After winning $1,000 in pull-tabs at northeast Minneapolis bar, man survives robbery, eight gunshots

A man who won $1,000 playing pull-tabs at a northeast Minneapolis bar was shot eight times and survived after two men followed him to another restaurant and robbed him of his winnings.

Anthony Clifford Ferrara, 34, and Charles Jesse Schroedl, 38, both of Minneapolis, were charged Monday in Hennepin County District Court. They face charges of first-degree assault causing great bodily harm and first-degree aggravated robbery.

A staff member at the Vegas Lounge, who wished to remain anonymous out of concern for their safety, said the victim was known to just drink grapefruit juice and play pull-tabs. “He wasn’t a boozer,” the employee said, adding it was a relief to hear police had identified the suspects.

According to court documents:

Ferrara and Schroedl went to the Vegas Lounge on Aug. 13 and asked a patron who was playing pull-tabs how much he had won. When the man said he didn’t have to tell them anything, Ferrara and Schroedl became upset. The man later won $1,000 and left the bar with a friend and drove to have dinner at a restaurant near Monroe Street and 15th Avenue NE. Ferrara and Schroedl followed.

When the man got out of his car, Ferrara and Schroedl approached and Schroedl demanded that he “give me that bag.” While the man was taking off a cross-body bag, Ferrara shot him. The victim was shot four times in the left leg, twice in the right leg and twice in the abdomen.

An off-duty EMT nearby heard the gunshots and rushed over to help until police and paramedics arrived and took the victim to HCMC.

Three days later, police found Ferrara sleeping in a car in an alley in south Minneapolis. Ferrara had an outstanding warrant for illegally possessing a firearm and was arrested. Inside the car, police found a handgun and an AR-style pistol. While being transported to jail, Ferrara told officers he had taken fentanyl.

Both men have lengthy criminal histories. Ferrara has felony convictions for first-degree burglary, making terroristic threats, fifth-degree drug possession and illegally possessing a firearm. Schroedl has misdemeanor convictions for second-degree assault and multiple instances of violating a domestic abuse no-contact order. He also was charged with fleeing a peace office and DWI in February when police attempted to pull him over for erratic driving on Hwy. 62. Schroedl sped away, reaching 95 miles per hour before ditching his car, getting arrested and admitting to medical staff that he had taken fentanyl.