In the early morning hours of June 29, 2014, Stephen McMahon, a 42-year-old male, was shot in the face outside of his home on Amboy Road in the New Dorp section of Staten Island. Following the shooting, he was transported to Staten Island University Hospital in Ocean Breeze, where he remained in intensive care for two days before succumbing to his injuries on July 1, 2014.
At the time of his death, McMahon was a carpenter who had relocated to Staten Island from Brooklyn four years prior.
An investigation into the shooting led to the arrest of Steven Bonfiglio of Manalapan, New Jersey. The incident reportedly occurred after Bonfiglio had driven McMahon's girlfriend home from a bar where McMahon had been asked to leave. According to the defense, McMahon was waiting with a gun when Bonfiglio arrived. A struggle ensued, during which McMahon's gun reportedly jammed. The confrontation escalated, with McMahon allegedly striking Bonfiglio in the head with a hammer. It was then that Bonfiglio gained control of the firearm and shot McMahon.
Bonfiglio was subsequently indicted on charges of murder, manslaughter, weapon possession, and tampering with evidence. However, in March of 2016, a judge dismissed the murder and manslaughter charges against him. The dismissal was based on the grounds that 'gratuitous' testimony regarding motorcycle gangs had been improperly presented to the grand jury. The defense argued that the shooting was an act of self-defense and had no connection to motorcycle gangs.
Following the dismissal of the most serious charges, the Richmond County District Attorney's Office stated its intention to re-present the case to a new grand jury. At that time, Bonfiglio still faced the charges of gun possession and tampering with evidence. Information regarding the final disposition of these charges and whether the murder case was ever re-presented to a grand jury is not publicly available.
