Ep61: Tom Eoannou-44 Years of Criminal Defense, the North Park Theater, and Restoring Buffalo’s Soul

John sits down with Tom Eoannou, one of the most celebrated criminal defense attorneys in Western New York with 44 years in practice and a reputation built on taking the cases nobody else would take, giving money back when it was the right thing to do, and caring deeply about the human beings behind the charges. Tom is also the man responsible for saving the North Park Theater, restoring the Cornell Mansion on Delaware Avenue, acquiring Ulrich’s, and currently finishing a ceramic artist’s house in Bradenton, Florida that he has been restoring for three and a half years. The conversation is extraordinary. Tom talks about the 22-caliber killer, the Wonder Bread vice president who killed his wife and got the fee returned, the mobster who threatened him with a ball-peen hammer when asked about cooperating, the FBI hitlist that had his name second on it, and the wrongfully accused man who walked free because Tom hired an FBI agent to reinvestigate at his own expense. He also covers the seven-year community-funded restoration of the North Park, how Brokeback Mountain put the theater on the map, and why he worries deeply about the future of Buffalo’s commercial real estate market. Enjoying the episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share Angles with John Richmond with a friend. Visit www.richmondvona.com/angles-podcast/ for more 🎧 New episodes every week. 📱 Follow us on Instagram: @anglesjohnrichmond @johnrichmondlaw @richmondvona 🎥 Follow us on TikTok: @richmondvona @johnrichmondesq 📺 Watch on YouTube: @angleswithjohnrichmond Disclaimer: This episode is for informational and educational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by the guest and host are their own and do not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice. 00:00 --- Introduction 01:07 --- 44 years in criminal defense 01:40 --- How the profession has changed 03:05 --- The assigned counsel program 04:32 --- Putting the client ahead of the fee 05:07 --- The Wonder Bread vice president case 07:02 --- Giving the money back 07:57 --- The Dennis Stroud wrongful accusation case 09:11 --- How to read a client in that first meeting 10:11 --- Joe Giovanni and the organized crime files 11:40 --- Looking behind the charge: the Niagara County case 14:11 --- Matthew Johnson: lived in a junkyard, lost everything in court 16:06 --- What draws someone into criminal defense 16:24 --- The 22-caliber killer and leaving the DA’s office 18:29 --- The John Justice case 19:26 --- When you’re representing people you know are bad 21:27 --- Why you represent guilty people: protecting the Constitution 22:09 --- The New York City child pornography case 24:16 --- What this work does to you physically 25:28 --- Have you ever been wrong about a client 26:25 --- Cases that stick with you 27:46 --- How to decide: deal or go to trial 29:18 --- Credibility as the most important currency 30:02 --- Getting under the mandatory minimum 30:40 --- Preparing a client for prison 31:19 --- Honesty is the most important thing in that moment 32:30 --- How Tom got into restoring buildings 33:02 --- The Cornell Mansion: bought for $150,000 on Delaware 35:08 --- Finding the hidden theater upstairs 36:36 --- Katherine Cornell and the building’s full history 37:11 --- The story of the Cornell Mansion’s stage 37:22 --- Why Tom can’t sit in the front window office 38:05 --- The mobster and the ball-peen hammer 39:33 --- The FBI hitlist with Tom’s name on it 40:27 --- Acquiring the North Park Theater 41:24 --- The state of the North Park when Tom bought it 42:33 --- Locking out the tenant and the civil judge 43:24 --- Finding the Raphael Beck frescoes 44:23 --- How the community funded the restoration 45:34 --- The stained glass window hidden in cement for 50 years 49:24 --- Michael Shea’s story: the man behind the theaters 50:44 --- The ballerina mural and the $450,000 valuation 52:48 --- The stained glass window restoration in detail 54:14 --- The plasterwork and European artisans 55:08 --- Brokeback Mountain and putting North Park on the map 55:24 --- Ulrich’s: the $18,000 check and a handshake deal 57:57 --- Babe Ruth, Civil War veterans, and the Genesee Hotel back bar 58:30 --- The Bradenton ceramic artist’s house 01:01:25 --- Tom’s worries about Buffalo’s future 01:03:42 --- Staying committed to downtown 01:04:18 --- Quick hits: should you talk to police 01:04:32 --- When police can search your car 01:06:06 --- What to do when placed under arrest