1989 was driven by a friend to the residence of his former business partner, John Spensieri, 51, at 49-03 21st Avenue in Astoria, Queens. The two men discussed business and then, the evidence showed, the defendant, angry that he had been disrespected, shot his mentor several times in the back and then stood over him and shot him repeatedly in the face, killing him.
District Attorney Brown said that trial testimony established that the victim and the defendant had been partners in a carting business – Joral Carting – at 127 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and that the defendant subsequently set up his own company in Queens called College Point Carting.
Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Daniel A. Saunders prosecuted the case under the supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Charles A. Testagrossa.