Man guilty in fatal stabbing outside club
A West Babylon man has been convicted of stabbing a 22-year-old man to death outside an Elmhurst nightclub after the two got into an argument over a woman.
Queens prosecutors said John Lundi, 26, could face up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced Oct. 11. He was convicted Thursday of second-degree murder, first- and second-degree gang assault, second-degree assault, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and tampering with evidence.
Three other people had pleaded guilty to their roles in the attack on Christopher Cotto, 22, of Brooklyn. They are awaiting sentencing.
"Such a senseless act of violence demonstrates that he is a threat to society and deserving of a lengthy prison sentence," Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown said in a statement.
Lundi's lawyer, Jorge Santos, of Forest Hills, said he was disappointed by the verdict.
"I thought it was unfortunate," he said. "There were a lot of inconsistencies in the eyewitness testimony."
Prosecutors said Cotto and his girlfriend were leaving the Krystal Club sometime before 4 a.m. on Nov. 27, 2008, when Lundi made a remark to Cotto's girlfriend.
Cotto and Lundi got into an fistfight, which grew to include several of Lundi's friends.
During the fight, Lundi stabbed Cotto in the chest with a butterfly knife, killing him, prosecutors said.
Sarra Sounds Off, Ep. 25: Wrestling and hockey state championships On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," Gregg Sarra and Matt Lindsay recap all the state wrestling action from Albany this past weekend, plus Jared Valluzzi has the ice hockey championship results from Binghamton.
Sarra Sounds Off, Ep. 25: Wrestling and hockey state championships On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," Gregg Sarra and Matt Lindsay recap all the state wrestling action from Albany this past weekend, plus Jared Valluzzi has the ice hockey championship results from Binghamton.
