Winthrop coach found not guilty in ear-biting case

By Maria Cramer, Globe Staff

Richard Fucillo, an assistant football coach at Winthrop High School who was accused of nearly biting off the ear of his wife's boyfriend in a jealous rage last March, was found not guilty of the assault in Suffolk Superior Court today.

A jury deliberated for less than two hours before delivering the verdict to Fucillo and the jubilant members of his family, who had been in courtroom every day during the six-day trial, said Fucillo's lawyer, Thomas Brant.

"It's been a nightmare," said Fucillo of the last year as he stood in the courthouse. "It has been a living nightmare."

Fucillo, who was charged with mayhem, aggravated assault and battery and violating a restraining order, would have faced up to 20 years in prison if he had been found guilty, Brant said.

Fucillo, who has three children with his estranged wife, later celebrated the verdict with beer and wine at his home in Winthrop .

"Half of Winthrop is coming," he said in a telephone interview. "It's a small town, though."

His plans after the party are simple, Fucillo said.

"I just want to go back to work, get my divorce, and see my children as much as I possibly can," he said.

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