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FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com DECEMBER 24, 2015 • THE COURIER SUN 3 Pair sent to federal prison for roles in deadly Ozone Park home invasion by ROBERT POZARYCKI rpozarycki@queenscourier.com @robbpoz Two men will each spend the next 34 years in a federal penitentiary for their roles in the murder of an Ozone Park man during a botched home invasion in 2009, prosecutors announced. A n t o i n e Burroughs and Leon Whitfield were sentenced on Dec. 16 after previously pleading guilty to fatally shooting Gerardo Antoniello, 29, who came to the aid of his father during the robbery attempt at “No amount of prison time or restitution will return Gerardo Antoniello to his family.” their home on the evening of Sept. 9, 2009. A c c o r d i n g to U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, both suspects were hired by Francis LaCorte, a known associate of the Gambino crime family, to carry out the home invasion at the North Conduit Avenue residence of the victim’s father, who owns a local pizzeria and was the intended target U.S. ATTORNEY PREET BHARARA of the robbery. Police said the suspects approached Antoniello’s father and forced their way inside the home, where they brutally beat and pistolwhipped him. Gerardo Antoniello came to his father’s aid and was similarly attacked before he was fatally shot in the head by one of the perpetrators. LaCorte was convicted in June 2012 Queens County Court for organizing the crime and other home invasions across Queens; he is currently serving a term of 50 years to life in state prison. Following an investigation, Whitfield was arrested in connection with the case in March 2014, while Burroughs was caught the following September. “No amount of prison time or restitution will return Gerardo Antoniello to his family,” Bharara said. “But this significant prison sentence ensures that Antoine Burroughs and Leon Whitfield can’t harm another innocent family.” THE COURIER/Photo by Anthony Giudice P.O. Gonzalez (center) and his wife and two sons accepting the Cop of the Year award from 104th Precinct Community Council president, Len Santoro (left) and Capt. Mark Wachter (right). 104th Precinct lauds its ‘Cop of the Year’ at Middle Village dinner By Anthon y Giu dice agiudice@ridgewoodtimes.com/@a_giudicereport He was the finest of the 104th Precinct’s Finest this year. P.O. Geraldo Gonzalez received the 104th Precinct Community Council’s first “Cop of the Year Award” during a dinner held at Middle Village’s Villa Erasmo restaurant on Dec. 20 for making the biggest difference while on duty throughout 2015. Members of the 104th Precinct Community Council, precinct commander Capt. Mark Wachter, Congresswoman Grace Meng, Assemblyman Mike Miller and fellow officers honored Gonzalez, who was joined by his wife and two sons. “I feel honored,” Gonzalez said. “Sometimes officers don’t get recognition for their hard work.” Gonzalez was assigned to the 104th Precinct in January 2013. He assumed responsibility for the Precinct Graffiti program in October 2014 and is credited for working with community service graffiti cleanups with local civic organizations and neighborhood volunteers in removing graffiti from around the precinct. “I want to be here to join all of you and my colleague Assemblyman Miller really to congratulate all of you, and especially to our officer today, Officer Gonzalez,” Meng said. “Thank you so much for your work, this is a great idea for an inaugural event … I have a little certificate from the United States Congress and I’d like to present to Officer Gonzalez.” Gonzalez is also involved with several other programs within the precinct and outside of his life as a cop. He has assisted and mentored police officers assigned to the Field Training program, he has helped coordinate fund raising events for officers in need of assistance, and he is involved with the Police Athletic League (PAL) basketball, football and softball programs as well as volunteering as a little league football coach in upstate Orange County. “He mentored the new police officers that came out of the police academy,” Wachter said. “He would take the new guys out, teaching them about the community, teaching them how to make arrests and how to do paperwork. It takes a special person to do that.” “And also in his off-duty life … he actually has time, he is a little league football coach in Orange County,” he added. “He’s working here, he’s taking on all these additional jobs in the police department, and he doesn’t have to. He could just come to work, do his job and go home. But he takes these added things on at work.” Pictured from left to right: Len Santoro, president of the 104th Precinct Community Council; Assemblyman Mike Miller; “Cop of the Year” P.O. Gonzalez; Captain Mark Wachter, 104th Precinct Commanding Officer; and Congresswoman Grace Meng.


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