Uploaded October 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
Buffalo police have released body camera footage of New York State Supreme Court Justice Mark Grisanti shoving an officer after a fight with his neighbor, then invoking his friendship with the mayor and family ties to law enforcement, before successfully avoiding arrest. Police said Grisanti was drunk at the time.
Law360 obtained the videos of the police detaining Grisanti and his wife late last week through a Freedom of Information Law request. The profanity-laced footage reveals in detail that the state senator-turned-judge used physical force against police and justified it, repeatedly threatened officers, and touted his political connections.
The Grisantis were not arrested or charged with any crime for what happened that night.
The footage shows Justice Grisanti and his wife, Maria Grisanti, being handcuffed and detained by police outside their home on June 22, in the aftermath of a street fight with neighbors over a parking space — the latest incident in a yearslong feud.
In the video, Justice Grisanti is seen charging toward and shoving an officer trying to arrest his wife as the officer threw her down on their front lawn after she refused to stop screaming. The judge was restrained by a second officer but repeatedly demanded his wife's release, while listing his close connections to powerful people in Buffalo, notably his "good friend" Mayor Byron Brown and "cousin" Deputy Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia.
Grisanti's attorney, Leonard D. Zaccagnino of Shaw & Shaw PC, disputed the characterization that the judge had threatened officers or touted his connections to the mayor or police — although he did not dispute that the judge named the mayor and police officers he knew, or that an officer called his words a threat.
"If you had a wife that was being manhandled, you might feel the same way," Zaccagnino said. He added later, "It's a shame that the whole thing happened. It's a shame."
Mayor Brown's office did not immediately respond to questions Monday.
The judge was bare-chested throughout the incident, holding a shirt and broken gold chain in his hand with a tattered undershirt hanging off his waist. Twice the judge told police, "You arrest my fucking wife, you're going to be sorry."
"If you don't get the cuffs off her right now, you're going to have a problem," the judge shouted as his wife was placed in the back of a police SUV. Buffalo police said Maria and Mark Grisanti were only detained, never technically arrested.
"Listen, I'm good friends with Byron Brown," the judge told police. Grisanti told officers the mayor was aware of the longstanding dispute he had with his neighbors and that Brown had previously told him, "Mark, just friggin' ignore 'em." The judge would later falsely deny to a police detective that he had invoked Mayor Brown's name.
Grisanti apologized to the officer for "tackling" him, but then proceeded to explain why his actions were justified, telling him to take it as "constructive criticism." Overhearing this, a fellow officer chastised the judge for abusing his connections to power, including repeatedly saying his daughter and son-in-law are police officers.
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Buffalo police have released body camera footage of New York State Supreme Court Justice Mark Grisanti shoving an officer after a fight with his neighbor, then invoking his friendship with the mayor and family ties to law enforcement, before successfully avoiding arrest. Police said Grisanti was drunk at the time.
Law360 obtained the videos of the police detaining Grisanti and his wife late last week through a Freedom of Information Law request. The profanity-laced footage reveals in detail that the state senator-turned-judge used physical force against police and justified it, repeatedly threatened officers, and touted his political connections.
The Grisantis were not arrested or charged with any crime for what happened that night.
The footage shows Justice Grisanti and his wife, Maria Grisanti, being handcuffed and detained by police outside their home on June 22, in the aftermath of a street fight with neighbors over a parking space — the latest incident in a yearslong feud.
In the video, Justice Grisanti is seen charging toward and shoving an officer trying to arrest his wife as the officer threw her down on their front lawn after she refused to stop screaming. The judge was restrained by a second officer but repeatedly demanded his wife's release, while listing his close connections to powerful people in Buffalo, notably his "good friend" Mayor Byron Brown and "cousin" Deputy Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia.
Grisanti's attorney, Leonard D. Zaccagnino of Shaw & Shaw PC, disputed the characterization that the judge had threatened officers or touted his connections to the mayor or police — although he did not dispute that the judge named the mayor and police officers he knew, or that an officer called his words a threat.
"If you had a wife that was being manhandled, you might feel the same way," Zaccagnino said. He added later, "It's a shame that the whole thing happened. It's a shame."
Mayor Brown's office did not immediately respond to questions Monday.
The judge was bare-chested throughout the incident, holding a shirt and broken gold chain in his hand with a tattered undershirt hanging off his waist. Twice the judge told police, "You arrest my fucking wife, you're going to be sorry."
"If you don't get the cuffs off her right now, you're going to have a problem," the judge shouted as his wife was placed in the back of a police SUV. Buffalo police said Maria and Mark Grisanti were only detained, never technically arrested.
"Listen, I'm good friends with Byron Brown," the judge told police. Grisanti told officers the mayor was aware of the longstanding dispute he had with his neighbors and that Brown had previously told him, "Mark, just friggin' ignore 'em." The judge would later falsely deny to a police detective that he had invoked Mayor Brown's name.
Grisanti apologized to the officer for "tackling" him, but then proceeded to explain why his actions were justified, telling him to take it as "constructive criticism." Overhearing this, a fellow officer chastised the judge for abusing his connections to power, including repeatedly saying his daughter and son-in-law are police officers.
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