You are reading

Man Convicted of Murder in 2011 Road Rage Shooting in Kew Gardens

iStock

Jan. 19, 2018 By Tara Law

A man who shot two brothers—killing one of them—in a 2011 road rage incident in Kew Gardens was convicted yesterday and faces a maximum of 50 years to life in prison, according to the Queens District Attorney’s office.

George Cupi, 54, of Shelton, Connecticut, was convicted of a number of charges including second-degree murder and second-degree attempted murder. He will be sentenced on Feb. 5.

Cupi, according to the Queens DA, shot the men after a dispute erupted after he double parked his van on Austin Street near 84th Road on the evening of July 14, 2011.

Victim Jovanny Adames, 31, was driving along Austin Street and was blocked behind Cupi’s van. He beeped his horn a few times to get Cupi to move so he could pass. When Cupi did not move the van, Adames hopped out of his car and the two men started to argue.

Adames’ brother, Roberto Adames, 25, heard the commotion and got involved. The three men argued until Cupi drove away.

Cupi then drove back a few minutes later. He caught up with the brothers who were sitting at Eight Oaks Triangle park near the incident and pulled out a .38 caliber revolver and started shooting.

He shot Roberto Adames in the chest three times, killing him. Jovanny Adames was shot in the face and the bullet lodged in his brain, but he survived.

Cupi remained at large until 2015. Connecticut law enforcement arrested him after receiving an anonymous letter that said Cupi had committed a murder in Kew Gardens in 2011.

“This was a senseless shooting,” said Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown. “The traffic dispute had ended and the defendant…instead of letting it go, he returned just minutes later to the same street. He shot both men as they sat in a park.”

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Armed suspects impersonating Amazon workers invade Whitestone home, Paladino urges gun rights

A family was held at gunpoint during a violent home invasion Monday morning in Whitestone, prompting Council Member Vickie Paladino to urge residents to arm themselves in order to protect their homes and families.

According to police, two armed men posing as Amazon delivery workers forced their way into a residence near 12th Avenue and 152nd Street around 7 a.m. The suspects entered through an unlocked door shortly after a 15-year-old daughter left for school.

Queens Borough president honors Guyana’s brightest at inaugural Independence Celebration

Jun. 10, 2025 By Tangerine Clarke

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, on May 29, thanked nationals for serving the borough as first responders, teachers, healthcare heroes, frontline workers, and community leaders during his administration’s inaugural Guyana Independence commemoration and awards ceremony in the historic Helen Marshall Cultural Center, located in the lower level of the municipal building.

Forest Hills hacker gets 25 months for breaching law enforcement portal and extorting victims: Feds

A Queens cyber criminal and his co-defendant from Rhode Island were each sentenced to more than two years in federal prison for aggravated identity theft and computer hacking crimes.

Nicholas Ceraolo, 27, of Forest Hills, and Sagar Steven Singh, 21, of Pawtucket, pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court last June to hacking a law enforcement database and posing as police officers to defraud social media companies.