Salvatore Strazzullo, the New York lawyer notorious for his colorful client list and personal scandals, was found dead in his car outside his parents’ Brooklyn home on Saturday. He was 52. The circumstances of his death remain unclear, and the cause of death has not yet been determined, the NY Post reported.
“Nightlife advocate”
Strazzullo, who earned the nickname “the nightlife lawyer” for his penchant for cases involving celebrities and embarrassing circumstances, faced several ongoing criminal cases for allegedly exploiting elderly clients for millions of dollars.
Famous Clientele
In 2011, Strazzullo defended rapper Foxy Brown in a case in which she was accused of showing her underwear to a neighbor with whom she was in a dispute. Strazzullo was willing to invoke the “underwear defense” if the case went to trial, arguing that his client simply wasn’t wearing any underwear that day. However, the case was ultimately dismissed.
In another case, Strazzullo represented Milana Dravnel, an exotic dancer who sued Oscar de la Hoya for $100 million in 2007. The case involved revealing photos of the boxing legend in her underwear that Ms. Dravnel sold to a West Coast photo agency for $70,000. De la Hoya’s team claimed the photos were doctored.
Personal scandals
The notorious lawyer has struggled with numerous legal problems throughout his career, including allegations of sexual harassment and criminal charges of theft and fraud.
In 2011, Desiree DeMartino, a former paralegal and clerk, filed a sexual harassment complaint against Strazzullo in federal court in Brooklyn. The suit alleged that Strazzullo held Ms. DeMartino captive in a conference room, masturbated in front of her, and engaged in other inappropriate acts, including forcibly kissing her and touching her breasts.
Strazzullo was recently charged with theft and fraud, accusing him of misusing his trust account to fund a lavish lifestyle. In April, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez alleged that Strazzullo ran a Ponzi scheme in which he used funds from one client to pay off another while amassing tens of thousands of dollars at upscale restaurants and hotels. Prosecutors also alleged that he spent the stolen money on luxury items such as a $100,000 BMW and a $13,000 apartment.
Strazzullo pleaded not guilty to several counts of grand larceny and attempted fraud, but the evidence against him was strong. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez condemned Strazzullo’s actions, saying he stole the “nest egg” of senior citizens who trusted him.
At the time of his death, two criminal cases against Strazzullo were still pending, including another for the alleged theft of $1.5 million from three clients.
