By Jeremy Murphy
Lino J. De Masi has been part of the criminal justice system as both a prosecutor and defense attorney.
A first-generation Italian-American attorney and former Brooklyn prosecutor, De Masi now serves as a senior associate at Aidala, Bertuna & Kamins, P.C., where he handles some of the firm’s most serious criminal matters.
“Day to day, I’m in court,” De Masi says. “I have a steady caseload. I’m handling everything from simple assaults to a couple of homicides and gang-related cases.”
A Prosecutor’s Instinct on the Defense Side
That work fits squarely within his background. Before joining the firm in 2022, De Masi spent nearly seven years at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office, where he rose to Senior Assistant District Attorney and prosecuted cases including shootings, robberies, and vehicular homicides.
“My caseload consisted of violent felonies,” he says. “That’s kind of within my wheelhouse.”
Today, that perspective has become one of his greatest assets as a defense attorney. De Masi understands how prosecutors investigate cases, evaluate evidence, and build arguments for trial. That experience allows him to anticipate strategies and speak to prosecutors in a language they understand.
“I tend to foresee a lot of things,” he says. “I can relate to a prosecutor and say, ‘I know where you’re going with this, but here’s the reality of the situation.’”
From Astoria to the Courtroom
De Masi’s path to the law began in Queens. Born and raised in Astoria, he is the son of Italian immigrants from Benevento. He grew up spending many summers in Italy and became fluent in Italian.
He earned his undergraduate degree from the Macaulay Honors College at Baruch College before attending CUNY School of Law. During law school, he interned at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office.
At the Brooklyn DA’s office, De Masi secured over 150 indictments before the grand jury and conducted hearings and trials involving the borough’s most serious criminal allegations. But after years as a prosecutor, he reached a crossroads.
“I needed to make a change,” he says. “This presented itself as a great opportunity.”
The move to Aidala, Bertuna & Kamins had a personal dimension. De Masi has known managing partner Arthur Aidala since childhood, through Aidala’s friendship with De Masi’s uncle, whom Aidala met at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office. De Masi previously worked with partner Imran Ansari as well during his own years as a Brooklyn prosecutor.
The transition away from prosecution was both natural and challenging. “It could be unnerving and stressful at times,” he says. “But at the end of the day, the work is the same.” As a prosecutor, De Masi was trained to ensure that justice is sought in every case. That philosophy continues to guide him in defense work. “My goal was to understand what the appropriate outcome was based on the circumstances of the case,” he says.
Fighting for Fair Outcomes
That sense of fairness has produced significant results on the defense side. De Masi has been on the trial team of two homicide cases, helped secure an acquittal in a first-degree robbery case, and first-chaired multiple pretrial suppression hearings.
His most fulfilling work, though, has come when persistent advocacy changed the course of a client’s life. In one case, an older man accused of inappropriate contact at a family event initially faced jail time and possible sex-offender consequences. After repeatedly meeting with prosecutors and carefully reviewing the evidence, the case was dismissed.
“That was a really gratifying moment,” De Masi says. He also worked on a high-profile matter involving rapper Sheff G, where prosecutors initially offered 20 years. Through pretrial litigation and motion practice, the defense secured a dramatically reduced offer of five years. “Considering where they were and what prosecutors were seeking, I thought that was really good,” he says.
A Collaborative Legal Home
At Aidala, Bertuna & Kamins, De Masi says he has found a place that feels both demanding and deeply collaborative. “It’s a family type of environment,” he says. “Professionally, I have a depth of knowledge at my disposal. I can go to the judges, I can go to Arthur, I can go to any of the partners here.” He describes himself as “a kid in a candy store,” surrounded by former judges, prosecutors, and seasoned trial lawyers who trade ideas freely.
That exchange goes both ways. Because De Masi still maintains strong relationships with former colleagues at the DA’s office, the firm often relies on his prosecutorial insight.
For Lino De Masi, the job is about more than switching sides. It is about using his instincts as a prosecutor to fight for fair outcomes and navigate the most difficult moments of clients’ lives with skill, judgment, and heart.
