Ron Galella was a pioneer paparazzo and an American photographer. He is recognized by Harper’s Bazaar as “perhaps the most contentious paparazzo of all time,” having been dubbed “Paparazzo Extraordinaire” by Newsweek and “the Godfather of US paparazzi culture” by Time magazine and Vanity Fair.
American Photographer Ron Galella dies at the age of 91
Galella died at his home in Montville, New Jersey, on April 30, 2022. Prior to his death, he was 91 years old and had congestive heart failure.
Ron Galella’s controversies
Galella was well-known for his obsessive treatment of Jacqueline Onassis, as well as the ensuing legal fights. It was dubbed “the most co-dependent celeb-pap[arazzo] relationship ever” by the New York Post. Galella v. Onassis, a 1972 free-speech case, resulted in a restraining order requiring Galella to stay 50 yards (later modified to 25 feet) away from Onassis. He was found guilty of violating the order four times and faced seven years in prison and a $120,000 punishment; he ultimately settled for a $10,000 fine and relinquished his rights to photograph Jackie and her children in exchange for a $10,000 fine.
On June 12, 1973, outside a restaurant in New York City’s Chinatown, actor Marlon Brando hit Galella in the face, cracking his jaw and knocking out five of his teeth on the left side of his mouth. After a taping of The Dick Cavett Show earlier that day, Galella had been following Brando, who was joined by Dick Cavett, to the restaurant. Galella recruited Brando’s lawyer, Stuart Schlesinger, to sue him, and the case was eventually resolved for US$40,000. Galella received two-thirds, according to Schlesinger in the 2010 documentary Smash His Camera, but she only worried about getting the word out: “I don’t want people to believe they can go about punching me if I’m taking their photo.” It’s more important to get that narrative out than it is to get the money.”
Lost a tooth
Galella wore a football helmet the next time he hunted Brando. When Galella was pummelling by Richard Burton’s security guards, he lost a tooth. He attempted to sue the actor but was unsuccessful. “I’m going to kill Ron Galella!” Elizabeth Taylor, who was known for her tolerance of photographers, was often overheard muttering, despite the fact that the actress would subsequently include his images in her biography. Other celebrities who were targeted were Elvis Presley, whose bodyguards slashed his tires, Brigitte Bardot, whose security team hosed him down, and Sean Penn, who allegedly spit at him and assaulted him while being photographed with his then-wife Madonna.
Despite these controversies, his work has been regarded by art galleries all over the world for its artistic and socio-historical importance. Andy Warhol complimented him, saying: “My concept of a good photograph is one that is in focus and features a well-known figure doing something unremarkable. It’s the result of being in the wrong place at the wrong moment. That is why Ron Galella is my favorite photographer “.. Glenn O’Brien, an art critic, described him as a “great realist capable of properly representing the world.”
Ron Galella Age, Family, Early Life
Galella was born on January 10, 1931(91 years old), in New York City. He holds an American Nationality. He belongs to the white ethnicity. His Zodiac sign is Not known.

Vincenzo, his father, was an immigrant from Muro Lucano, Basilicata, who worked as a piano and coffin maker. Michelina (Marinaccio), his mother, was a crochet beader who was born in New Jersey to immigrants from Benevento, Campania.
Ron Galella Wife, What about his Relationship?
In 1979, Galella married Betty Lou Burke. She was his business partner after working as a photo editor for Today Is Sunday. They were married until January 9, 2017, when she died at the age of 68. Galella stated about his wife, “I fell in love with Betty’s warm, sweet, loving voice when she initially acquired my images for publication and given me assignment credentials over the phone.
Two years later, on Dec. 10, 1978, at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for the premiere of Superman, I met her for the first time. ‘I’m going to marry you,’ I declared with one look at that beautiful girl. And there we were, five months later. We became a team once we married.”
Ron Galella’s Career, What was his profession?
Time, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, Vanity Fair, People, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Life have all featured Galella’s images. Galella creates his own prints in his home lab, and his work has been shown at museums and galleries throughout the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and San Francisco, the Tate Modern in London, and the Helmut Newton Foundation Museum of Photography in Berlin.
Galella was declared an honorary citizen of his father’s hometown of Muro Lucano in 2009. Smash His Camera, a documentary film by Leon Gast, was made about him in 2010. After Galella pursued Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and her children across Central Park in New York, she addressed a quote to her security agent, which became the film’s title. The documentary won the Grand Jury Award for Directing in the U.S. Documentary category at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Before airing on the BBC, it garnered great reviews at the 54th BFI London Film Festival.
How much is Ron Galella Net worth?
The net worth of photographer Ron Galella is not revealed yet.
Also Read: Olympics: Who is Ryan Cochran Siegle? Age, Father, Mother, Parents, Wife, and Net worth
Which school and college did he go to?
He got a two-year scholarship at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn after graduating from high school, but he turned it down due to his math shortcomings.
Is he available on any kind of social media platform?
Ron Galella is available on Instagram. He has 11.1K+ followers on Instagram.
Physical Appearance of Ron Galella’s Height, Weight
Height | Not Available |
Hair color | White |
Eye color | Black |
Weight | Not Available |
Body type | Fit |
Sexual orientation | Straight |
Interesting facts about Ron Galella’s should be knows
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | White |
Zodiac sign | Not Available |
Relationship Status | Married |