RECOMMENDED READING: "A FATHER'S RIGHT" BY ANTHONY GALLO

A FATHERS’ RIGHT
AUTHOR: ANTHONY GALLO
PUBLISHER: IUNIVERSE (WWW.IUNIVERSE.COM)
E-MAIL: FATHERSRIGHT@YAHOO.COM
ISBN: 978-0-595-46284-1 (PBK)
ISBN: 978-0-595-90581-2 (EBK)


He describes himself as a “Native New Yorker who grew up in Queens”. But Anthony Gallo is much more than that. He is an author, actor, installer of alarm systems in Manhattan, and a Father. Mr. Gallo has appeared in a episode of the highly acclaimed television drama “Law And Order", on The John Walsh Show, a Dr. Scholl’s television commercial, a film documentary entitled, “Weapons of Mass Destruction”, and in a skit on Comedy Central’s Dave Chapelle Show. The title of “Hometown Hero” along with a medal from John Walsh of The John Walsh Show and an award from New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly were bestowed upon Gallo. And New York newspapers heralded Gallo as the “Underground Hero”. Why? Mr. Gallo chased after and apprehended a man with a bag full of steak knives immediately after witnessing the man slashing an unsuspecting passenger on the “Q” train who had fallen asleep. When the passenger’s assailant hastily exited the train, Gallo pursued him and successfully held him at bay until police arrived to take the steak-knife wielding slasher and his steak knife collection into custody. If you look through Gallo’s photo album, you’ll find him posing with such notables as New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly; New York City Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scopetta; television host Regis Philbin, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and renowned columnist Cindy Adams at the 2003 New York Post Liberty Medals Award Ceremony; actress Glenn Close; actor Billy Baldwin; comedian Dave Chappelle; and former New York City Mayor Rudy Guiliani. Gallo’s bright smile illuminates his face in these photographs. But Gallo’s bright smile masks a heart that is laden with sadness --– a sadness that has been brought on by an involuntary separation from his daughter Sofia.

Gallo is a Non-Custodial Father who has been engaged in an eight year battle to be a dominant presence in the life of his now 12-year old daughter Sofia which he describes in a breathtakingly riveting fashion in his book A FATHER’S RIGHT. From the moment that Sofia was born she has been the center of Gallo’s universe. Sofia was born to Gallo and his wife Jana on 29 April 1996. Gallo enjoyed being a Father. He recalls that everything seemed to be going well in his marriage until after the birth of his daughter. He noticed that his wife seemed easily frustrated and extremely argumentive. This argumentiveness on the part of his wife Jana, which he initially attributed to Postpartum Depression, escalated one evening in August 2000 when she rushed at him with a knife in full view of their daughter Sofia. Gallo left the house, went to the police station and reported the incident. When the police indicated that they wanted to arrest his wife, Gallo protested and asked that she not be arrested. He only went to the police station to have the incident “placed on the record”. Gallo’s mother-in-law and sister-in-law were with his wife when he returned. The next day, Gallo found himself accused by his sister-in-law of sexually abusing his daughter -- an allegation which was proven and declared to be unfounded by the Administration for Children’s Service. In the interim, he was presented with an Order Of Protection which forbade him to be near his wife and his daughter.

In A FATHER’S RIGHT, Gallo lays out for us the painful ordeal of being separated from his daughter without just cause while undergoing an investigation initiated by the Administration for Children’s Services, struggling to pay child support and lawyer’s fees, and appearing in Family Court time after time after time in the hopes that the Judge hearing his case would grant him visitation rights so that he could see and spend time with his daughter. A FATHER’S RIGHT chronicles one man’s fight for the right to positively shape the mind and soul of his daughter despite the fact that the proverbial cards are stacked against him. It clearly points out that “parental alienation” has a devastating effect not only on Fathers but also on their children.

A FATHER’S RIGHT is recommended reading for Fathers, Fatherhood Practitioners, legal professionals, social services professionals and providers, educators, psychologists and family and marriage psychotherapists.