Ex-Nassau Detective Faces Trial for Helping Bonanno Crime Family

Hector Rosario, a former Nassau County detective, will soon face trial in Brooklyn Federal Court. He stands accused of obstruction of justice and lying to the FBI. 

Fired Nassau Cop Allegedly Worked with Bonannos to Shut Down Competing Gambling Dens

Prosecutors claim Rosario, who lost his job in 2022 worked with the Bonanno crime family. They say he helped shut down competing gambling operations and used his police authority to benefit the family’s interests.

Central to the case are accusations that Rosario faked a raid at Sal’s Shoe Repair in Merrick, Long Island, around 2013 or 2014. The shop run by Salvatore “Sal the Shoemaker” Rubino, worked as a gambling center for the Genovese crime family. The prosecution claims that Rosario following orders from Bonanno members wrecked a gambling machine during the raid and pushed Rubino to give up information about Joseph “Joe Box” Rutigliano, a Genovese associate in charge of collecting gambling money.

Legal papers also indicate that the Bonanno family paid Rosario to close down two gambling spots run by the Gambinos and alert his Nassau County coworkers about another place the Bonannos saw as a rival. On top of that, Rosario used a police database in 2018 to check if a government informant was working with officials against the Bonanno family.

Prosecutors Say Ex-Detective Played Key Role in Bonanno Operations Dating Back to 2008

The accusations go beyond just gambling. According to prosecutors, Rosario got involved with the Bonannos starting in 2008 when he made friends with a Bonanno associate. They say he went to a marijuana grow house, said he would move drugs, and even talked about plans to stage a raid on a drug dealer. The associate told other Bonanno members that Rosario was a “dirty cop.”

Rosario’s lawyers want to keep any talk of organized crime out of the trial. They say that bringing up mafia activities could make the jury unfair. His attorney argued that the court could look at the charges against Rosario without tying him to bigger crime groups. However, the government’s representatives think these connections are key to getting the full picture of what Rosario did wrong.

The police caught Rosario in August 2022 as part of a bigger push to stop illegal betting run by the Genovese and Bonanno families. The FBI’s work led to charges for several people, including members of both families.

A lot of the accused, like Rubino and Carmelo “Carmine” Polito, who used to be a Genovese boss, have already said they are guilty. Rosario claims he is not guilty and stays out of jail on a $500,000 bond. A conviction in his case would add another piece to the ongoing story of how organized crime works its way into public institutions.