Former NY "Officer of Court" Gets 25 Years

Ex-lawyer gets 25 yrs for hiring hit man
The New York Daily News by BARBARA ROSS - May 10, 2008

A former lawyer got 25 years in jail Friday for hiring a hit man to kill a client's husband - and prosecutors said they are building a murder case against the victim's wife. Manuel Martinez again insisted he had nothing to do with the 1990 slaying of millionaire businessman George Kogan, but Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Michael Obus said the evidence was solid. "To say that this is an unusual case may be the understatement of my career," Obus said as he slammed Martinez with the maximum sentence. Prosecutor Joel Seidemann said Barbara Kogan wanted her wealthy, 49-year-old husband shot after he dumped her for a younger woman. Cops say she hired Martinez, who brought in hit man Paulie Pisano. "Murder for hire is the ultimate evil because it requires premeditation," Seidemann said. Barbara Kogan, 64, collected $4 million in life insurance after her husband's death.