Sal Strazzullo: From Liskula Cohen to Wass Stevens to Foxy Brown

When the proverbial chit hits the fan, who ya gonna call? The Ghostbusters are busy trying to get Bill Murray to do another one, and meanwhile you need a lawyer. In clubland there are many lawyers handling licensing and such, but in criminal cases -- which unfortunately sometimes arise (tell me about it) -- Sal E. Strazzullo stands ready. I've known Sal for a long time; we worked together in days of yore. While others saw nightlife as a career, Sal put himself through law school. He was often telling promoters and others to think of their futures and use the money they were making to prepare for a different life, as he was. Some listened ... others didn’t. Sal had an exit strategy and stuck to it. Now he handles high-profile cases, and I see him saying ”no comments” and lawyer things to reporters on the six o’clock news. His experience with nightlife gives him an insider's perspective, which can be invaluable in court. Sal’s journey using nightlife to pay for his tuition and books should underline the importance of nightlife work. The people making a living in clubs are often people going someplace else, building a future. They become actors, artist, photographers, mothers, writers, doctors -- even lawyers.

What does the E. stand for?
Emilio—my dad’s name.

I’ve known you for a long time.
Since 1992.

You were born in New York City.
I was born in New York. Then my parents wanted to move back to Italy. So I was raised in Naples ‘til about the age of 9, 10 years old. And then my mom wanted to be close to her dad, in New York. So we moved back to New York.

You’ve been in the papers lately. I saw you on TV the other day because you handled Avenue doorman Was Stevens’ case, and the Foxy Brown case.
Also the lawsuit with Google, with the privacy rights and protecting your privacy, when you’re on the internet if you decide to blog anonymously or post a comment anonymously—how much protection should the web servers give to an individual.

I saw you at Butter the other night, Fashion Week, Monday, with your wife. And you were on your way to Avenue. You still go out a bit.
Yes, yes.

You were hobnobbing with club aristocracy. At one point, you worked in the clubs. You were trying to make some money, putting yourself through law school.
Yes, of course.