Gerald Shargel

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American criminal defense lawyer (1944–2022)

title: "Gerald Shargel" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1944-births", "2022-deaths", "bound-brook-high-school-alumni", "brooklyn-law-school-alumni", "deaths-from-alzheimer's-disease-in-new-york-(state)", "new-york-(state)-lawyers", "people-from-new-brunswick,-new-jersey", "rutgers-university-alumni"] description: "American criminal defense lawyer (1944–2022)" topic_path: "law" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Shargel" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American criminal defense lawyer (1944–2022) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]

FieldValue
nameGerald Shargel
birth_nameGerald Lawrence Shargel
birth_date
birth_placeNew Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S.
death_date
death_placeNew York City, U.S.
known_forLead attorney for multiple defendants, including Gambino crime family members John Gotti and Sammy Gravano
education{{Plainlist
occupationTrial attorney (retired 2018), law professor
spouseTerry Krapes Shargel
children2
::

| name = Gerald Shargel | birth_name = Gerald Lawrence Shargel | birth_date = | birth_place = New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = New York City, U.S. |death_cause = | known_for = Lead attorney for multiple defendants, including Gambino crime family members John Gotti and Sammy Gravano | education = {{Plainlist|

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. 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.

Career

Shargel was widely regarded as one of the best criminal defense attorneys in New York. 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". 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".

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.

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, and Robert "Joe" Halderman in the matter of Halderman's extortion of television personality David Letterman. Shargel represented Halderman from October 2009 to March 9, 2010, when Halderman entered a plea-bargained guilty plea.

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.

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. Rosemond was convicted on all charges (including cocaine distribution, conspiracy, money laundering, firearms possession, and witness tampering), and on October 25, 2013, he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Shargel also taught criminal law classes at his alma mater, Brooklyn Law School, where he held the position of Practitioner-In-Residence, teaching courses on evidence, criminal procedure, and trial advocacy. 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.

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

Personal life

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

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

Notable clients

References

References

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

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1944-births2022-deathsbound-brook-high-school-alumnibrooklyn-law-school-alumnideaths-from-alzheimer's-disease-in-new-york-(state)new-york-(state)-lawyerspeople-from-new-brunswick,-new-jerseyrutgers-university-alumni