In Ironic Twist, Casino Mistaken Identity Case is Tied to Best-Selling Legal Thriller

WAYNE, N.J., May 5 /PRNewswire/ -- A man claiming he's being mistaken for the anonymous gambler who unsuccessfully tried to remove himself from New Jersey's no-gambling list is asking the state appeals court to unseal the record in the case and reveal the gambler's name. The court papers identify the gambler only as S.D., and his lawyer has refused to disclose his client's name, claiming it's protected by attorney-client secrecy.

Sam DiGiralomo, president of publishing company Windermere Press, Inc., retained Ken Isaacson, author of Windermere's best-selling legal thriller Silent Counsel, as the attorney to help clear his name. That's an ironic choice, because the central character in Silent Counsel is an attorney who refuses to reveal the name of his client, claiming that it's protected by the same attorney-client privilege that S.D's lawyer is relying on.

DiGiralomo says that since the announcement of last month's court decision, which made worldwide headlines, people have been calling him insisting that he must be the S.D. mentioned in the news. In addition to sharing the same initials, there are other striking similarities between DiGiralomo and what's known of S.D. that are causing DiGiralomo's friends and business acquaintances to believe it's him. He claims the confusion is embarrassing and humiliating.

Isaacson filed a motion on DiGiralomo's behalf with the Appellate Division on April 29, asking that S.D's name be disclosed. The motion is reportedly being opposed not only by S.D., but by the state's casino regulators as well.

Says Isaacson, "We are confident that the legal precedent supports a determination that the record in this case ought to be unsealed and S.D.'s name revealed, and we look forward to the Appellate Division's decision in this matter."