Ronald Edward Galella (January 10, 1931 – April 30, 2022) was an American photographer, known as a pioneer paparazzo. Dubbed "Paparazzo Extraordinaire" by Newsweek and "the Godfather of the U.S. paparazzi culture" by Time magazine and Vanity Fair, he is regarded by Harper's Bazaar as "arguably the most controversial paparazzo of all time".[1] He photographed many celebrities out of the public eye and gained notice for his feuds with some of them, including Jacqueline Onassis and Marlon Brando.[2] Despite the numerous controversies and claims of stalking, Galella's work was praised and exhibited in art galleries worldwide.[3]
During his career, Galella took more than three million photographs of public figures.[4]
Galella was born in New York City on January 10, 1931, in a family of Italian heritage.[2] His father, Vincenzo, was an immigrant from Muro Lucano, Basilicata,[5] who manufactured pianos and coffins;[2] his mother, Michelina (Marinaccio), was born in New Jersey to immigrants from Benevento, Campania,[6] and worked as a crochet beader.[2] After graduating high school, he won a two-year scholarship at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn but turned it down due to his deficiencies in mathematics.[7]
Galella served as a United States Air Force photographer from 1951 to 1955,[8] including during the Korean War. He later attended the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California,[2] graduating with a degree in photojournalism in 1958.[8] In his free time, Galella took pictures of the stars arriving at film premieres, selling them to magazines like National Enquirer and Photoplay.[1][2] He soon became known for his photographic approach, portraying famous people out of the spotlight, usually in spontaneous expressions.[2]
Galella was known for his obsessive picture taking of Jacqueline Onassis and the subsequent legal battles associated with it. The New York Post called it "the most co-dependent celeb-pap[arazzo] relationship ever".[18] The 1972 free-speech trial Galella v. Onassis resulted in a restraining order to keep Galella 50 yards (later changed to 25 feet) away from Onassis.[19] He was found guilty of breaking this order four times and faced seven years in jail and a $120,000 fine; later settling for a $10,000 fine and surrendering his rights to photograph Jackie and her children.[3]
On June 12, 1973, actor Marlon Brando punched Galella in the face outside a restaurant in Chinatown in New York City, breaking the photographer's jaw and knocking out five of his teeth on the left side of his mouth. Galella had been following Brando, who was accompanied by Dick Cavett, to the restaurant after a taping of The Dick Cavett Show earlier that day. Galella hired lawyers Stuart Schlesinger and Alfred Julien[20] to sue Brando and ultimately settled for US$40,000. Schlesinger reported in the 2010 documentary Smash His Camera that Galella received two-thirds, but only cared about getting the message out, "I don't want anyone to think they can go around punching me if I am taking their picture. Get that story out, not the money."[21] The next time Galella chased Brando, he wore a football helmet.[22]
Galella once lost a tooth when he was beaten by Richard Burton's security guards. He unsuccessfully sued the actor.[23]Elizabeth Taylor, who tended to be tolerant towards photographers, was often heard to mutter, "I'm going to kill Ron Galella!",[24] although the actress would later use his photographs in her biography.[3] Galella's other targets included Elvis Presley, whose bodyguards slashed his tires, Brigitte Bardot, whose security staff hosed him down, the restaurateur Elaine KaufmanofElaine's who once threw a trashcan lid at his head,[25] and Sean Penn, who spat at him and reportedly punched him while being photographed with his then-wife Madonna.[26]
In spite of these controversies, art galleries across the world have valued his work for its artistic and socio-historical value.[27] He was praised by Andy Warhol, who said: "My idea of a good picture is one that's in focus and of a famous person doing something unfamous. It's being in the right place at the wrong time. That's why my favorite photographer is Ron Galella."[3] Art writer Glenn O'Brien defined him as a "brilliant realist able to represent the world faithfully."[6] One of Galella's pictures depicting Jacqueline Onassis, dubbed "Windblown Jackie," was included among "The Most Influential Images of All Time" by Time magazine in 2016.[28][29]
Galella married Betty Lou Burke in 1979. She worked as a photo editor for Today Is Sunday,[10] and was subsequently his business partner.[2] They remained married until her death on January 9, 2017, at the age of 68. Speaking of his wife, Galella said, "When Betty first purchased my photos for publication and granted me assignment credentials over the phone, I fell in love with her warm soft, loving voice. I met her in person for the first time, two years later, on Dec. 10, 1978, at the Kennedy Center for the premiere of Superman. With one look at that beautiful girl, I said, 'I'm gonna marry you.' And five months later, we were. Once married, we became a team."[30]
After retiring as a paparazzo, Galella was active as a photographer at prominent culture events.[31] He resided in Montville, New Jersey, during his later years.[2]
Galella died on April 30, 2022, at his home in Montville, New Jersey. He was 91, and suffered from congestive heart failure prior to his death.[2]
