Galasso Loses Last Appeal To Two-Year Suspension

Joel Stashenko

New York Law Journal

02-21-2013

Long Island divorce attorney Peter Galasso soon will begin serving a two-year suspension after losing his second challenge of that penalty for failing to detect his brother Anthony's embezzlement of millions of dollars from clients of Galasso, Langione, Catterson & LoFrumento. Anthony Galasso was the firm's bookkeeper.

Without comment in Matter of Galasso, 2013-60, the state Court of Appeals denied Galasso's appeal of his suspension by the Appellate Division, Second Department. Galasso had asked the court to reconsider the suspension as "unduly harsh" (NYLJ, Jan. 11). The suspension will go into effect five days after he receives notice of entry of the court's determination, said Galasso's attorney, Jeffrey Catterson. Catterson said Galasso would be using his "analytical and writing skills" in a "non-law related business venture" for the next two years.

The Court of Appeals last year upheld most of the charges against Galasso (NYLJ, Oct. 24, 2012) but sent the matter back to the Second Department to reconsider whether he failed to comply fully with the Ninth Judicial District Grievance Committee's demands for information. The Second Department came back with the identical two-year suspension (NYLJ, Dec. 20). Galasso again appealed only to be rebuffed on Feb. 19 for a second and final time. Several local bar groups supported him, arguing he was unreasonably being punished for the criminal activities of his brother, but the Second Department said he had violated his fiduciary duty by providing inadequate supervision of an employee of his firm. In a statement, Galasso, Langione, Catterson & LoFrumento said "we were able to cast light on a disciplinary process that could stand to be reworked to afford the bar greater due process protections."