Sep. 3—The former Manchester firefighter who raped four women and terrorized the community he worked in for years was sentenced Friday to 25 years in prison.
Vernon Superior Court Judge Kathleen McNamara said that was the maximum sentence she was allowed to give Angelo Alleano Jr., although she acknowledged it wasn't enough.
"No amount of prison will be enough for you," she told Alleano.
"The damage you did is incredible," she said.
The sentence was part of a plea deal that called for Alleano, to plead guilty to four counts of first-degree sexual assault. He will have to remain on special parole for 10 years once he leaves prison.
Alleano, 49, was arrested in 2020 in connection with a string of sexual assaults dating back almost two decades. Use of DNA found at the crime scenes helped police tie Alleano to the rape of an 84-year-old woman in Manchester in August 2001, the December 2004 rape of a 57-year-old woman, the March 2007 rape of a 37-year-old Manchester resident, and in 2008, the rape of a 61-year-old woman in Vernon.
Prosecutor Jaclyn Preville said that in each case Alleano targeted women who were home alone, or home with another person who wasn't able to protect them, such as a child or elderly family member.
If others were present, he would threaten to harm them, such as in the case of a 37-year-old single mother in Manchester, whose young son was sleeping in a bedroom across the hall. Alleano threatened to return and harm her son if she called police, Preville said.
Alleano grew emboldened as time went on and he wasn't caught, Preville said. From his first assault in 2001 to his final assault in 2008, Alleano spent more time at each home, and began using more elaborate disguises beyond wearing a mask. On one occasion he faked an accent, said Preville.
She said Alleano was the "ultimate predator" because he used his standing in the community to hide in plain sight, and used the training he received as a firefighter to aid in the commission of the crimes.
Alleano committed one of the most heinous crimes possible against a woman, and in the process stole from them a sense of security, their privacy, and their bodily autonomy, said Preville.
Three of Alleano's four victims are no longer alive, and never got the chance to see their attacker brought to justice, but some family members were in the courtroom Friday, and a victim advocate read statements they had written. One statement was written by one of the women's sons, who was 6-years-old when his mother was attacked.
He wrote how his relationship with his mother changed after that night, as his mother struggled to deal with the trauma of what had happened. The attack ultimately led his mother to experience a rapid decline in health, and she died in 2016, he wrote.
In addition, he continues to suffer trauma from the night, particularly in the form of fear of the dark, the man wrote.
The victim's advocate also read aloud statements written by the woman's parents, who recalled the hysterical phone call they received from their daughter that night, and their feeling of helplessness afterward, because they hadn't been able to protect her.
Alleano's Lawyer, Frank Canace, didn't attempt to downplay his client's actions or argue for a lesser sentence.
"These are horrible crimes," Canace said. "What he did to the victims is inexcusable".
Canace mostly tried to allay the grief of the victims and their families by pointing out that in addition to spending a long time in prison, Alleano will spend the rest of his days punishing himself in his own mind.
Alleano's family is devastated and broken, and he has to live with that, Canace said.
McNamara added to that, telling Alleano that he was his own victim.
"This is going to be your legacy," she said.
For breaking news and happenings in North Central Connecticut, follow Matthew Knox on Twitter: @MatthewPKnoxJI, and Facebook: Matthew P. Knox JI.
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