Tick Tock Diner Manager Released on $600K Bail

The manager of the Tick Tock Diner charged with hiring a hitman to kill his uncle is free after posting $600,000 bail Tuesday, NorthJersey.com reported.

Georgios Spyropoulos, 45, of Clifton, was charged with conspiracy to commit murder, attempt to commit murder and unlawful possession of a weapon in April. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In an effort to advance himself financially, Spyropoulos hired a man who turned out to be a confidential informant for the state police, to kill his uncle Alexandros Sgourdos, co-owner of the famous Clifton Diner.

A trooper played a would-be assassin after authorities began investigating Spyropoulos.

The trooper was told by Spyropoulos to make his uncle's body disappear, so any ensuing investigation would be treated as a missing persons case instead of a homicide, authorities said in April.

Authorities said Spyropoulos had hoped the "hit man" would torture his uncle for the combination to a safe so he could steal a large amount of cash, kill him, and dispose of the body. 

The man was also under orders to kill Sgourdos' wife, who should have been at home at the time of the murder.