STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — There are two sides to Anthony Cutaia.
There is the ex-con who alongside his then-girlfriend carried out a burglary spree from 2022 to January 2023, targeting homes and traumatizing unsuspecting residents across Staten Island.
And there is the man who family members say is loyal and sincere, assuming he is properly medicated and sober. A man who received certificates of accomplishment on Rikers Island for anger management and job readiness.
On Monday, Justice Mario F. Mattei heard all about both versions of Cutaia prior to handing down his sentence in state Supreme Court, St. George. His ruling came months after the defendant was found guilty by a jury for the crime spree.
Defense attorney Mark Fonte said his client has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, ADHD and depression. He said Cutaia had been self-medicating with drugs from the time he was a teenager.
“The district attorney’s office says the only way to prevent (recidivism) is to incarcerate,” stated defense attorney Mark Fonte in court Monday. “But the best way to prevent it is to get him the help he needs; medication and addiction counseling.”
Defense attorney Mark Fonte on Monday argued for leniency in the sentencing of his client, Anthony Cutaia, 37, in a burglary case that went to trial on Staten Island.
Conversely, prosecutors with the district attorney’s office requested a sentence of approximately 80 years for the 37-year-old defendant.
Assistant District Attorney Adam Silberlight cited the defendant’s prior convictions, which classified Cutaia as a second violent felony offender. He also noted the toll his crimes took on the victims.
“Instead of choosing to live a law-abiding life, he decided to victimize a bunch of people and leave them feeling vulnerable in their own homes,” submitted Silberlight.
After hearing from both sides, Mattei sentenced Cutaia to 32 years in prison and five years post-release supervision.
Mattei said he considered letters he received from Cutaia’s family and a letter from Cutaia himself. He also said he believed that Cutaia was driven by addiction and mental health issues in carrying out the burglaries.
But none of that, said Mattei, excused one incident in particular.
Evidence showed that while carrying out a planned burglary on the South Shore, a young mother was exiting the home as Cutaia was entering. It was then that he threatened the woman with a knife.
Justice Mario F. Mattei handed down a sentence Monday in the burglary case of Anthony Cutaia, 37, in state Supreme Court, St. George.(Steve White for the Advance/SILive.com)
“You had a choice,” surmised the judge. “The minute you knew she was coming out, you could have ran. But instead, you threatened her. That’s just inexcusable. It’s not something I would expect from any decent person.”
Referencing the letters from Cutaia’s immediate family, Mattei said: “I can’t imagine what you would think if someone did that to your sister or mother.”
Mattei said given the charges and the defendant’s record, he could have sentenced him to 100 years behind bars “without blinking an eye.”
Heists were boroughwide
The defendants burglarized more than half-a-dozen homes on Staten Island, stealing nearly one hundred thousand dollars in jewelry, watches and fur coats, authorities said.
They also “racked up tens of thousands of dollars in property damage,” according to a statement issued Monday by Richmond County District Attorney Michael E. McMahon.
One heist was carried out on Christmas Day 2022 in West Brighton. It involved a female victim and her daughter, according to court proceedings. Other break-ins tied to the duo were reported in New Dorp Beach, Castleton Corners and elsewhere.
Cutaia was convicted in September in connection with the burglaries alongside then girlfriend Tiffany Gallego, right, in state Supreme Court, St. George. (Steve White for the Advance/SILive.com)
A different burglary — the one referenced by Mattei in handing down his sentence Monday — unfolded at a duplex-style residence in Prince’s Bay.
In that incident, the defendant staked out the home and waited for a male to leave the apartment. When Cutaia pounced, “you could hear the woman screaming,” said prosecutors in referencing surveillance footage shown at trial.
The female victim, who declined to testify at trial, wrote a letter to the court ahead of sentencing describing the years of post-traumatic stress and physical ailments she’s had to deal with as a result of the encounter.
“I started developing fevers, pain and swelling … no doctors could explain it,” the woman wrote, referencing what she said ultimately was determined to be an autoimmune disease that revealed itself due to the stress.
“Home should be the one place someone feels safe and that was taken away from me,” the woman continued. “I’ve had therapy sessions to figure out what can make me feel again.
The co-defendant in the case, Tiffany Gallego, 35, of Leona Street in Bulls Head, was convicted on similar charges in connection with the burglary spree.
Gallego’s attorneys have since filed documents claiming she was abused by Cutaia, in hopes of leniency at sentencing, per the state’s Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act. Gallego is due back in court Jan. 21.
Mob lineage
Cutaia, of Rossville, who was on probation at the time of his latest arrest, comes from mob lineage, the Advance/SILive.com has previously reported.
He is the son of reputed Lucchese soldier Salvatore Cutaia, and grandson of Lucchese capo Domenico Cutaia, according to past federal court documents.
In 2008, Salvatore Cutaia, then 48, was arrested as part of a mob sweep that targeted Staten Islanders.
‘Hang in there, Ant’
On Monday, Cutaia was asked if he had anything to say, outside of the letter he penned to the court seeking leniency.
The defendant, who wore a collared shirt under his Rikers-issued sweatshirt, started to respond, but his voice wavered. “Not much for me to say.”
His parents, siblings and other family members attended the hearing. At one point, a woman could be heard weeping as the judge tacked on additional years with each count.
Earlier in the proceedings, as prosecutors were laying out their arguments for a stiff sentence, a man in the gallery exclaimed, “they’re f— lying.”
“Quiet!” shouted a court officer.
When asked if he required medical attention while incarcerated, Cutaia replied that he did. Moments prior, his attorney cited documented incidents of self harm.
As Cutaia was led out of the courtroom by officers, a woman yelled out: “Hang in there, Ant.”
‘A brazen burglar:’ McMahon
Following the hearing Monday, McMahon issued a statement, saying in part:
“A brazen burglar willing to use violence to commit his multitude of crimes, Anthony Cutaia was a persistent driver of crime in our borough who victimized and terrorized countless Staten Islanders. Serious crime will always be met with serious consequences here on Staten Island.”
McMahon went on to thank the NYPD, and commended Silberlight and Assistant District Attorney Rebecca Hendershott for their work in securing a conviction.
Fonte declined to comment afterward, citing the possibility of an appeal.