Suspects caught with tenderloins in their pants

Suspects caught with tenderloins in their pants

MILFORD -- They dropped two tenderloins as they fled and returned two others, but two men who tried to steal $400 worth of meat from a supermarket this week still almost got away.

Geoffrey S. Pironti, 38, of 48 South Bow St., Milford, and Peter M. Gentilotti, 38, of 134 Main St., Upton, were arrested Monday at Pironti's home after a bystander gave police a license plate number. Each was charged with larceny over $250 and will be arraigned tomorrow.

"Most customers are willing to offer help," Hannaford Supermarket Manager Anthony Guinta said. "Most don't want to be involved, but customers are pretty helpful in observing."

The pair approached the butcher at the Hannaford Supermarket on Rte. 109 about 3:30 p.m. and asked for $400 worth of tenderloin to be cut, police said. Guinta headed to the area to oversee the transaction and caught Pironti tucking wrapped tenderloins in his jacket and spotted Gentilotti limping down an aisle, with two large bulges at the bottom of his pants.

The two made it outside and ran into the woods and to a nearby store before taking off in a car, police said. Gentilotti actually pulled two tenderloins out of his pants and handed it back to Guinta before leaving and two tenderloins were found discarded on a store shelf near baby diapers, police said.

Police found no meat at Pironti's home when they arrested the two.

As for the rest of it, the tenderloins found in the store were put back out for sale, but not the ones Gentilotti stuffed in his pants, Guinta said.

"We didn't use those ones at all," he said. "Those left the store."