Marblehead’s failed effort to discipline and terminate police officer Christopher Gallo has cost taxpayers at least $340,149 in legal fees, administrative leave pay and insurance premiums over 3 1/2 years, according to town financial records obtained through public records requests.
The cumulative total does not include additional compensation the town may owe Gallo following the arbitrator’s Feb. 12 ruling, which ordered that he be “made whole” for lost wages, overtime, detail pay and benefits from the date of his termination through his reinstatement.
Gallo officially returned to active duty on March 10, according to Marblehead Police Chief Dennis King.
In an email to the Marblehead Current, King said Gallo is “completing the requirements to become a certified officer under [the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission], which includes completing all training required by the [Municipal Police Training Committee].”
Gallo was officially terminated on Feb. 23, 2024. Based on his hourly rate of $35.74 and a standard 40-hour workweek, his estimated base salary from March 1, 2024, through Feb. 28, 2025, was $75,774.52. That figure does not account for missed overtime, stipends or detail pay, which will likely increase the total amount owed.
Gallo had been accused in an anonymous complaint of spending extensive periods at home during overnight shifts. However, the town failed to authenticate the photographic evidence or assess the credibility of the informant, according to state arbitrator Mary Ellen Shea.
Shea ruled on Feb. 12, 2025, that Marblehead lacked just cause for both Gallo’s suspension and termination. She ordered his reinstatement with full back pay, benefits and removal of disciplinary records. The decision not only mandated compensation for lost wages but also for missed overtime and detail opportunities.
“After careful consideration, we have decided not to pursue an appeal in the matter of Officer Gallo,” Select Board Chair Erin Noonan said after an executive session last month. “While we may not agree with the outcome, we respect the process and the arbitrator’s ruling, and we are committed to moving forward in the best interest of all parties involved.”
Documents show the town paid attorney Marc J. Miller $87,744 between August 2021 and August 2022 and the firm Mead, Talerman & Costa $99,814 from May 2023 through February 2025 for legal services that prominently featured Gallo’s case.
While the invoices cover various municipal matters including union negotiations and employee grievances across departments, Gallo’s disciplinary case appears consistently throughout the documentation. A review of the legal invoices reveals Gallo’s name appears at least 87 times, his attorney Gary Nolan is mentioned in 22 entries, and terms like “arbitration,” “hearing” or “disciplinary” appear nearly 100 times combined.
Conservative estimates based on explicitly labeled entries show attorneys billed at least $21,525 for work directly tied to Gallo’s case, representing 102.5 hours of legal work. This included preparing exhibits, attending multi-day hearings, reviewing audio and video evidence, and communications with Gallo’s attorney and the arbitrator.
The actual legal costs may be significantly higher, as many entries use generic descriptions such as “police personnel matters” or “civil service hearings” without specifically naming Gallo.
Beyond attorney fees, town payroll records reveal additional costs. While Gallo remained on administrative leave from June 2021 to February 2024, Marblehead paid him $251,824.94 in compensation while he wasn’t working.
The town also covered nearly the entire cost of his insurance premiums during this period. Marblehead paid $66,735.99 for Gallo’s Harvard Pilgrim health insurance while he contributed just $13,668.87. Similarly, the town spent $65.01 on a Boston Mutual Basic Life policy for Gallo, who paid only $21.45 toward that coverage. This arrangement meant the town shouldered approximately 83% of these insurance costs.
