$45 million verdict for Alex Achilli, whose father, Mark, was murdered in 2008 in Los Gatos

Late Wednesday afternoon, a San Jose jury ordered that $45 million be paid to Alex Achilli for the 2008 murder of her father, Mark Achilli. The award included $25 million in punitive damages. The verdict was against Paul Garcia, the former owner of the Los Gatos establishments, 180 Restaurant and Lounge and Mountain Charley’s, who masterminded the murder-for-hire plot resulting in the murder of Mark Achilli. The other defendants were four men hired by Garcia to execute his plan. Garcia's motive was his jealousy of Mark Achilli dating a woman who Garcia wanted for himself. Mark Achilli was a popular restauranteur in Los Gatos and avid Cubs fan who was only 53 when he was killed. The Achilli family's lawyer, Ram Fletcher of Bohn & Fletcher in San Jose, expressed, "We hope this helps bring some closure for Alex in holding these guys accountable to the fullest extent of the law."