Appellate Division: Second Judicial Department

M68282

E/nl

A. GAIL PRUDENTI, P.J.

REINALDO E. RIVERA

ROBERT A. SPOLZINO

PETER B. SKELOS

ROBERT A. LIFSON, JJ.

1998-01880 In the Matter of Gary Ajello, a disbarred attorney. (Attorney Registration No. 1900158)

DECISION & ORDER ON MOTION FOR REINSTATEMENT

Motion by the respondent for reinstatement as an attorney and counselor-at-law. By decision and order on motion of this court dated May 5, 1998, the Grievance Committee for the Ninth Judicial District was authorized to institute and prosecute a disciplinary proceeding against the respondent and the Honorable Norman Feiden was appointed as Special Referee to hear and report on the issues raised. By opinion and order dated August 21, 2000, the respondent was disbarred based on the Special Referee's report which sustained all the charges in the petition, except for charges 9, 10, 15, and 23. The respondent was admitted to the Bar at a term of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in the Second Judicial Department on July 13, 1983.

Upon the papers submitted in support of the motion and the papers submitted in relation thereto, it is

ORDERED that the motion is held in abeyance and the matter is referred to the Committee on Character and Fitness to investigate and report on the respondent's current fitness to be an attorney, including but not limited to, the business losses reported by the respondent on his tax returns in connection with various "judgments" and the respondent's plans to handle his accounts to avoid a repetition of his past mistakes.

PRUDENTI, P.J., RIVERA, SPOLZINO, SKELOS and LIFSON, JJ., concur.

ENTER:

James Edward Pelzer

Clerk of the Court