High-Profile Attorney Who Represented Foxy Brown Found Dead In His Car
Salvatore “Night-Life Lawyer” Strazzullo was found dead in Brooklyn Saturday (Aug. 10). His body was discovered in his car, where he was parked in front of his parents’ home. A cause of death has not been revealed, The New York Post reports.
Famous throughout NYC for his noteworthy clients and unique defense tactics, Strazzullo represented Foxy Brown in 2011 over accusations of mooning neighbor Arlene Raymond, with whom she was feuding. This would’ve been a violation of a protective order placed on Brown stemming from her pleading guilty in 2008 to menacing Raymond with her cellphone. The “I’ll Be Good” rapper‘s charges were eventually dropped due to Raymond choosing not to testify in the case, The Post reported at the time. Strazzullo, however, was prepared to use an “underwear defense” if needed, arguing that the rapper born Inga Marchand was going commando the day of the alleged mooning, with Raymond claiming Brown removed her panties before the alleged disrespectful deed.
In addition to the Brooklyn rapper, the attorney also represented exotic dancer Milana Dravnel, who sued boxer Oscar De La Hoya for $100 million in 2007 over his attempt to stop her from selling compromising photos of him. The case was quietly put to bed in 2008 after Dravnel dropped the allegations and signed a confidentiality agreement with the boxer’s representatives, The Post reports.
Strazzullo found himself facing some legal trouble, as well, as he was sued by Desiree DeMartino, a paralegal and former employee, in 2011 for sexual harassment and other accusations. More recently, he was accused of criminal theft and fraud via a Ponzi scheme used to allegedly rip off the elderly to fund his lifestyle. He was accused of stealing a total of nearly $3.8 million, pleading not guilty to first-degree grand larceny, four counts of second-degree grand larceny, and one count of first-degree scheme to defraud. A December 2023 case also found the lawyer accused of stealing $1.5 million from three other clients.
Both cases were still pending at the time of his passing, The Post confirms.
More from VIBE.com
