A plastic surgeon who practices on the Upper East Side was arrested in Westchester this week, after police say they discovered a vehicle packed with loaded assault rifles and ballistic armor in the course of responding to a domestic incident.
Witnesses told police that they overheard Matthew Bonnano, a 47-year-old Long Island resident, talking about harming his estranged wife and young daughter while outside Growler's Beer Bistro in Tuckahoe on Monday night. When officers arrived, they discovered Bonnano was carrying a loaded firearm, and arrested him.
His BMW was later found parked outside his wife's nearby home. Police say the vehicle was stocked with five fully-loaded assault rifles, three handguns,1,600 rounds of ammunition, a stun gun, body armor, a ballistic helmet, face masks, brass knuckles, knives and other paraphernalia. Possessing an assault weapon is illegal in New York state.
Items recovered from Bonnano's vehicle (Courtesy of Tuckahoe PD)
"The magnitude of the weapons and other paraphernalia found is of great concern to us," Chief John Costanzo said at a press conference on Wednesday. "We don't have to think too far back as to what type of weapons these are and what kind of damage they can do."
Bonnano appears to practice plastic surgery from an office on East 77th Street. He was previously listed on staff at Sono Bello in Murray Hill, which focuses on "laser liposuction and body contouring." Requests for comment at both locations went unanswered.
He reportedly has a DUI from an earlier incident.
Following the arrest, police obtained warrants for Bonnano's primary residence in Great Neck, Long Island, as well as a second home in Mount Pleasant. They said that yet more illegal weapons were found at both locations
Bonnano was arraigned on Tuesday and hit with multiple weapons charges. He was remanded without bail at a Westchester County jail and his next court date is August 20th.
With Jen Chung.
