A Levittown man who prosecutors said shot his wife in the face during a deadly domestic dispute in 2020, then opened fire on his brother-in-law, has been convicted of second-degree murder and attempted murder by a Nassau County jury.
The trial of Thomas DiNapoli, 70, began June 16 and ended Monday, according to Nassau District Attorney Anne Donnelly. The jury deliberated for about an hour before returning the guilty verdict.
DiNapoli is scheduled to return to court for sentencing on July 27 before Acting Superior Court Judge Tammy Robbins. He faces a maximum of 50 years to life in prison.
DiNapoli’s attorney, Christopher Devane, did not immediately return requests for comment.
Donnelly said DiNapoli and his wife, Cheryl DiNapoli, were arguing in the bedroom of their Cord Lane home on the night of Aug. 13, 2020, when DiNapoli shot her in the eye and neck with an assault rifle. 9mm
Cheryl DiNapoli’s brother, Robert Rischman, who also lived in the Levittown home, entered the bedroom and struggled with DiNapoli for possession of the rifle before he eventually wrestled it from the defendant.
DiNapoli then went downstairs and retrieved a shotgun from a safe in the garage. DiNapoli then shot his brother-in-law, who was behind a door, in the right arm.
The two men physically fought in the home, and the fight continued to the front lawn of the home, where Rischman was able to wrestle DiNapoli’s shotgun.
Nassau police arrived and arrested DiNapoli. His wife was pronounced dead at the scene. Rischman was taken to a hospital for treatment of his injuries.
“Thanks to the quick response of the Nassau County Police Department and Cheryl’s brother, the defendant was taken into custody,” Donnelly said. I thank our prosecutors and law enforcement officers who helped convict this unforgiving defendant.”
Michael O’Keeffe covers the Suffolk County Police and other Long Island law enforcement agencies. He is an award-winning journalist and co-author of two books, “The Card” and “American Icon.”
