Salvatore Strazzullo, the New York City lawyer notorious for his colourful client roster and personal scandals, was found dead in his car outside his parents’ Brooklyn home on Saturday. He was 52. The circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear, with his cause of death not yet determined, reported the NY Post.  

‘Night-Life Lawyer’

Strazzullo, who earned the nickname “Night-Life Lawyer” given his penchant for taking on cases involving celebrities and embarrassing circumstances, was facing multiple ongoing criminal cases for allegedly exploiting elderly clients out of millions of dollars. 

Famous Clientele 

In 2011, Strazzullo defended rapper Foxy Brown in a case where she was accused of flashing a neighbour she had been feuding with. Strazzullo was prepared to invoke “the underwear defence” if the case went to trial, arguing that his client had simply not worn underwear that day. The case, however, ended up getting dismissed. 

In another case, Strazzullo represented Milana Dravnel, an exotic dancer who sued Oscar de la Hoya for $100 million in 2007. The case involved racy photos of the boxing legend in his underwear, which Ms Dravnel sold to a West Coast photo agency for $70,000. Mr De la Hoya’s team claimed the photos were doctored. 

Personal Scandals

The infamous lawyer faced numerous legal troubles, including allegations of sexual harassment and criminal charges for theft and fraud, throughout his career.

In 2011, Desiree DeMartino, a former paralegal and employee, pressed charges against Strazzullo for sexual harassment in Brooklyn Federal Court. The suit alleged that Strazzullo trapped Ms DeMartino in a conference room, pleasured himself in front of her, and committed other inappropriate acts, including forcibly kissing her and touching her breasts. 

More recently, Strazzullo faced criminal charges for theft and fraud, accused of misusing his escrow account to fund a lavish lifestyle. In April, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez alleged that Strazzullo operated a Ponzi scheme, using funds from one client to pay off another while accumulating tens of thousands of dollars in charges at upscale restaurants and hotels. Prosecutors also alleged he spent the stolen funds on luxuries like a $100,000 BMW and a $13,000-per-month apartment.

Strazzullo pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of grand larceny and scheme to defraud, but the evidence against him was substantial. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez condemned Strazzullo’s actions, stating he stole the “nest eggs” of senior citizens who trusted him. 

At the time of his death, two criminal cases, including another alleged theft of $1.5 million from three clients, against Strazzullo were still pending.

A British-Canadian couple, who set sail across the Atlantic Ocean roughly six weeks ago, were found dead in a lifeboat off the coast of Canada. The bodies of Brett Clibbery and Sarah Packwood were discovered after their raft washed ashore on Sable Island, off the coast of Nova Scotia, reported the NY Post.

The pair had embarked on an ambitious journey across the Atlantic Ocean, sailing from Halifax to the Azores in their self-built, eco-friendly yacht, Theros. The 42-foot vessel, powered solely by electric, wind, and solar energy, was intended to demonstrate the feasibility of sustainable travel. The couple had been posting about the construction of Theros on their YouTube channel, “Theros Adventures,” and this voyage was to be their inaugural fully “green” journey.

They left Halifax Harbour on June 11 aboard their yacht bound for the Azores region of Portugal. They were reported missing on June 18 and found three weeks later on July 10.

While initially reported to be from British Columbia, it is believed that Ms Packwood was from the UK and Mr Clibbery was from Canada. Formal identification is still pending.

The cause of death is not yet known. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are investigating the incident. 

Their sailboat, Theros, was severely damaged, and investigators suspected that it was struck by a larger vessel.

The area they were sailing in is notoriously known as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic” due to the large number of shipwrecks that occurred there. The exact circumstances of the incident are still unknown, but investigators are exploring several theories.

One leading theory is that Theros was hit by a bulk carrier, which may have caused significant damage to the sailboat. Investigators have inspected a carrier ship, which was in the same area as Theros at the time of the incident, but they have not released their findings, as per the Saltwire.

The crew of the carrier ship reported that they did not notice any damage or collision, the Mirror reported. Some veteran sailors have suggested the homemade additions to Theros may have contributed to the tragedy, particularly the excessive weight of batteries and solar panels, which may have destabilised the boat.

Brett Clibbery and Sarah Packwood met by chance in 2015 at a bus stop in London. At the time, Ms Packwood was preparing to donate a kidney to her sister, while Mr Clibbery was visiting from Canada. This chance encounter led to them eventually falling in love and getting married on their yacht, Theros, in 2016.