Gerald Shargel
Birth nameGerald Lawrence Shargel
Birth dateOctober 5, 1944
Birth placeNew Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S.
Death dateJuly 16, 2022 (aged 77)
Death placeNew York City, U.S.
Known forLead attorney for multiple defendants, including Gambino crime family members John Gotti and Sammy Gravano
Education
OccupationTrial attorney (retired 2018),[1] law professor
SpouseTerry Krapes Shargel[2]

Gerald "Jerry" Lawrence Shargel (October 5, 1944 – July 16, 2022) was an American defense attorney who was based in New York City and generally considered one of the best criminal defense lawyers in the country.

Early life and education

Shargel was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, to Leo Shargel, a paint-and-wallpaper store proprietor, and Lillian Edenzon Shargel on October 5, 1944.[2][3] He attended Bound Brook High School and graduated in 1966 from Rutgers University, where his mother worked as one of its math department's secretaries, and in 1969 from Brooklyn Law School, joining the New York bar shortly thereafter.[2][4][5][6]

Career

Shargel was widely regarded as one of the best criminal defense attorneys in New York.[7][8] A 1998 profile in The New York Times referred to him as "regarded on Centre Street as a brilliant tactician and a very good trial lawyer with a successful white-collar practice".[9] In receiving the Thurgood Marshall Award for Outstanding Criminal Law Practitioner by the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in 2006, he was referred to as "one of the most brilliant criminal defense attorneys in America… quite possibly the finest of his generation".[10]

In a 1991 federal case against the Gambino crime family, Shargel was initially slated to represent underboss Sammy Gravano. However, Judge I. Leo Glasser barred Shargel and Bruce Cutler from representing, respectively, Gravano and Gotti, agreeing with prosecutors' assertion that the lawyers were "in-house counsel" to the Gambinos. Prosecutors, including John Gleeson, contended that since Shargel and Cutler may have known about criminal activity, they were "part of the evidence" and liable to be called as witnesses.[11]

Shargel's other high-profile clients included Daniel Pelosi, who was charged with and later convicted of the second-degree murder of East Hampton millionaire Ted Ammon,[12] and Robert "Joe" Halderman in the matter of Halderman's extortion of television personality David Letterman.[13] Shargel represented Halderman from October 2009 to March 9, 2010, when Halderman entered a plea-bargained guilty plea.[14]

Shargel was well known for his courtroom style and dramatic presentations, which may have helped some of his clients to be found not guilty. For example, in 2005, Murder Inc. record label owners Irv and Chris Gotti (who are no relation to his aforementioned client John) were acquitted on all charges, possibly partially due to the effect of his courtroom demeanor on the jury—as there were a number of lively exchanges between him and NYPD detective Anthony Castiglia during testimony. In particular, Shargel represented Chris. [15][16][17]

In 2012 Shargel defended hip hop mogul James "Jimmy Henchman" Rosemond, CEO of Czar Entertainment, in a federal trial in Brooklyn, New York, presided over by Judge Gleeson.[18] Rosemond was convicted on all charges (including cocaine distribution, conspiracy, money laundering, firearms possession, and witness tampering),[18] and on October 25, 2013, he was sentenced to life imprisonment.[19][20]

Shargel also taught criminal law classes at his alma mater, Brooklyn Law School,[21] where he held the position of Practitioner-In-Residence, teaching courses on evidence, criminal procedure, and trial advocacy.[3][5] He was also a frequent writer and commentator on legal issues that arise during high-profile criminal cases, which generate sustained national and regional media focus.[22]

In 2018, he retired from active law practice, citing burnout.[1]

Personal life

Shargel died from complications of Alzheimer's disease at his residence in Manhattan on July 16, 2022, at the age of 77.[2]

Shargel is survived by his two children, David and Johanna, and six grandchildren, Casey, Miles, Tatum, Theo, Eli, and James.

Notable clients

References

  1. ^ "Shargel Retires From the Law, Capping 49 Years of Trials". New York Law Journal
  2. ^ Roberts, Sam (2022-07-17). "Gerald Shargel, Criminal Defense Lawyer for the Mob, Dies at 77". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
  3. ^ "Gerald L. Shargel Lawyer Profile on". Martindale.com. 1944-10-05. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  4. ^ "Lawyer Gerald Shargel – New York Attorney". Avvo.com. 2011-05-21. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  5. ^ "Biography". Brooklaw.edu. Archived from the original on 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  6. ^ "Gerald Lawrence Shargel". New York State Unified Court System. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  7. ^ "Uh-oh: Phonies Rule the day". New York: NY Daily News. 2007-07-24. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  8. ^ "Faculty Member Laura Brevetti, Joel Cohen, Bruce Green, Gerald Shargel". Lawline.com. 2009-03-13. Archived from the original on 2013-01-28. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  9. ^ Wadler, Joyce (1998-02-05). "PUBLIC LIVES; Not Mob Lawyer. Just Lawyer. Uh, for Gotti. – New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  10. ^ "Gerald Shargel Lawyer in New York, Attorney NY". Super Lawyers. Archived from the original on 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  11. ^ Lubasch, Arnold H. (1991-07-27). "Judge Disqualifies Gotti's Lawyer From Representing Him at Trial – New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  12. ^ "Pelosi Found Guilty Of Murder". CBS News. 2009-02-11. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  13. ^ "Robert Halderman's Attorney Speaks Out on David Letterman Extortion Case – ABC News". Abcnews.go.com. 2009-10-05. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  14. ^ Eligon, John & Stelter, Brian (2010-03-09). "Six Months in Jail for Letterman Plot". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-10-27.
  15. ^ Feuer, Alan (2005-11-22). "7,400 Bills Fit in Shoebox, a Detective Proves in Court". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-10-27.
  16. ^ Marzulli, John (November 22, 2005). "Prosecution Demo is a Shoe-In". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on May 4, 2011.
  17. ^ Breihan, Tom (2005-11-21). "Irv Gotti Trial: 50 Cent Shooting To Be Admitted?". Blogs.villagevoice.com. Archived from the original on 2008-10-22. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  18. ^ Maddux, Mitchel (2012-06-05). "Hip-hop mogul 'Jimmy Henchman' guilty on all charges | New York Post". Nypost.com. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  19. ^ "James Rosemond, hip-hop's "Jimmy Henchman," gets life". Newsday.com. 2011-06-21. Archived October 28, 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  20. ^ "Hip Hop mogul Jimmy Rosemond gets life in prison for drug trafficking". New York: NY Daily News. 2013-10-25. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  21. ^ Lattman, Peter (2013-06-09). "Criminal Defense Lawyer Closes Office to Join a Big Firm". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-10-27.
  22. ^ "Gerald "Jerry" Shargel '69, Top Criminal Defense Attorney and Law School's Practitioner-in-Residence, Dies at 77". Brooklyn Law School. July 18, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  23. ^ "Amanda Bynes' bong-tossing case may be resolved in next Manhattan court appearance". New York: NY Daily News. 2013-09-26. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  24. ^ Oldenburg, Ann (2013-07-09). "Amanda Bynes wears blue wig to court". Usatoday.com. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  25. ^ "Former Braniff President On Trial For Fraud". Apnewsarchive.com. 1995-09-18. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  26. ^ Lubasch, Arnold H. (1988-02-25). "7 Convicted of Racketeering, 1 Acquitted, in Westies Trial – New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  27. ^ Raab, Selwyn (1999-01-06). "Schedule May Force Top Lawyer Off Gotti Team – New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  28. ^ "2 VIEWS OF GAS MOGUL IN SLAY RAP". New York: NY Daily News. 1997-07-10. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  29. ^ "FindLaw | Cases and Codes". Caselaw.lp.findlaw.com. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  30. ^ "A View From the Inside: New Documentary Looks at Fraudster Marc Dreier". Abajournal.com. 2012-04-01. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  31. ^ Slater, Dan (2008-12-11). "Dreier Doing Time Alone: "You Could Lose Your Mind in Three Weeks" – Law Blog – WSJ". Blogs.wsj.com. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  32. ^ Scott Cohn (2012-11-08). "Did Marc Dreier Get the Punishment He Deserved?". CNBC. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  33. ^ Lubasch, Arnold H. (1992-12-15). "Ex-Head of Chinatown Gang Is Guilty of Leading Drug Ring – New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-10-27.
  34. ^ Fleischer, Matt (February 15, 1999). "Mob Prosecutor Fired for Leaking to Press in John A. Gotti Trial | The New York Observer". Observer.com. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  35. ^ "John 'Junior' Gotti pleads guilty to racketeering, bribery, extortion on eve of trial". CJOnline.com. 1999-04-06. Archived from the original on 2013-11-05. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  36. ^ Graham, Mark (2013-09-04). "David Letterman's Alleged Extortioner's Lawyer Went on the Today Show and It Wasn't Pretty". Vulture. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  37. ^ "David Letterman Extortion Suspect Robert "Joe" Halderman to Seek Dismissal of Case – Crimesider". CBS News. 2009-11-10. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  38. ^ Graham, Mark (2013-09-04). "Aspiring Screenwriter Robert 'Joe' Halderman Insists That He Just Wanted to Sell David Letterman His Screenplay". Vulture. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  39. ^ "Letterman extortion suspect's lawyer seeks dismissal". CNN.com. 2009-11-10. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  40. ^ "USATODAY.com – Irving Lorenzo of Murder Inc. acquitted". Usatoday30.usatoday.com. 2005-12-02. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  41. ^ "'War On Hip Hop' Ja Rule Blasts Trial Against 'Gotti' Bros.". New York: NY Daily News. 2005-11-17. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  42. ^ "McGriff, Lorenzo Link Debated At Trial". Billboard. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  43. ^ Eaton, Phoebe (2013-10-18). "Danny Pelosi's Biggest Problem". Nymag.com. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  44. ^ "Behind the Daniel Pelosi Murder Case – ABC News". Abcnews.go.com. 2004-12-15. Retrieved 2013-10-26.