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Joe Tacopina

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Joe Tacopina
Tacopina in 2018
Born (1966-04-14) April 14, 1966 (age 58)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
EducationSkidmore College (BA)
University of Bridgeport (JD)

Joseph Tacopina (born April 14, 1966)[1] is an American lawyer, media personality, and professional sports executive. He has served as a personal attorney for former U.S. president Donald Trump, representing him in a New York criminal case involving payments made to pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels,[2] and in a civil case in which Trump was not found liable for the rape claim but was liable for sexually assaulting and defaming E. Jean Carroll.[3]

Early life and education

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Tacopina was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Italian immigrants. His father Cosmo (1917–2011) was originally from Rome, and his mother Josephine (née Oliva; 1924–2019) came from Montelepre in the province of Palermo.[4][5][6] Cosmo sold packing boxes, while Josephine was an accountant with the New York City Fire Department.[7]

Tacopina was raised in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of Brooklyn and attended the Yeshiva of Flatbush, where his parents thought that he would get a better education than at the local public school.[8] He attended Poly Prep in Brooklyn,[9] and Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York,[10] before graduation in 1991 from the University of Bridgeport law school (now Quinnipiac University School of Law).[11]

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Tacopina is a name partner and lead trial attorney at his Manhattan-based law firm, Tacopina, Seigel & DeOreo. He began his career as a prosecutor in Brooklyn. After moving to private practice, he became known as an advocate for high-profile clients in high-profile cases.[12] Tacopina' clients have included New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez;[13] Joran van der Sloot,[14] the suspect in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, an American high schooler in Aruba;[15] Michael Jackson;[16] Italian sailor Chico Forti;[17] actor Lillo Brancato;[18] New York state senator Hiram Monserrate;[19] rapper ASAP Rocky;[20] and Kimberly Guilfoyle.[21] He has also represented NFL team Washington Commanders and team owner Daniel Snyder.[22]

Tacopina was the lead trial attorney in 2019 representing Nauman Hussain, who was charged with criminally negligent homicide in the previous year's Schoharie limousine crash.[23] Tacopina represented Julian Khater, who had maced three police officers during the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. One of the officers died the next day of a stroke. Khater was convicted and sentenced to 80 months in prison.[24]

Joe Tacopina is considered to be one of the "greatest defense attorneys of all time", as referred in The New York Times. [25]

Represented Trump (2023–2024)

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Tacopina began representing former U.S. president Donald Trump in early 2023.[26][27] On March 14, 2023, he conceded publicly that Trump had lied in 2018 to reporters about the hush money paid about a sexual scandal because he had a non-disclosure agreement with the woman involved.[2][28] On January 15, 2024, Tacopina notified the court that he would no longer represent Trump on cases, including Trump's appeal on the guilty verdict involving a sexual assault on E. Jean Carroll.[29][30][31]

Media appearances

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Tacopina has appeared on several U.S. television networks. He has been a commentator for Fox News, CNN, Newsmax, MSNBC. He has served as "legal correspondent" for ABC in Perugia following the Amanda Knox case.[32] Tacopina has also appeared regularly on WABC Radio's "Bernie & Sid Morning Show" in New York.[33] He has also appeared as an attorney on the American reality television court show, You the Jury.[34] Tacopina made headlines about his defense of client Donald Trump on The Beat with Ari Melber on March 14, 2023, where he conceded to host Melber that Trump had lied in 2018 to reporters about the hush money Trump paid, but that he considered Trump's lies as legally defensible due to the nature of non-disclosure agreements that accompanied the payments.[2][35] He was also named on Billboard's most influential people in hip hop list.[36]

Association football

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Tacopina as chairman of S.P.A.L. in 2022

Tacopina has held executive positions on four Italian football clubs. In 2011, he was part of the American consortium led by Thomas R. DiBenedetto that purchased A.S. Roma, with Tacopina becoming vice-chairman of the board of directors, in October 2011. On September 8, 2014, he resigned from the board.[37]

A preliminary agreement to acquire Bologna F.C. 1909 was signed on September 17, 2014, and was formalized on October 8. On October 15, Tacopina officially assumed the post of president of the club.[38][39] On November 17, 2014, Joey Saputo was appointed chairman.[38] Tacopina maintained his role as president until he resigned in October 2015.[38]

Tacopina purchased Italian football club Venezia F.C. in October 2015.[40] He sold his shares and resigned in January 2020.[41] On August 13, 2021, Tacopina became president and owner of Italian football club S.P.A.L.[42]

Personal life

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Tacopina is a resident of Westport, Connecticut.[11]

References

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  1. ^ BFC 1909 Lux SPV S.A. filing in Luxembourg Company Register
  2. ^ a b c Ramirez, Nikki McCann (March 15, 2023). "Trump's Lawyer Struggles to Defend Lie About Stormy Daniels Hush Money". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  3. ^ Grenell, Alexis (May 12, 2023). "Why Trump Was Found Liable for Sexual Assault but Not Rape". ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  4. ^ Vitelli, M. (January 26, 2017). "Tacopina: "Venezia, prima la A e poi tra le big. Con uno stadio tutto nuovo"". Gazzetta.it. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  5. ^ "Joe Tacopina: "Baccaglini ha fatto fuori Cascio, che vergogna. Chi dietro di lui? Ho un'idea. Su Zamparini…"". Mediagol.it. March 21, 2017. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  6. ^ "Josephine Tacopina - Marine Park Funeral Home". Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  7. ^ Eligon, John (June 11, 2009). "A Case That Will Test a Lawyer's Bond With the Police". New York Times. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  8. ^ Leibovich, Mark. "A-Rod’s Defender Knows How to Tap Dance", The New York Times, September 20, 2013. Accessed December 24, 2023. "[Q] You grew up in Sheepshead Bay, and yet you went to Yeshiva of Flatbush for elementary school. [A] My mother and father quickly determined that the best education I was going to get as a young child was at Yeshiva, instead of getting beat up at P.S. 12. I still have my yarmulke."
  9. ^ "Home". polyprep.org.
  10. ^ "Home". skidmore.edu.
  11. ^ a b Eligon, John. "A Case That Will Test a Lawyer’s Bond With the Police", The New York Times, January 11, 2009. Accessed November 18, 2019.
  12. ^ "Lawyer Profile - the National Trial Lawyers".
  13. ^ Eder, Steve (August 17, 2013). "Lawyer Says the Yankees Misled Rodriguez About His Injuries". The New York Times.
  14. ^ "1-800-Save-My-Ass". March 13, 2007.
  15. ^ Yang, Allie; Shapiro, Emily (November 20, 2019). "Natalee Holloway's disappearance remains unsolved nearly 15 years later: A timeline". ABC News. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  16. ^ "Jackson to stand trial on abuse charges". TheGuardian.com. April 21, 2004.
  17. ^ "The case against Enrico Forti: Is he the Italian Amanda Knox?". CBS News. December 7, 2019.
  18. ^ "'Sopranos' actor Lillo Brancato cleared in murder of cop, convicted of attempted burglary". New York Daily News. December 23, 2008.
  19. ^ Molloy, Joanna (September 24, 2009). "Hiram Monserrate's legal Houdini Joseph Tacopina waves magic wand at testimony". New York Daily News. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  20. ^ "'Rocky turned around and shot me': Rapper's childhood friend testifies about Hollywood shooting". Los Angeles Times. November 9, 2023. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  21. ^ "'Rocky turned around and shot me': Rapper's childhood friend testifies about Hollywood shooting". The Daily Beast. November 8, 2023.
  22. ^ "Dan Snyder's attorney raises conspiracy questions with defamation suit".
  23. ^ "Schoharie limo operator pleads guilty, will serve no jail time".
  24. ^ "Trump Lawyers: Buckle Up". Politico. April 2023.
  25. ^ https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/15/us/politics/tacopina-trump-lawyer.html
  26. ^ Jacob Shamsian; Ashley Collman (February 1, 2023). "Alina Habba is withdrawing as Trump's lead attorney for E. Jean Carroll's rape claim. Last month, a federal judge sanctioned her $1 million for bad lawyering". Business Insider.
  27. ^ William K. Rashbaum; Ben Protess; Jonah E. Bromwich (February 3, 2023). "Trump Likened to Mob Boss John Gotti in Ex-Prosecutor's New Book". The New York TImes.
  28. ^ Trump lawyer responds to 'likely' charges on MSNBC, retrieved March 15, 2023
  29. ^ Mangan, Dan; Breuninger, Kevin (January 15, 2024). "Trump loses attorney Joe Tacopina as porn star hush money trial looms". CNBC. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  30. ^ Lang, Hannah (January 16, 2024). "Trump lawyer Tacopina withdraws from Manhattan legal team". Reuters. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  31. ^ Haberman, Maggie (January 15, 2024). "Key Trump Lawyer Withdraws as Manhattan Criminal Trial Nears". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  32. ^ "Knox: 'I Am Innocent, I Will be Free'". ABC News.
  33. ^ "Joe tacopina | 77 WABC".
  34. ^ "You the Jury". IMDb. April 7, 2017.
  35. ^ Trump lawyer responds to 'likely' charges on MSNBC, retrieved March 15, 2023
  36. ^ "Billboard's 2018 R&B/Hip-Hop 100 Power Players Revealed". Billboard. September 27, 2018.
  37. ^ "2013–14 Annual Report" (PDF) (in Italian). A.S. Roma. October 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  38. ^ a b c Bologna F.C. 1909 bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2014, PDF purchased from Italian C.C.I.A.A. (in Italian)
  39. ^ "Joe Tacopina è il Presidente del Bologna" (Press release) (in Italian). Bologna F.C. 1909. October 15, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  40. ^ "U.S. lawyer Joe Tacopina buys Italian club Venezia FC". espnfc.us. October 9, 2015.
  41. ^ "Venezia, nuova proprietà: via Tacopina, ecco Niederauer". Corriere dello Sport. February 19, 2020.
  42. ^ "Spal, Tacopina ufficialmente nuovo presidente". August 13, 2021.
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