BUFFALO, N.Y. — A second witness connected to the case against local strip club owner Peter Gerace Jr. has died according to statements made during a federal court hearing Friday that were obtained by 2 On Your Side.
This story was first reported by the Buffalo News.
The “key government witness” died last week, according to a transcript of Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Tripi who spoke at the hearing and is prosecuting the drug and sex trafficking case.
Tripi stated that the witness, a young woman, is not being identified but is the same person who back in March told the FBI that her mother and roommate had found dead rats on their cars where she also lived.
He added that the witness’ death is being investigated.
Gerace’s current defense attorney Steve Cohen however claimed that she died by suicide and may have faced “pressure from the U.S. Attorney’s Office” to testify against his client.
The prosecutor said the death underscores why the case should maintain course and head to trial on October 23.
"If this case had gone June 21st... that witness would have testified already, and the information would have been evaluated by a jury..." Tripi said.
The case has seen several twists and delays, the most recent involving Judge John Sintra recusing himself in June over a potential conflict of interest and the trial being pushed back.
Last spring, State Supreme Court Judge John Michalski was found dead by suicide at his home in Amherst. Michalski had been questioned by the FBI about his relationship with Peter Gerace and his connection to Pharoah’s strip club and was the first witness to die.
“We are deeply disturbed that now two people who would have provided excellent testimony on behalf of Peter Gerace or I believe that to be the case have now taken their own lives and that is deeply concerning. We expect there to be an investigation of those deaths,” Cohen said responding to questions from 2 On Your Side Monday.
Cohen reiterated as he did in court, that Mr. Gerace told him the young woman may have been facing pressure from prosecutors.
In response to that claim, Tripi said in court Friday that she was a “cooperating government witness.”
Prior to discussing the witness situation, Judge Lawrence Vilardo also inquired about Mr. Cohen’s status as Peter Gerace’s defense attorney.
Last month Gerace requested that Cohen be removed from the case because the two were not seeing eye to eye. Judge Vilardo, however, has not allowed Cohen to leave the case until new legal counsel is found and has instructed that Cohen aid in his client’s search.
Gerace has found it difficult to find a new attorney while in jail according to Cohen.
When asked for an update on the search Cohen told 2 On Your Side, that most attorneys have said the same thing.
“You know how can we possibly get ready for a case on October 23rd of this magnitude,” he said.
Judge Vilardo addressed this concern Friday and stated that while he remains focused on keeping the October trial date, he will be reasonable: "...if the [new] lawyer says 2025, the answer is going to be no. I can tell you if the lawyer says October 30, the answer would likely be yes."
The next court date of August 18 will include both arguments for Gerace’s pre-trial release and according to Judge Vilardo should include the introduction of a replacement lawyer.
