Bank Robber Called Persistent in 1998 Did It Yet Again in 2026 Detained in 100 Centre St

Bank Robber Called Persistent in 1998 Did It Yet Again in 2026 Detained in 100 Centre St by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack 100 CENTRE ST, April 2 –  Sal Travella was convicted of bank robbery back in 1998 and was sentenced to 133 months in Otisville by U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Jed S. Rakoff.   On December 21, 2023 Travella was brought into the SDNY Magistrates Court. Inner City Press was there, the only media in the Mag Court, and looked Travella up. He was also involved in a 1991 robbery; the tabloids snarked that he "may not be the city's smartest bank robber, but he certainly may be one of the most persistent."   But he's still around, still a contender, albeit locked up now on consent awaiting a hearing before Judge Rakoff. There more, much more, on Substack here On December 29 the US Attorney's Office wrote in seeking two years  for a 2014 armed robbery - with an imitation gun - at a jewelry store inside of a casino in Atlantic City. The Federal Defenders wants six months in a submission some of which we'll leave unreported, except for Compulsive Gambling Disorder. On January 9, Judge Rakoff held the session, and sentenced Travella to one year in prison with no more supervision. Inner City Press was there and live tweeted, thread here: AUSA: He'll do it again. Judge Rakoff: I don't doubt it. But what does it matter if it's in 6 months or 2 years? I trust he'd be caught again. Travellla: I had $100 and a bus ticket when I got out. Now I'm 61. Judge Rakoff: I'm 80. I find your character attractive  Travella: I just wanna find a nice lady and have some kids. If I had, I would have had something to lose. Judge Rakoff: You could have suffered so much less. I sentence you to one year in prison. We wished him well. Then one day, April 2, 2026 while covering APAR-1 in 100 Centre Street, a man we recognized, barely, was led in. It was for a bank robbery, pretending to have a gun, the same M.O. And the same result, even in state court: detention, unable at least for now to come up with the $20,000 bail. He could have been a contender - and still could be. Watch this site. The Federal case was US v. Travella, 99-cr-1055 (Rakoff)  *** Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron. Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com SDNY Press Room 480, front cubicle 500 Pearl Street, NY NY 10007 USA Mail: Box 20047, Dag Hammarskjold Station NY NY 10017 Reporter's mobile (and weekends): 718-716-3540 Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.  Copyright 2006-2024 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com