A prominent New York lawyer, Joe Tacopina represents defendants and plaintiffs alike in civil rights cases. In 1995, when New York police officer Richard Sanfilippo was charged with civil rights violations in connection with the well-known “Morgue Boys” case, Joe Tacopina successfully defended him in the case that launched his fame. He has also represented several clients in successful suits against employers, schools, and in one notable case, the New York Police Department, for civil rights violations.
After earning his JD from the University of Bridgeport Law School in 1991, Joe Tacopina spent three years with the District Attorney’s office in Kings County, New York. He established his firm, Tacopina, Seigel & Turano, PC, in 1994. In addition to the many high-profile criminal and civil cases the firm accepts, it also represents clients in matters of securities law before the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and many other national and state bodies involved in overseeing the securities industry.
Portrayed in the press as a tenacious advocate, and characterized in one account as a bulldog, Joe Tacopina’s courtroom demeanor is actually more conversational, even low-key. He credits his courtroom success to his ability to understand how a jury thinks. In the years since he entered private practice, Joe Tacopina has tried more than 80 cases and won most of them for his clients, who have included politicians, police officers, athletes and entertainers, and high-powered business executives.
Italian soccer club Bologna Football Club 1909 has found a new majority owner.
New York criminal attorney Joe Tacopina of Tacopina Seigel & Turano PC and Canadian businessman Joey Saputo announced Wednesday, Oct. 15, they had agreed to purchase the Serie B club from a group led by president and second-largest shareholder Albano Guaraldi.
"We are humbled and honored to be the owners of this storied club, as it has been a dream realized today. We have been overwhelmed with support from the fans and the city of Bologna, and we will work tirelessly to restore the pride in BFC," Tacopina said in a statement Wednesday.
According to the release, the transaction, which was announced for undisclosed terms, already has been approved by the board of Bologna FC. The club plays in Serie B, the second tier of Italian soccer.
Tacopina, who has worked on a number of big-name criminal trials including Alex Rodriguez's performance-enhancing drug suit with Major League Baseball, has assumed the role of chairman and president. It was unclear what roll Saputo, whose family started Canadian dairy giant Saputo Inc., will play at the club. He also owns Major League Soccer's Montreal Impact, where he serves as president.
The deal marks the end of a 13-month auction process for Bologna FC, which was acquired in December 2010 by Italian banker Giovanni Consorte and coffee businessman Massimo Zanetti. The investors, who acquired the club from Sergio Porcedda, later allowed Guaraldi to buy into the club after Zanetti, then the president, and CEO Luca Baraldi resigned because of irreconcilable differences after only 28 days.
Guaraldi announced in September 2013 that he would put the club up for sale after growing tired of unrest from fans in reaction to selling Algeria international midfielder Saphir Taider to FC Internazionale Milano and allowing Italian Alberto Gilardino to return to Genoa Cricket and Football Club in Serie A in the summer of 2013.
Other on-field issues include the fact that the team has flip-flopped between the prestige of Serie A and the lesser Serie B over the past decade. The club was a founding member of Serie A in 1929 but was relegated to the second division after finishing 19th out of 20 in the 2013-2014 season.
"The club is for sale if somebody serious and reliable presents an offer which would cover all of the money I and my partners have invested — my investment is around €11 million," Guaraldi told Italian radio station Radio International Bologna in September 2013. "If I could go back in time, I would probably not have gained the majority of the club. ... Right now, I honestly would not know how to win back part of the fans."
The club looks to turn a corner under its new ownership.
"I'm pleased to have led the Bologna FC negotiations and excited to work side by side with our exceptional team at Park Lane to provide advisory services on transactions involving iconic sports franchises like these," Park Lane managing director Rick Perna said in a separate statement Wednesday. The Los Angeles investment bank advised the seller.
"I am very proud of our outstanding team for delivering these results for our clients, and we are thrilled to be a partner in one of the most historic football clubs in the world," added Park Lane's Andrew Kline in the statement.
Perna and Kline declined to comment on the deal price.
"We are dedicated to being a part of this team and this community for the long term," Saputo said in the new owners' Wednesday statement. "We have assembled one of the strongest management and executive groups in football to support our team on the field. This organization is built for stability and for success."
He founded the Montreal Impact in December 1992 as a member of the American Professional Soccer League, with the club playing in various leagues before sliding into top-tier MLS in 2012.
A Dorsey & Whitney LLP team led by partner Stuart Goldfarb and Raymond Chau acted as legal counsel to Bologna FC acquirer BFC1909 USA SPV LLC, a Delaware incorporated company. New York and Milan-based Chiomenti Studio Legale, led by partner Salvo Arena, acted as special Italian legal counsel on the deal, and Andrew M. Nestor served as financial adviser. Nestor is a part owner and served as general manager for the Tampa Bay Rowdies, who play in the second-tier North American Soccer League.
The Bologna says yes to the offer American the consortium of Tacopina detects the club
The Bologna football will be the next Italian company to become American-owned. On the night the board of directors of the club Felsineo has decided to accept the offer came from the American consortium led by the lawyer Joe Tacopina (just over 4 million euro), turning his back, so, that he had advanced Massimo Zanetti, owner of the Segafredo, already a minority shareholder of the company.
The American syndicate undertook to underwrite the capital increase of about 6 million, to buy the shares of the parent company and liquidate members. Besides that there is a plan to relaunch the company.
"Our group was thrilled to learn last night the decision of the Board of Directors of Bologna Fc to accept our offer to purchase the company. We are honored to become the next owner of this historic club. " This was said in a statement, Joe Tacopina, the American lawyer who guides consortium that submitted a bid for the purchase of the company.
"We want to express our enormous gratitude - said Tacopina - to representatives of the City, including the mayor Merola and the Councillor for Sports Rizzo Nervo and the incredible fans of Bologna, who have shown us great support during the entire negotiation. We will continue to work with the board of directorsand representatives of the clubs to close officially this Wednesday, October 15 date that will provide further updates to the entire transition."
"The saddest thing in life is wasted talent" is the most memorable line in the film "A Bronx Tale"- Robert De Niro's character Lorenzo says this to his son Calogero, played by Lillo Brancato a promising young actor who would go on to star in "The Sopranos". Not wasting talent has been one of the mantra's of new Bologna president Joseph Tacopina, a famous New York City attorney- he is one of the three partners in the prestigious "Tacopina, Seigel & Turano" firm.
Tacopina represented numerous high profile clients; including Lillo Brancato who didn't follow De Niro's advice since he served a long prison sentence for first degree attempted burglary (Tacopina was able to get him acquitted on the murder charge in that same trial). Tacopina has also represented baseball star Alex Rodriguez, pop superstar Michael Jackson as well as former NY Jets linebacker Bryan Thomas.
Tacopina founded the Law Offices of Joseph Tacopina, P.C. in 1994, he previously was a prosecutor. He had already tried 80 cases by the age of 42 and was praised by the media as "the hottest young criminal defense lawyer" in New York. Mr. Tacopina frequently appears as a guest on numerous TV stations in the United States.
One of Tacopina's passions is Calcio, he has been a life long Roma fan. He actually was instrumental in getting James Pallotta to purchase his favorite club. In an interview to the New York Times, Joe Tacopina described a trip he took to Roma's stadium "The scoreboard didn't work, I wanted to buy my children some jerseys, but there was none on sale, and it was dirty. I started writing notes to myself on a napkin that had been around a flatbread sandwich. Why not find a group to buy it?" Shortly after this episode, Boston hedge fund manager James Pallotta bought AS Roma- and now Joe Tacopina is following in his footsteps by purchasing Bologna FC, one of Italy's most historic clubs.
Tacopina takes over at a time that Bologna is in desperate need of a fresh start. You could say the club hasn't followed De Niro's advice from "Bronx Tale" since earlier this year they sold their best player, Alessandro Diamanti, to Chinese club Guangzhou, which was one of the main reasons they were relegated to Italy's second division. Bologna is heavily in debt but they have a loyal fan base, and while their stadium Renato Dall'Ara is one of the oldest in Italy (it was built in 1927) it's still one of the best places to watch a Calcio match.
But Tacopina is exactly what Bologna needs- he will bring the determination, attention to details and "get it done" attitude that great attorneys need to excel at their jobs. Tacopina will have a great role model in James Pallotta, who has done remarkable work for Roma- Bologna fans are hoping to see the same improvements that giallorossi fans have enjoyed in the last two seasons.