Dec 132012
 

Con Edison building (Image courtesy of Stig Nygaard).

According to the Daily News, the son of murdered Bay Ridge clothier Mohamed Gebeli will no longer have to pay an electric bill that ballooned to over $700 while the family store was kept off limits - and the shop’s lights were kept on – as police spent over two months investigating the crime scene for clues.

The alleged killer, Salvatore “Son of Sal” Perrone, was arrested on Nov. 21, and charged with the murder of three Brooklyn shopkeepers – the first of which was Mohamed Gebeli.

From Daily News:

Mohammed Gebeli, 65, was shot dead July 6 at Valentino’s Fashions [ibid] in Bay Ridge — the first of Salvatore Perrone’s three suspected victims.

Police kept the store closed while they conducted the investigation.

Gebeli’s son, Moe, got the shop keys back on Sept. 20 after he returned from Egypt, where he buried his father and visited relatives. The lights were on for more than two months.

Moe Gebeli then received a letter from Con Edison which threatened to take away the clothing store’s electrical meter – unless the family paid $734.66.

While Con Ed acknowledged to reporters that Gebeli had called customer service and mentioned the police investigation, they denied knowing that his father had been killed.

On Friday, November 31, the utility agreed to prorate the bill – virtually eliminating any charges that had accrued during the period when family members didn’t have access to the store.

But despite the apparent happy ending, just as many Hurricane Sandy victims have learned while living in houses without power, the bills – they just keep on coming…

“I’m glad you’re telling me that,” Moe Gebeli told Daily News. “Because I just got another bill in the mail today for $1,627.49.”

Dec 052012
 

Con Edison building (Image courtesy of Stig Nygaard).

[UPDATED] 12/13/12 Con Ed is now saying the store’s electric bill will be prorated not to include charges that accrued during the more than two month police investigation. Read More

After suffering the loss of a father and husband, the family of slain Bay Ridge store owner Mohamed Gebeli is reportedly fighting Con Edison over an unpaid bill from the 77 days their shop Valentino Fashion was an off-limits crime scene.

According to the Daily News, Moe Gebeli, son of ‘Son of Sal’ victim Mohamed Gebeli, is speaking out against the utility for insisting he pay a $734.66 bill – or face the loss of electricity to the small mens clothing shop that serves as the still-grieving family’s main source of income.

“How is this fair?” Moe Gebeli asked reporters last Thursday. “It’s like a slap in the face.” Continue reading »

Nov 282012
 

Salvatore Perrone in 2001 (Image source: Franconia Township Police Department).

The suspect in the killing of Bay Ridge clothier Mohamed Gebeli, as well as two other Brooklyn shopkeepers, was indicted yesterday on first degree murder charges, as reported by CBS.

Salvatore Perrone, age 64, of Staten Island was arrested and charged by police just before Thanksgiving last week. Continue reading »

Nov 262012
 

Salvatore Perrone (Image source: Franconia Township Police Department).

The neighbors of triple murder suspect Salvatore Perrone painted a picture of an unhinged man whose off-putting behavior included posing as a retired police detective, as reported by Chris Francescani for Reuters.

Police sources seemed to compliment the anecdotes of civilians who crossed paths with Perrone – who is currently awaiting his next hearing on first and second-degree murder charges in the brutal slayings of shopkeepers Isaac Kadare, 59, Mohammed Gebeli, 75, and Rahmatollah Vahidipour, 78.

According to the Daily News, cops say the man fellow residents in his Staten Island neighborhood referred to as “Son of Sal,” and who affected a fake Italian accent while speaking with one of his girlfriend’s neighbors in Queens, claimed to work for the CIA during his police interrogation.

“If you work for the CIA, where’s your ID?” asked one investigator.

“At the CIA, we don’t carry ID,” Perrone responded, according to the Daily News source.

A gun found in Perrone’s – aka “John Doe Duffle Bag’s” gym bag matches the ballistics of a gun used in three separate killings of Brooklyn store-owners this year. Mohammed Gebeli of 5th Avenue’s Valentino Fashion was the first of the three shopkeepers to be killed. The murder of Gebeli, a beloved member of the Bay Ridge community, occurred on Friday, July 6, 2012.

Perrone will remain in Rikers Island’s North Infirmary wing until his next court appearance, which is expected to be sometime today.

Nov 212012
 

John Doe Duffle Bag, the person-of-interest in the shopowner serial killings, captured by a surveillance camera near the site of the third murder. Police have matched the gun found in possession of Salvatore Perrone with all three shootings.

The gun found in the duffle bag of Salvatore Perrone – aka “John Doe Duffle Bag” – is a ballistics match with the gun used in three separate killings of Brooklyn store-owners this year, according to a report by the NY Daily News. Mohammed Gebeli of 5th Avenue’s Valentino Fashion was the first of the three store-owners, killed on Friday, July 6, 2012.

Perrone – a Staten Island resident that turns 64 tomorrow – has not yet been charged, but is in police custody. He was arrested after the NYPD had released surveillance camera photographs of four persons-of-interest, a group that included Perrone.

Police has linked the murders of the three Middle Eastern shopkeepers to the same gun before the recovery of Perrone’s sawed-off .22 caliber shotgun. Police also found black gloves, legless pantyhose, a bloody kitchen knife, and two folding knives that could have been used in the crimes, according the Daily News report.

Isaac Kadare, the owner of a 99-cent store on 86th Street in Bensonhurst, was killed on August 2. Rahmatolla Vahidipour, the 78-year-old owner of a store on Flatbush Avenue, was murdered on November 16.

Aug 072012
 

A police sketch of the possible suspect.

A man and woman are currently being sought for questioning in connection with the two related murders of beloved store owners Mohamed Gebeli and Isaac Kedare.

Police sources told NBC that the pair are not currently considered suspects, but may have information.

In addition to being killed with the same .22 caliber gun, both victims are of Egyptian descent, and were draped in “clothing or material” after being shot.

According to NBC, one theory investigators are looking into is that the killer may have mixed up the address number of his intended victim. Kedare’s 99 cents store’s address is 1877 86th Street. Gebeli’s mens clothing shop is located about a mile away, at 7718 5th Avenue. Continue reading »

Aug 052012
 

A sketch of the possible suspect (image credit: NYPD).

CBS is reporting that a suspect wanted in connection with the brutal murder of a well-liked Bensonhurst store owner may have also killed beloved Bay Ridge clothier Mohammed Gebeli last month.

Police sources told 1010 WINS that the .22 caliber gun used to murder 99 cent store proprietor and landlord Isaac Kadare last Thursday, was the same weapon used to take Gebeli’s life on July 6.

From CBS:

Kadare, 59, was found dead around 9 p.m. on Thursday by two customers inside the “Amazing 99 cents Deals” store in the 1800 block of 86th Street. He was found shot in the head, the Medical Examiner confirmed with CBS 2.

A $12,000 reward – including $10,000 from NYPD, and $2,000 from Crime Stoppers – is being offered for information leading to an arrest in the case. State Senator Marty Golden – who had previously put up $5,000 of a $10,000 reward for information leading to Gebeli’s killer – announced that he’ll also offer $5,000 in connection with the Kadare case.

Kadare’s family told Daily News that they believe he may have been targeted because of $900 in rent money he had collected just prior to the incident.

According to the News, “a witness said the suspect bumped into him and barked ‘What are you looking at?’ before he fled into a nearby Mexican bakery…” Minutes later, he was reportedly seen getting into “a black or gray, two-door jeep.”

The suspect is described as a 5-foot-5 male weighing around 140 pounds. A police sketch can be seen above.

An incoming 911 call on the night of July 6, alerted police to 65-year-old clothing store owner Mohamed Gebeli, whom a group of friends reportedly found fatally shot on the floor of Valentino Fashion [7718 5th Ave].

Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS [8477] or text “TIP577″ [plus your message] to “CRIMES” [274637].

Jul 302012
 

Last Friday, News 12 Brooklyn reported that the family of slain clothing store owner Mohamed Gebeli, along with State Senator Marty Golden – who is a retired NYPD officer, and local business owner Habib Joudeh, gathered in front of Valentino Fashion [7718 5th Ave] to renew the call for neighbors to help in the search for a suspect.

Police say they still have no leads and no one has come forward with any information.

Joudeh, the owner of Pharmacy On Fifth [6914 5th Ave] who had joined Senator Golden in amassing a $10,000 reward for information leading to a break in the Gebeli murder case, expressed the community’s condolences, and along with Golden, made it clear that the murderer must be brought to justice.

“His life was cut short and now we must make sure that justice is served, and he did not die in vain,” Golden told reporters.

“Mohammed was a friend and we all lost him,” Joudeh said as he, as well as Gebeli family and friends pledged to continue to seek answers.

An incoming 911 call on July 6, alerted police to 65-year-old clothier Mohamed Gebeli, whom friends reportedly found unconscious on the floor of Valentino Fashion, which Gebeli had owned and operated for four years.

Jul 122012
 

Image source: Google Maps.

As the NYPD continues its search for the killer(s) of beloved local clothing merchant Mohamed Gebeli, businesses owners and residents remain both nervous and concerned, reports Paul Katinas for the Brooklyn Eagle.

Unfortunately, as of press time police were still left with “no suspects and no motive” in the case.

In the aftermath of the cold-blooded murder of such a well-liked member of the community, the people who knew Mohamed Gebeli attempt to honor his memory.

“He was a good guy,” civic leader and longtime friend Katherine Khatari told Brooklyn Eagle. “There was a homeless guy who used to walk up and down Fifth Avenue and Mohammed would give him socks for his feet. He was very good to my husband and me. We went through a lot together.”

Khatari’s thoughts also drifted to a family left fatherless.

“I hope this murder is solved right away, so his family can have peace of mind. His wife works in a Dunkin’ Donuts and his son works in a car service. They’re real Bay Ridge people,” Khatari said. Continue reading »

Jul 092012
 

The identity of a local business owner who matched the $5,000 reward offered by State Senator Marty Golden for information leading to an arrest in the murder of beloved clothing shop proprietor Mohamed Gebeli, has been revealed.

Jessica Bakeman is reporting on website Politics on the Hudson that Habib Joudeh – the owner of Pharmacy on Fifth [6914 5th Avenue] contributed half of the reward – which currently stands at $10,000.

From Politics on the Hudson:

During remarks at the Bay Ridge Arab American Bazaar held in Bay Ridge, Golden stated, “Mr. Gebeli was killed Friday night in an incident that has destroyed a family and has shocked a community. I am announcing this $5,000 reward today so to encourage anyone who may know something to help solve this case to contact the authorities.

“I thank local leader Habib Joudeh, of Pharmacy on Fifth, for matching the reward…”

The entire community remains on edge as neighbors, friends, and customers – many of whom are returning from summer weekends spent out of the neighborhood – continue to be shocked by news of Friday night’s deadly apparent robbery at Gebeli’s store Valentino Fashion [7718 5th Ave].