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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe district attorney\u2019s office says the only way to prevent (recidivism) is to incarcerate,\u201d stated defense attorney Mark Fonte in court Monday. \u201cBut the best way to prevent it is to get him the help he needs; medication and addiction counseling.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Defense](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3YDB4EXOS5CWPEQTSVSWQLLTPE.JPG\")
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. <\/p>\n
Conversely, prosecutors with the district attorney\u2019s office requested a sentence of approximately 80 years for the 37-year-old defendant. <\/p>\n
Assistant District Attorney Adam Silberlight cited the defendant\u2019s prior convictions, which classified Cutaia as a second violent felony offender. He also noted the toll his crimes took on the victims. <\/p>\n
\u201cInstead 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,\u201d submitted Silberlight. <\/p>\n
After hearing from both sides, Mattei sentenced Cutaia to 32 years in prison and five years post-release supervision. <\/p>\n
Mattei said he considered letters he received from Cutaia\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
But none of that, said Mattei, excused one incident in particular. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
![\"Justice](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/O43SZ2TPGVCRHD7IPHUJPNBLS4.JPG\")
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)<\/p>\n
\u201cYou had a choice,\u201d surmised the judge. \u201cThe minute you knew she was coming out, you could have ran. But instead, you threatened her. That\u2019s just inexcusable. It\u2019s not something I would expect from any decent person.\u201d <\/p>\n
Referencing the letters from Cutaia\u2019s immediate family, Mattei said: \u201cI can\u2019t imagine what you would think if someone did that to your sister or mother.\u201d <\/p>\n
Mattei said given the charges and the defendant\u2019s record, he could have sentenced him to 100 years behind bars \u201cwithout blinking an eye.\u201d<\/p>\n
Heists were boroughwide <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
They also \u201cracked up tens of thousands of dollars in property damage,\u201d according to a statement issued Monday by Richmond County District Attorney Michael E. McMahon. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
![\"Co-defendants\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/26FREMISX5DH7AL5VLYJCBGQ7A.jpg\")
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)<\/p>\n
A different burglary \u2014 the one referenced by Mattei in handing down his sentence Monday \u2014 unfolded at a duplex-style residence in Prince\u2019s Bay. <\/p>\n
In that incident, the defendant staked out the home and waited for a male to leave the apartment. When Cutaia pounced, \u201cyou could hear the woman screaming,\u201d said prosecutors in referencing surveillance footage shown at trial. <\/p>\n
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\u2019s had to deal with as a result of the encounter. <\/p>\n
\u201cI started developing fevers, pain and swelling … no doctors could explain it,\u201d the woman wrote, referencing what she said ultimately was determined to be an autoimmune disease that revealed itself due to the stress. <\/p>\n
\u201cHome should be the one place someone feels safe and that was taken away from me,\u201d the woman continued. \u201cI\u2019ve had therapy sessions to figure out what can make me feel again. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
Gallego\u2019s attorneys have since filed documents claiming she was abused by Cutaia, in hopes of leniency at sentencing, per the state\u2019s Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act.<\/a> Gallego is due back in court Jan. 21. <\/p>\n Mob lineage<\/p>\n 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.<\/a><\/p>\n He is the son of reputed Lucchese soldier Salvatore Cutaia, and grandson of Lucchese capo Domenico Cutaia, according to past federal court documents.<\/p>\n