Gerard Asaro, of Mastic, charged after trying to return WWII replica pistol he stole from Museum of American Armor, police say

A Mastic man faces charges after he attempted to return a replica World War II pistol that he stole from The Museum of American Armor in Old Bethpage, Nassau police said.

Gerard Asaro, 71, of Coventry Avenue, was arrested at 2:40 p.m. Wednesday without incident after he arrived at the museum to return the pistol, officials said. 

The replica was damaged while in his possession after Asaro attempted to convert the replica into a functioning weapon, police and museum officials said.

According to officials, the news coverage following the pistol's disappearance Friday caused Asaro to call the museum, telling a volunteer there that he was planning to return the item, assuming the museum would not press charges, said Gary Lewi, museum vice president.

A museum official contacted Nassau police, who arrived at the museum in an unmarked car to await his arrival, officials said.

When Asaro pulled into the parking lot, he was confronted by police and taken into custody; his car was also impounded, officials said.

Lewi said the museum had no role in determining whether Asaro would be charged, a decision made by police.

The recovered replica was damaged after Asaro tried to make the pistol functional.

"There’s no scenario where by which you could make this gun functional," Lewi said. "I have no idea what he was thinking."

The pistol, a nonfunctioning replica Colt 1911A1, was removed from a mannequin’s holster and slipped into the pocket of Asaro's shorts before he left the building, according to police.

The museum on Round Swamp Road used the replica to represent a type of weapon the United States issued to Black soldiers during World War II, museum officials said. Black soldiers were issued different weapons than those of their white counterparts.

Asaro was charged with third-degree criminal mischief and petit larceny. He was released on an appearance ticket and is scheduled to appear June 24 at First District Court in Hempstead, police said.

"It’s sad, but while it is a cautionary experience for the Armor Museum it will not divert us from how we exhibit our assets, why we present them to the public, and the importance of telling the story of those who have defended our freedoms," Lewi said.