In what appears to be the bloody conclusion of a long standing feud, two Bayonne brothers have been charged in the stabbing death of a third Bayonne man outside a Staten Island nightclub on Feb. 11.

Mario Batalla-Hernandez, 19, allegedly stabbed Gabriel Acristain, 34 in the chest and arm outside La Buena Vida nightclub in Staten Island.

Hernandez has been charged with second-degree murder. Charges against Alejandro Torres-Hernandez, 25, Batalla-Hernandez's brother, were reduced to second-degree assault.

Bill Smith, press person for the Staten Island District Attorney, said additional arrests are still possible, although no information is available at this time.

The fatal incident apparently began earlier on Sunday during a wedding reception in Bayonne when two groups of men fought. Smith said the details of that conflict are still under investigation.

Bayonne Police Director Mark Smith said units were dispatched to the Polish American Home on reports of a fight. Apparently the fight at the Bayonne wedding spilled over into Staten Island where the stabbing occurred.

Police claim the brothers may have been driving passed the club when they spotted the victim, and that Alejandro Hernandez allegedly jumped out of the vehicle-renewing the fight from earlier in the day. Police said the men shouted at each other, and then allegedly started fist fighting. Mario Hernandez allegedly jumped into the fray and allegedly stabbed the victim in the chest and arm. The two men allegedly fled but not before an eyewitness took the license plate number.

"When we were alerted by the New York police about the vehicle, we notified our units," Smith said. "We were able to locate the vehicle."

Ironically, Mario Hernandez and the victim, Acristian, live less than a block away from each other.

Although not available to comment for this account, relatives of the two accused brothers have been quoted in other reports that the conflict started because the brothers allegedly defended themselves against the victim, who allegedly wielded a pipe. Although the relatives do not deny the stabbing, they believe someone other than Mario Hernandez may have done it.

Police claim the case may have roots in an older conflict that between Mario Hernandez and the victim over a romantic entanglement that was exasperated at the Feb. 11 wedding.

Smith said Bayonne is cooperating fully with the investigation.

"We're giving the detectives whatever they need to work this out," he said.

Since the alleged crime occurred in Staten Island, the New York City police are in charge of the investigation.

email to Al Sull ivan