FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Bronx Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for
Stabbing Two Bouncers, One Fatally, Outside of Gowanus Club
Defendant Pleaded Guilty to Manslaughter in October
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Bronx man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for stabbing two bouncers with a knife – killing one and wounding the other – after being kicked out of a party in Gowanus.
District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This was a senseless and escalatory act of violence that cost a man his life. The defendant has admitted his guilt and will now have to live with the disastrous consequences of his actions.”
The District Attorney identified the defendant as Jose Velasco, 22, of the Morrisania section of the Bronx. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun to 20 years in prison and five years’ post-release supervision. The defendant pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter on October 16, 2024.
The District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, on February 26, 2022, at approximately 10:35 p.m., the defendant was kicked out of a party at a club located at 168 7th Street in Gowanus after acting aggressively. Outside of the venue, the defendant got into a verbal dispute with three of the club’s bouncers, two of whom punched the defendant in the head and face. The defendant took a step backward and removed a kitchen knife from his waistband. He stabbed one of the bouncers, 21, in the back. The defendant then chased the third bouncer, Marvin Pretto, 25, into the street, and stabbed him in the chest.
Pretto sustained injuries to a major blood vessel and his heart. He was taken to Brooklyn Methodist Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The 21-year-old victim was also taken to Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. He was later transferred to Stony Brook Medical Center and treated for his injuries which included a laceration to the liver.
Furthermore, according to the evidence, the defendant was stopped by police approximately an hour later near the intersection of 2nd Avenue and 13th Street in Gowanus. As officers approached, the defendant dropped the blood-stained kitchen knife onto the ground. He was brought back to the club and identified by an eyewitness.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Joseph Mancino, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Leila Rosini, Bureau Chief.
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