Ridgefield Pizzeria Mogul Sentenced For Tax Offense

RIDGEFIELD, CT—A Ridgefield man who owns several pizzerias in Stamford and Greenwich, as well as in Westchester, N.Y., was sentenced to 30 days in prison for a federal tax offense, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced on Thursday. The sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release.

Bruno DiFabio, 51, has various ownership interests included Pinocchio Pizza in New Canaan, Wilton and Pound Ridge NY; Amore Pizza in Scarsdale, NY; Amore Cucina and Bar in Stamford; and ReNapoli Pizza in Old Greenwich. Amore Cucina and Bar in Stamford; ReNapoli Pizza, in Old Greenwich; Pinocchio Pizza in New Canaan, Wilton, and Pound Ridge, N.Y.; and Amore Pizza in Scarsdale, N.Y.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut, DiFabio and his business partner in some restaurants, Steven Cioffi, engaged in a practice where cash was removed from the cash register and not deposited into the restaurant’s operating bank account.

The businesses’ outside bookkeeper and accountant used the bank records to determine business gross receipts. When cash was removed from the register and not deposited into the business bank account, the cash would not be reported to the Internal Revenue Service.

Cioffi was sentenced late last month to 30 days in prison followed by one year of supervised release.

"DiFabio and Cioffi also knew that certain employees had their wages paid in cash, and that a certain number of the employees were paid either a portion or the entirety of their wages 'off the books,'" said Leonard C. Boyle, acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, in a news release.

"By paying various expenses in cash and 'off the books,' DiFabio, Cioffi and others facilitated the manipulation of net income reported to the IRS and the underpayment of withholding taxes to the IRS."

As a result of the scheme, the loss to the IRS in income taxes and employment taxes for the 2013 through 2015 tax years was $816,954. Boyle noted that DiFabio has paid approximately $125,000 in restitution to date, and he has agreed to provide additional assets, including interests in his home and businesses, to make full restitution.

The loss to the IRS in income taxes and employment taxes for the 2013 through 2015 tax years attributable to Cioffi’s conduct in this scheme was $122,177.59. He was ordered to make full restitution.

In October, DiFabio pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to file false income tax returns and payroll tax returns

DiFabio, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on July 12, 2021.

In June of 2019, Idalecia Lopes Santos, the businesses’ bookkeeper, pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. In March, she was sentenced to three years of probation.

In January of this year, James Guerra, the businesses’ accountant, pleaded guilty to one count of willful failure to collect and pay over withholding taxes. He awaits sentencing.