Robert F. Simone

Robert F. Simone, one of the city's top defense attorneys for 40 years, has died. He was 73. Simone, who defended clients from the glamorous to the infamous, including crime boss Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo, died Tuesday night at Hahnemann University Hospital of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, said his brother, Joseph Simone. Robert Simone defended Scarfo in numerous federal and city cases, developing a friendship close enough that he appeared on FBI surveillance photos at Scarfo's home and on his yacht, Usual Suspects, in Florida in the early 1980s. Union leader John McCullough and porn-film star Linda Lovelace were among the colorful clients who sought out his legal assistance over the years. Simone grew up in Philadelphia, attended Temple University and Temple Law School and began practicing in 1959 in a small Center City office. He also defended himself against criminal charges that he attributed to a government vendetta and vehemently denied. He was convicted in 1992 in a mob-related racketeering and extortion case, and served nearly three years in prison. He had had his license to practice law restored and was again working as a defense lawyer when he became ill.