Principal, The Law Office of
Salvatore A. Diliberto
Owner, The Diliberto Winery
Salvatore Diliberto ’70 and his wife MaryAnn, are passionate
about their Italian heritage and their wines. Their tasting room on
Manor Lane in Jamesport, New York in the very heart of Long
Island’s wine country, is the pinnacle of these life long
passions. Although only 70 miles geographically from his
Elder Law practice in Queens the contrast is transformational in
spirit.
However, before there was a winery, there was a successful legal
practice. Mr. Diliberto became interested in the law as the
result of a childhood accident in which he was struck by an
automobile. He was cognitively engaged by the attorney
helping his family navigate the case which resulted from his
accident. This interest led him to St. John’s Law an
institution that was slated to move to his Queens neighborhood –
although Mr. Diliberto received his legal education on Schermerhorn
Street. After years of work in the field of insurance, Mr.
Diliberto reinvented his practice to focus on elder law because of
the national trends in aging, taxation and the baby-boom.
When he decided in 1986 to become a home winemaker using the
space on his screened-in porch in Queens for crushing grapes, Mr.
Diliberto purchased 500 pounds of California cabernet sauvignon at
the Brooklyn Produce Market. Little did he know that five
years later he would be purchasing an East-End property and laying
the foundation for a successful boutique winery that has a 1,500
case capacity (Mr. Diliberto is adamant about the relationship of
quality over quantity).
Reflecting upon his initial foray into viticulture, “the first
time I smelled the fermenting grapes, I knew I would be making wine
the rest of my life.” The couple bought land in Jamesport in 1991
to plant grapes and have a country residence, and six years later
Mr. Diliberto decided to turn his hobby into an occupation. “I
wanted to become connected with farming, both with the hard work
and the pleasure of being in the fields.” Ironically, while
in high school, Mr. Diliberto received the results of the Iowa Test
of Basic Skills, a national test designed to measure career
aptitude, which recommended that he pursue a career in farming
despite the fact that his childhood was rooted in Queens.
Today, Mr. Diliberto divides his time between his legal practice
and his vines. In addition, depending upon his caseload he
tries to spend six weeks each year in Italy where his family has
roots, and he can further immerse himself in the joyous pastimes of
wine, food, music and family. Mr. Diliberto’s advice to
students and recent graduates focuses upon the theme of
passion. “The practice of law and your top-notch legal
education from St. John’s, allows you to apply critical thinking
skills to a myriad of industries and entities. You will be
most happy in life if you apply these skills to a subject in which
you have a deep passion. In doing so, you can “work” everyday
of your life and realize joy during every moment of your
career. I love wine and the law, the two concepts married
together are the basis on which to build a thriving practice
whether it be land sales, licensing, liability, human resources,
intellectual property – the opportunities to be an expert in a
specific industry are boundless. Recognize your passion and
combine it with the law. As you are qualified to practice,
but new to the field of law, seek out St. John’s Law alumni as
mentors to assist you in defining and refining your career.”