Syracuse police can’t get the kind of cooperation they’d like to get from witnesses to capital crimes. Take for instance, the Dec. 29 murder of Tramarra Harrell, a.k.a. Booga, who was reportedly stabbed to death during a closing-time altercation at The Wet Spot, 950 Spencer St.

No one’s talking.

If it’s any consolation, this unfortunate trend is not unique to Syracuse.

[Sad stats]

The national Police Executive Research Forum recently surveyed 76 departments across the country. The forum found that 78 percent of those agencies encountered reluctant witnesses while investigating serious crime, resulting in 45 percent fewer closed cases.

Ironically, Harrell himself stonewalled the cops during a previous probe. Nineteen days before he was stabbed to death, Booga was charged with felony hindering prosecution after the Nov. 26 gunshot death of 28-year-old DuUwezo Ross.

Silence simply sustains the vicious cycle. And the fear of reprisal sustains the silence. And on and on and on.

[Still unsolved]

Sometimes the silence extends over decades.

On Feb. 12, 1991 Michael Nappi and Ronald Lardeo were bludgeoned to death inside Lardeo’s auto shop on the edge of downtown, at 413 S. West St.

Nappi, who lived in Camillus, had stopped into Lardeo’s shop to get his car repaired. Another customer found Nappi, 40, and Laredo, 33, with their heads bashed in a few hours later.

A Syracuse Police captain said “We always thought we’d get information on this case, and we never did.”

What they did find months later were Lardeo’s beeper and wallet tossed on the shore of Onondaga Lake in the town of Geddes.

These aren’t the only unsolved cases in town, but if you know anything about any of them, consider breaking the sound of silence. Call the SPD criminal investigation division at 442-5222.

‘Romance’ blooms

When playwright David Mamet reflects on romance, you can be sure that the dialogue will be peppered with profanity and the characters will be whacked. So it is in the ongoing Rarely Done Productions’ staging of Mamet’s “Romance,” running Friday and Saturday, April 11-12, at Jazz Central 441 E. Washington St., downtown. Admission costs $20; 546-3224.

The play, directed by Judith Harris, features Edward Mastin, Bob Rogers, John Brackett. Alan Stillman , John LoFaro, Brian Pringle and Thomas Minion as The

Judge.

[Ripcords see Action]

The neo-rockabilly group the Fabulous Ripcords and a new local band called The Action will send their music over the airwaves at 9 p.m. Sunday April 13, when TK99’s “Sound Check” hosted by Syracuse Area Music Awards Hall of Famer Dave Frisina is broadcast live from Redhouse, 201 S. West St., on the outskirts of Armory Square; 425-0405.

[Rematch likely Saturday for Lake Meadow maulers]

When the Binghamton Senators faced off against the Syracuse Crunch April 2 at the War Memorial, two old foes decided to duke it out.

Crunch left-winger Jon “Nasty” Mirasty grew up in Meadow Lake. Saskatchewan, a tiny town of about 5,000 in the northwestern region of that northwestern Canadian province. Senators right-winger Jeremy Yablonski also came up in Meadow Lake.

Yablonski is about a year older than the 26-year-old Mirasty and he’s bigger too. Yablonski stands three inches taller than his 5-foot-10-inch Crunch nemesis and outweighs him by 12 pounds.

No matter.

The Mohawk-headed Mirasty welcomes the action. He always manages to hold his own, even against brawnier opponents.

Mirasty and Yablonski have honed a rivalry that dates back two decades to when they were both tough little tykes lacing up their skates on Meadow Lake.

On April 2, Mirasty and Yablonski waved off the linesmen so they could continue boxing during the Crunch 4-1 victory and will probably fight again when the B-Sens descend upon the War Memorial for the last time this season, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 12.

The Crunch, presently on a franchise record-breaking win streak, then finish their home season against the Hamilton Bulldogs at 5 p.m. Sunday April 13; $13 to $18; 473-4444.

[Calder Cup dark horse]

Depending on which team wins home-ice advantage, the first round of the American Hockey league playoffs will pit the Syracuse Crunch against the Manitoba Moose, either April 17 in Manitoba or April 18 at the War Memorial.

If the Crunch can ride the momentum they’ve created in the last third of the season, they could go all the way to claim the Calder Cup.

[‘Walk Hard’ rocks]

The rock’n’roll parody film “Walk Hard” starring John C. Reilly, will be screened at 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday April 3 to 6, by University Union Cinemas, at Syracuse University. Showings are Thursday and Sunday at the Goldstein Student Center on South Campus, and Friday and Saturday at Gifford Auditorium, on the SU Quad.

The screen satire was mostly panned by critics, but its Beatles send-up alone should be worth the price of admission. Admission is free; 443-2344.

[‘Jerk Framed’]

Spark Contemporary Art Space will celebrate five years of good work by Jerk, the Syracuse University humor and pop culture magazine.

An exhibit called “Jerk Framed” will be unveiled at 8 p.m. Friday April 11, at Spark Space, 1005 E Fayette St., just east of downtown.

Music will continue until midnight courtesy of DJ AKO, Minutes Per Second and Anorexic Beauty Queen. Admission costs $5.

Meanwhile, check out the Jerk Facebook event at facebook.com/event.php?eid=11222569086.

Central New York journalist Russ Tarby has been writing about entertainment, crime, sports and politics since the 1970s He can be reached at russtarbynetscape.net.