2024 Belson Medal Recipients
Andrea M. Alonso '81 is a named partner at Morris Duffy Alonso Faley & Pitcoff, one of the most established insurance defense firms in New York City. Concentrating her practice in appellate litigation, she has successfully argued before the Appellate Term, the Appellate Division, the Court of Appeals, and Second Circuit, and has been recognized on multiple occasions for her work in insurance defense. A former president of the Law School Alumni Association, she is a longtime supporter of our Diversity & Inclusion Gala and has generously established the Dolores and Manuel Alonso Scholarship in honor of her parents, especially her mother, who spent over two decades in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s as the Executive Assistant to the Dean of the Law School.
Bernard London '77 is a founding partner at LondonFischer, an 80-lawyer firm with offices in New York and California. Bud has tried construction and insurance lawsuits in a range of state and federal matters and represented numerous clients in arbitrations. He has also served his Lloyd Harbor community as trustee, police commissioner, and superintendent of highways. A generous supporter of the Law School, he has established the London Family Scholarship.
Denise Melillo Mattone '90 began her legal career in public service, working as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn and, later, as law secretary to Judge Jeffrey Lebowitz in the New York courts, before going into private practice. She has supported her community through involvement with, among others, St. Brigid’s Attic, the Saint Christopher-Ottilie Family of Services, the Catholic Faith Network, and Holy Child School. Her husband, Michael Mattone '91, is Chief Executive Officer of Mattone Investors, overseeing the real estate firm’s day-to-day operations and charting the firm’s long-term strategy. He currently serves on both the Law School’s Alumni Association Board of Directors and the University’s Board of Trustees. This past fall, Michael received the St. John’s Spirit of Service Award. With a major gift, the couple has recently endowed the Law School’s newly named Denise and Michael Mattone Center for Law and Religion. They also continue to provide generous scholarship support through the endowed scholarship they established to honor Michael’s father, trustee emeritus Joseph M. Mattone, Sr.
Troy Rosasco '89 has devoted the past two decades of his professional life to representing those who were killed or injured in the 9/11 attacks. As founding partner at Hansen & Rosasco, he has helped victims and their families receive maximum compensation from the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. With the same selflessness, he also gives back to the Law School, including by teaching courses about the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund and Disability Law. With his generous endowment of the Troy and Linda Rosasco September 11th Memorial Scholarship, he supports St. John’s Law students with financial need.
Carmine Rubino is managing partner at Kramer, Dillof, Livingston & Moore, one of the top personal injury law firms in the City (where he is partners with Alumni Association legend Tom Principe '73), and Lynda Rubino is an operations manager at Ernst & Young, where she runs the EYQ Fellows Program. Their daughter, Victoria Rubino, graduated from the Law School last year and is now an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn. As proud parents of a St. John’s Law graduate, Carmine and Lynda have provided generous scholarship support to future St. John’s Law students through the Rubino Family Scholarship.
Marea M. Suozzi '80 recently retired from her role as Assistant General Counsel at Disney. In over two decades at Disney, Marea oversaw litigation in the U.S. and abroad, including in the Asia-Pacific region. Her intellectual property rights litigation work has protected Disney’s labor standards and merchandise license agreements worldwide. Marea is an avid supporter of the Law School through her generous establishment of the Joseph M. Suozzi Memorial Scholarship in memory of her husband, Joe Suozzi '81.