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Arrest in Fatal Flatiron Poker Club Shooting
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 14, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 14, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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The police arrested a man for the killing of a poker player during a robbery earlier this month. On November 2, a group of robbers held up a secret poker club in an office building at Fifth Avenue and 28th Street. During the chaos, one of the robbers "accidentally" fired a gun, killing Frank DeSena (pictured), a math teacher at the Steven Institute of Technology in NJ.
The robbers were wearing masks, making the police investigation difficult, and many believed that the suspects were insiders, given their familiarity with where the club was located. Poker clubs are not illegal (but organizers taking a cut of the money is), and players find out about clubs through word-of-mouth and emails.
WNBC reports that the suspect, William Delvalle, was arrested last week and charged with second degree murder. He was released on his own recognizance because the grand jury didn't indict him (apparently the indictment did not come in a timely manner); his case is adjourned until January. The Post added that DelValle was convicted of manslaughter and was released on parole weeks before the shooting. The police are still seeking the three other robbers.
Tagged
clubs
fifth avenue
grand jury
gun
money
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On November
pokershooting
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secretclub
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The Police
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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