TOPIC: a darwin in Rochester....it takes two.

One of two brothers charged with robbing a Gates hair salon is now accused of trying to have the salon’s owner killed.

Dennis W. Tortorice and his girlfriend, Robin E. Jordain, pleaded not guilty today to a felony of second-degree conspiracy alleging that they attempted to hire a hit man to kill the owner, removing him as a witness.
Tortorice, 43, of Rochester, allegedly met at the Monroe County Jail with an undercover police officer who posed as a hitman.

Jordain, 39, allegedly did surveillance of the hair salon to find out when the owner was present.

County Court Judge John L. DeMarco ordered Tortorice held without bail pending his appearance Monday before a judge who is permanently assigned to the case. The judge kept bail for Jordain at $10,000 cash or $30,000 bond.

If convicted of conspiracy, Tortorice and Jordain could be ordered to prison for up to 25 years.
The indictment alleges that Tortorice and Jordain conspired to commit first-degree murder — a murder-for-hire — from Jan. 3 to Jan. 26.
Tortorice’s lawyer, Rob Lamb, said he was shocked by the new charge.“People take things out of context all the time,” Lamb said. “I’m not sure what my client may have said.”

(Seeing all this was in the jail "Visiting" section of the county jail, I am pretty sure it was all recorded and video taped, rather surprised it not on Youtube all ready!)
Jordain’s lawyer, Jan Egger, said he’s waiting for the prosecution to hand over evidence, including any purported statements made by his client.

“I have no information at all as to what kind of evidence they have,” he said.
Tortorice and his brother, Richard J. Tortorice, 42, of Henrietta, allegedly tried to rob Sam’s Hair Studio on Elmgrove Road on Nov. 26. In a statement to police after his arrest, Dennis Tortorice said he and his brother pulled the robbery to buy Christmas gifts. “Times are tough and we needed money,” he said, according to court documents.

Although the robbers(as in two) were armed with a sawed-off shotgun, the alone 69-year-old owner fought back with a tire iron, allegedly (see insert above) hitting Dennis Tortorice in the face and giving him a black eye. Dennis Tortorice was arrested at the shop and Richard Tortorice was arrested three days later.