New York based gangster John Bologna has been sentenced to eight years in prison for his part in the 2003 mafia hit of Adolfo Bruno among other crimes.
Bruno was the regional leader for the Genovese crime family in Massachusetts when he feel out of favor with then acting boss Arthur “Artie” Nigro. Bologna was part of a Bronx based crew of the Genovese family and traveled from New York to Springfield often in 2002 and 2003 ramping up extortion efforts there. He also took a hand in stirring up the bad blood between Bruno and Nigro at the time leading to the murder of Bruno. The big twist in this whole ordeal was that Bologna was actually a turncoat and had been cooperating with the feds since 1996.
“John Bologna (left) and Adolfo Bruno (right)”
All this time while Bologna was working with authorities he was also wrapped up in murder and extortion plots from Connecticut to Springfield and New York. Even though he had cut a deal with the government prosecutors consistently caught him telling lies and holding back critical information. When Bruno’s successor Genovese mobster Anthony J. Arillotta became an informant in 2010 prosecutors learned even more about Bologna’s omissions. Bologna was not used as a witness for Bruno murder trials in both 2011 and 2012 which produced life sentences for mobsters Arthur Nigro , Ty Geas, and Fotios “Freddy” Geas along with mob associate Gary D. Westerman. Even though these trials included the testimony of multiple mafia informants Bologna was not called to the stand because he continually lied to prosecutors about his involvement in criminal acts.
In 2009 Bologna pleaded guilty to nine criminal counts one of which was his conspiring in the Bruno murder. He appeared in court on Tuesday with help of a cane as his lawyers told the Judge that Bologna was suffering from prostate cancer and asked for a lower sentence. Bologna has been held with out bail since 2010 and will get credit for that time and now has an additional 5 years left in prison.
