A dispute over money pitted the son of slain gangster Adolfo "Big Al" Bruno against former bookmaker and friend Louis "Lou the Shoe" Santos in Springfield District Court.
SPRINGFIELD — A dispute over money has pitted the son of slain gangster Adolfo "Big Al" Bruno against former bookmaker and friend Louis "Lou the Shoe" Santos in Springfield District Court.
Victor C. Bruno, owner of Adolfo's restaurant on Worthington Street, sued Santos for $44,000, arguing he paid for various things while Santos went to federal prison for a brief stint in 2009 after an illegal gambling-related conviction.
Santos filed a countersuit, claiming he does not owe Bruno the money because he loaned the younger Bruno $40,000 in 2004 after his father was murdered.
Victor Bruno, who has no criminal record, has closely monitored the long-running criminal prosecution that sent eight rival mobsters to prison for plotting his father's murder. Adolfo Bruno was gunned down on Nov. 23, 2003, outside the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Social Club in this city's South End. It was a contract hit, witnesses testified.
Santos, of Longmeadow, testified that he loaned Victor Bruno two installments of $25,000 and $15,000 in 2004, out of devotion to his father. Santos contended the younger Bruno had outstanding bills associated with a block of property he owns on Worthington Street.
Bruno initially filed a lawsuit against Santos suing for $17,500 Santos was required to pay as restitution when he was sentenced to four months in prison for a gaming-related crime. He later amended the complaint to add $4,500 he said he paid to fix Santos' wife's car while Santos was behind bars; $6,000 for private school tuition for the Santos children and $18,000 in deferred rent for a commercial space the couple leased from Bruno.
Both men refute he owes the other a debt. To complicate matters for the courts, neither secured anything in writing.
"There was no note; there was no check; there was no receipt," Santos' lawyer, Bruce Melikian, told District Court Judge Robert Murphy during opening statements Wednesday morning. "That's not how they did business. That's not how these people operate."
Bruno's lawyer, Thomas A. Kenefick, began quizzing Santos on how he earned a living, which Santos primarily attributed to a $500-a-week sales job he has at a dress shop his wife's family owns. The lawyer further pressed him on what he suggested was a high-flying lifestyle with country club memberships and "hot shot Wall Street lawyers."
"Didn't you once tell people you were the biggest bookmaker in Greater Springfield?" Kenefick asked.
Santos shot back: "I didn't say the biggest. I said the best."
Santos conceded Bruno paid the $17,500 in restitution to the courts, but testified that he considered it a payment toward Bruno's debt. Under questioning by Melikian, Santos testified he was taken aback when Bruno asked for the money back.
"He goes: The money that I put up? The $17.5 Can I get that back? So I go: Get it back? You owe me $40,000," Santos testified.
"How did he respond to that?" Melikian asked?
"Like I had nine heads," Santos responded.
Bruno, of Suffield, Conn., told a far different story on the witness stand. He testified that Santos came to him just before he was headed to prison.
"He was in desperate, dire need with tears in his eyes. I told him I knew what it was like, when my father was away," Bruno said, referring to his own father's incarcerations. "I said if your wife needs anything while you're away, have her call me."
Bruno disputed that he ever borrowed money from Santos in 2004, and that he was flush with cash at the time following the sale of a business and rental properties. He also testified that Santos came to his home and thanked him for his help when he was released from prison.
"He came over with his wife and kids. He brought me gifts. He hugged me. I was the best thing since ice cream," Bruno said.
Under questioning from Melikian, Bruno said he never owed Santos money and that he was clear the money he said he gave the Santos family was a loan until Santos got back on his feet.
"But you didn't get a promissory note? That's not how you do business, right?" Melikian asked.
"He asked me for a favor and I did him a favor," Bruno said.
"And when you asked him for a favor he did you a favor, right?" Melikian asked. "In fact, he did you two favors. He lent you $15,000 and then $25,000?"
"Never happened," Bruno said.
Murphy gave lawyers in the case two weeks to request findings of fact and a ruling. Both litigants waived a jury, opting for a bench trial.