Exclusive: Tony Bologna's widow discusses murders

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The Bay Area woman who lost her husband and two sons to a mistaken identity gang killing talked exclusively with ABC7 News. The killer, Edwin Ramos, was convicted two days ago. The grief-stricken wife and mother is now in the witness protection program.

Danielle Bologna says she lost her best friend when her husband Tony was killed. They were married for 22 years. She also lost her sons Michael, 20, and Matthew, who was 16. They were a close knit family.

"I was just appalled at the fact that there was no remorse whatsoever," Danielle said. "I don't even know who that person is. And that thing that took my family is not a person. I don't know what that is."

June 22, 2008, Tony, Michael, Matthew and a third son, Andrew were returning from a family picnic. As they drove down an Ingleside District street, the fatal shots rang out from a car driven by Ramos. Another MS-13 gangster was riding with him.

Andrew would survive and later testify in court, pointing out Ramos as the shooter.

Danielle says at first, everyone told her they were in an accident. But at the hospital, an officer gave her the bad news.

"He said, 'Danielle, Tony and Michael are dead,'" Danielle said. "I was like, 'This can't be happening,' and I thought 'Why me? What did i do to deserve this?'"

Matthew was shot in the head and was on life support until he died.

"When I looked at Matthew, I said, 'It's OK, you can go, I'll see you one day, I'll see you one day,'" Danielle said. "So I kissed his forehead and I let him go and he was gone.

The last four years have been difficult.

"I was in a daze and I didn't know, like, anybody in life could imagine losing half your family in one day and in five minutes," Danielle said.

She is now mom and dad to her 14-year-old daughter Nani and surviving son Andrew, who just graduated high school. They're still in the witness relocation program.

The passenger in the car that terrible day is still on the loose.

"Let's just say my life has been completely stripped," Danielle said. "Being in protective, its kind of hard. Because it's just not the same, you can't do what you want to do, we just can't go where we want to go."

Danielle told ABC7 News that about the hardships she's faced since the murders. She lost her home. Her husband was the breadwinner, so it destroyed her financial and personal security. And her children had to move away from their schools in San Francisco.

She says justice was achieved with the guilty verdict against Ramos. But she still feels it's not over because there's still someone else out there who should stand trial. But she says she's ready to start a new chapter in her life, live one day at a time and strive to be a good mother.

Get more San Francisco News »

shooting, crime, trials, murder, ramos trial, gang violence, san francisco news, vic lee

• Comment Now
• Email
• Print
• Report a typo
•