Who is John 'Tragedy' Pena? NYC gangster kills again after Staten Island shooting of rival
STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK CITY: John 'Tragedy' Pena, who is reportedly the leader of Staten Island's Gorilla Stone Mafia group, was at large after he was allegedly involved in the fatal shooting of a rival, only to return this week and commit a second murder, which took place on Tuesday, June 22, investigators said.
Mark Bajandas was fatally shot 18 times outside the Stapleton Houses on Hill St, and John "Tragedy" Pena, 29, the commander of a Bloods gang affiliate known as the Gorilla Stone Mafia, was charged for the killing on April 1.
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In March, a former member of an Italian mob was caught by police after he forgot to hide his unmistakable tattoos in cooking videos on YouTube. Last month, a man was killed outside Satin Dolls, a strip club made famous by The Sopranos.
Alleged Staten Island gang leader John Pena is said to be linked to two murders federal prosecutors allege. https://t.co/FY8pcE2Ube
— The Tornado News (@TheTornadoNews) June 23, 2021
Who is John 'Tragedy' Pena?
John Pena, 29, is from Stapleton. He is the suspected leader of Staten Island’s Gorilla Stone Mafia gang and is also known as “Tragedy” and “Donn Tragg". Pena has past state convictions dating back to 2008 for assault, attempted assault, and attempted robbery. Although he is not yet accused of each murder, court documents reveal his alleged involvement, according to The New York Post.
In July 2012, Pena was sentenced to 22 years in prison for a vicious slashing done the previous year in Stapleton, according to Silive. Pena, then 20, was convicted with Timothy Palmer, 19, in the July 26 attack. Pena allegedly demanded, "Give us your cell phone", and attempted to take the item from the victim's grip. He then proceeded to pin the man down and savagely attack him with a box-cutter.
Pena was sentenced to three years in state prison and two years of post-release supervision after pleading guilty to attempted second-degree robbery in 2009. According to public records reported by the news outlet, he was conditionally released on June 22, 2011.
This year, the first murder occurred in the early hours of March 10 at Stapleton Houses on the North Shore, immediately after a vigil for a killed member of GSM, a subset of the Bloods faction Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation. Pena "fired more than 10 gunshots from close range," authorities said, killing 26-year-old Bajandas, who was also a former GSM member. On April 1, a warrant for Pena's arrest was issued, but prosecutors stated he “fled shortly after he committed the murder … and remained a fugitive for several weeks."
He reappeared on Staten Island early Tuesday to allegedly kill once more, this time, his victim being one Francesco Gonzalez. Despite the fact that the court documents do not go into depth about the second murder, a law enforcement source confirmed that they were referring to 23-year-old Gonzalez's fatal shooting in the head-on early Tuesday, June 22, inside his house on Stanley Avenue in New Brighton. Gonzalez was sleeping near his girlfriend, according to the Advance. Police are investigating a possible dispute over a relationship involving the woman.