DA: New Hyde Park Woman Scammed by Man Pretending to be Attorney

A man pretending to be an attorney tricked a New Hyde Park woman into giving him thousands of dollars in legal fees to pay for real estate taxes, Acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced Tuesday.

Mario Tolisano, 65, of the Bronx, allegedly contracted with two Nassau County residents to help them obtain loan modifications.

A New Hyde Park woman, who heard about Tolisano through a co worker, signed a contract with him and paid $3,000 for his services in January 2012 and paid him $20,000 so he could pay her real estate taxes in June 2013, the DA reports.

Tolisano reportedly told the woman that the payment would be placed in his escrow account and then be used to pay her taxes within the next six weeks. The woman discovered that the taxes were never paid by Tolisano, but were paid by the company that purchased her mortgage, according to the DA.

The report also reveals that the checks were deposited and withdrawn from another’s account instead of Tolisano’s escrow account.

According to the DA, a Valley Stream woman also retained and paid Tolisano $2,500 for his services in September 2013. The woman was notified by her bank in March 2014 that Tolisano never contacted the bank to negotiate a loan modification, the report says.

The Nassau County Police Department Crimes Against Property Squad referred the case to the DA’s office for prosecution after receiving complaints from the two Nassau County women.

The New York State Office of Court Administration confirmed that Tolisano was not admitted to the New York State Bar.

Tolisano was arrested Tuesday and charged with falsely representing himself as an attorney duly admitted to practice law in New York State.

To find out who was admitted to the New York State Bar, visit the New York State Unified Court System’s online database.

“Phony attorneys not only deprive their victims of proper legal representation, they can steal money, securities, and even their victims’ homes,” Singas said. “My office will continue our efforts to hold these criminals accountable to ensure the integrity of the legal profession and protect Nassau residents.”

Tolisano is represented by Dawn Florio, Esq. Assistant District Attorney Victoria Curran of Acting DA Singas’ Government and Consumer Frauds Bureau is prosecuting the case.

Image via NCDA