# Joe Tacopina

Joseph Tacopina (born April 14, 1966) is an American criminal defense lawyer, media personality, and professional sports executive. He became known as an advocate for high-profile clients in high-profile cases. Sean Hannity has described Tacopina as one of "the greatest attorneys of all time".

## Early life and education

Tacopina was born in Brooklyn 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. Cosmo sold packing boxes, while Josephine was an accountant with the New York City Fire Department.
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. He attended Poly Prep in Brooklyn, and Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, before graduation in 1991 from the University of Bridgeport law school (now Quinnipiac University School of Law).
Tacopina teaches trial skills at Harvard Law School's Trial Advocacy Workshop.

## Legal career

Tacopina is a name partner and lead trial attorney at his Manhattan-based law firm, Tacopina, Seigel & DeOreo. He started as a prosecutor in Brooklyn and later moved to private practice. Tacopina' clients have included New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez; Joran van der Sloot, the suspect in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, an American high schooler in Aruba; Michael Jackson; Italian sailor Chico Forti; actor Lillo Brancato; New York state senator Hiram Monserrate; rappers A$AP Rocky and Meek Mill, and Kimberly Guilfoyle. He has also represented NFL team Washington Commanders and team owner Daniel Snyder.
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. Tacopina represented Julian Khater, who had maced three police officers during the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
In 2023, Tacopina served as a personal attorney for former and current U.S. President Donald Trump, representing him in a New York criminal case involving payments made to pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels, and in a civil case in which Trump was found not liable for the rape claim but was liable for sexually assaulting and defaming E. Jean Carroll.

## Media appearances

Tacopina has been a commentator for Fox News, CNN, Newsmax and MSNBC. He has served as "legal correspondent" for ABC in Perugia following the Amanda Knox case and has also appeared as an attorney on the American reality television court show, You the Jury. He was named on Billboard's most influential people in hip hop list. Tacopina can be heard on WABC Radio's weekly show, Sid & Friends in the Morning, in New York.

## Association football

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.
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. On November 17, 2014, Joey Saputo was appointed chairman. Tacopina maintained his role as president until he resigned in October 2015.
Tacopina purchased Italian football club Venezia F.C. in October 2015. He sold his shares and resigned in January 2020. On August 13, 2021, Tacopina became president and owner of Italian football club S.P.A.L.

## Awards

* Man of the Year Award from the National Italian American Bar Association;
* President’s Award for Service and Humanitarian Efforts from the National Action Network (2018)
* Man of the Year Award from New York State's Commission for Social Justice
* Listed on Billboard's list of Top 100 Power Players in R&B and Hip-Hop (2018)
* Listed on The Hollywood Reporter's Top 35 Lawyers (2022)
* Premio Eccellenza Italiana at Georgetown University (2023)

## Personal life

Tacopina is a resident of Westport, Connecticut.