Ex-NY detective found guilty of shielding Mafia from FBI

NEW YORK — A former Long Island police detective has been found guilty of deceiving the FBI to shield a Mafia family’s illicit gambling businesses located in the New York City suburbs. Hector Rosario, who used to serve as a detective for the Nassau County police, faced charges of lying to federal agents but was acquitted of the more severe charge of obstruction of justice. This verdict came after a week-long trial in Brooklyn federal court with the jury reaching its decision after deliberations that commenced on Tuesday.

John Durham, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, spearheaded the prosecution, labeling Rosario a “corrupt detective” who chose to align with the mob rather than uphold his duty to the public. Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly criticized Rosario’s actions, noting that his allegiance to the Bonanno family’s financial interests had led him to betray the law and his colleagues by alerting a target about an investigation and misleading federal agents.

Prosecutors have revealed that Rosario, a 51-year-old resident of Mineola, received considerable sums in compensation from Bonanno crime family members. In exchange, he is said to have warned a mobster of ongoing investigations and procured the home address of a witness believed to be cooperating with authorities. Additionally, Rosario allegedly manipulated law enforcement operations to target rival gambling establishments and orchestrated a sham police raid on a shoe repair store that was a front for a competing Genovese crime family operation.

FBI agents interviewed Rosario in 2020 during their probe into Bonanno and Genovese activities in the suburbs east of New York City. Subsequently, they accused him of denying any knowledge of Mafia dealings or illegal gambling hubs. Rosario, who was let go from the police department in 2022, is now facing a potential prison sentence of up to five years. The obstruction of justice charge that he was acquitted of carried a potential 20-year sentence, but the jury sided with his defense’s argument that he was unaware of any federal investigation into his criminal connections.

Despite this guilty verdict, Rosario remains free on bail as his attorneys indicated plans to contest the conviction. They contended during the trial that the prosecution’s case primarily depended on testimonies from mobsters who, while cooperating with authorities, were themselves accused of various offenses. Rosario was among nearly a dozen people charged following a significant federal investigation that exposed what officials called a major organized crime operation reminiscent of the Mafia’s past prominence in New York.

In addition to Rosario, other defendants in the case faced accusations of running gambling rings from inconspicuous locations such as coffee shops, a soccer club, and a shoe repair store. These operations were purportedly led by individuals with notorious nicknames like “Joe Fish,” “Sal the Shoemaker,” and “Joe Box.” Beyond illegal gambling, the group was charged with racketeering, money laundering, and conspiracy.