Prominent Rockville Centre attorney mourned

Robert G. Morvillo, a prominent defense attorney, died in his sleep in his Rockville Centre home on Dec. 24, where he had been recovering from recent surgery.

Morvillo, a principal of the New York City law firm Morvillo, Abramowitz, Grand, Iason, Anello & Bohrer, pioneered the practice of white-collar criminal defense, and his list of high-profile clients — celebrities, politicians and businessmen — included Martha Stewart, in her trial for obstruction of justice related to illegal stock trading; John A. Zaccaro, the husband of the late vice presidential candidate Geraldine A. Ferraro, in a bribery case; and Maurice R. Greenberg, the former chief of AIG, in his court battles with then New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer.

Morvillo served on the board of directors of South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside for more than six years, and had been honored by the hospital at its 2010 Carnation Ball. “The board, administration and staff of South Nassau mourn the loss of Mr. Morvillo,” said the hospital’s president and CEO, Joseph A. Quagliata, “and our hearts go out to his family.”

“In addition to his high professional profile and success, he was one of the most down-to-earth people you could ever meet,” Quagliata added in a written statement. “He was an extraordinary board member who provided intelligence and a commitment to ensuring that the hospital served its communities. He was an advocate for Rockville Centre, and the commitment he demonstrated through his years of volunteer service on the hospital’s board was truly a gift. Both the hospital and its communities are stronger for Mr. Morvillo’s contributions. He will be sorely missed.”

Morvillo received the New York Council of Defense Lawyers’ Norman Ostrow Award in 2000, and was featured in a number of local, national and international lists of leading attorneys in his field.

Robert Guy Morvillo was born in Brooklyn on Jan. 22, 1938, and grew up in Rockville Centre. He was a graduate of Colgate University and Columbia University Law School, where he was an editor of the Law Review. He is survived by a brother, Richard (Susan) Morvillo; his wife of 48 years, Catherine (nee Shields); four sons, Christopher (Neda), Gregory (Dawn), E. Scott (Deborah) and Robert (Kendra); 10 grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Morvillo lay in repose at Macken Mortuary on Clinton Avenue. A funeral Mass took place on Dec. 28 at St. Agnes Cathedral. In lieu of flowers, his family asked that donations be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital or the Inner-City Scholarship Foundation, 1011 1st Ave., 14th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10022.