Pennsylvania pizzeria owner Anna Tolomello was charged Thursday for the March 16 murder of her business partner and common law husband Giovanni Gallina.
Police launched their investigation after Gallina’s son reported that his father missing. Police found Gallina’s body wrapped in a blue tarp in the master bedroom during the execution of their search warrant Tuesday, Fox29 reported.
When police arrived at Tolomello’s residence with a search warrant, she reportedly told police that she shot Gallina in self-defense. She then alleged Gallina was strangling her while she was in bed, according to ABC 6 News.
Tolomello admitted to issuing a cash payment of $350 to an individual in exchange for having a hole dug in the ground, roughly 20 feet away from her residence, according to ABC 6 News. Tolomello also admitted that the hole was dug for Gallina, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Murder Increased Nationwide By Record Rate In 2020 As Police Employment Fell, FBI Report Shows)
Tolomello admitted to asking an individual for recommendations on “tricks” to eliminate what was described as a skunk smell in her garage, according to ABC 6 News. The “skunk smell” was, in fact, Gallina’s body, the outlet reported.
Anna Maria Tolomello told authorities she killed Giovanni Gallina in self-defense. https://t.co/coJVqn9hsI
— ActionNewsJax (@ActionNewsJax) March 31, 2022
Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub described the incident as “something you would see straight out of the movies, in an attempt to eliminate any evidence of his existence,” according to Fox29.
Tolomeo is currently in police custody and is being held without bail for several charges including criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse and related offenses, according to ABC 6 News.
A hearing has been scheduled for April 19.