Key developer testifies in trial against Galatolo

During Allana’s Monday testimony of the pair’s relationship and travels during Galatolo’s criminal trial, Allana maintained what has become a major tenant of Galatolo’s defense: gifts between the pair were reciprocal, and their friendship was entirely separate from business. 

“That’s not how I do business,” Allana said during an at-times tense cross-examination from San Mateo County prosecutor Joseph Cannon. “I don’t go asking my friends for work.” 

The DA’s Office has disputed the defense claim that because the gifts were reciprocal, they weren’t reportable, and hit Galatolo with nine counts of perjury for failing to disclose various gifts, many of which were from Allana or his firm, Allana, Buick & Bers. 

The firm was awarded a major contract for the Cañada College solar project in 2013, one of two major construction projects Galatolo is alleged to have improperly pressured the college’s selection committee into offering to a friend’s company. 

Allana is currently embroiled in a civil lawsuit of his own — ABB, among other firms, is being sued by the district for similar claims of fraud to those levied against Galatolo in criminal court. 

ABB was offered revision opportunities on its solar project bid that weren’t given to competing firms in a violation of district policy, former San Mateo County Vice Chancellor Jose Nuñez previously testified during the trial. Nuñez pleaded no contest to two felony counts of using the community college district’s resources for political purposes by unlawfully using college money for a bond measure campaign, and testified against Galatolo in exchange for a lesser sentence.

Galatolo’s defense attorney Chuck Smith said previously that the revision opportunities, while improper, were not illegal. Smith used Allana’s time on the stand to establish that the construction firm had a long history of projects with the district before his relationship with Galatolo began, starting in 2006. 

Allana officially met Galatolo at a holiday party for his firm in 2012, he testified, and said the two men struck up a friendship based on common interests. They enjoyed concerts, fine wine and luxury travel, but paid for those experiences in turn, he’s claiming, as elucidated by Smith’s queries into the nature of their relationship. 

“Did it include sporting events?” Smith asked. “Did it include concerts? … Did it include fine dining? … Did it include travel?” 

Allana responded yes to all questions, later testifying that Galatolo was his best friend. 

Galatolo gave Allana a $280 Prada wallet for Christmas, but received a $350 iPad from his firm in return, for example. When the pair traveled to Cancun in January 2015, Galatolo paid, but box tickets to concerts like Black Sabbath and the Eagles were fronted by Allana’s firm. 

In a 2017 trip to Nepal — which came after travel to Pakistan, where Galatolo was brokering relationships with elite private schools with the help of Allana, hoping to foster student enrollment at the district — Allana paid for the helicopter trip to the foot of Mount Everest, but Galatolo paid him back in cash, he said. 

Another major element of the pair’s alleged reciprocal relationship were trips on Galatolo’s boat at Lake Tahoe, which Allana estimated would have cost around $2,000 a day if he were to rent a boat out of pocket. 

During cross-examination, Cannon pushed back on this, asking repeatedly if Allana could identify specific days he was on the boat, if it counted as a monetary gift and questioning why it wasn’t included on a handwritten ledger the men had to keep a tally of who owed whom what. 

“A great portion of reciprocation you’re claiming is based upon the fact that Mr. Galatolo provided you the use of his boat so many times in Tahoe, correct?” Cannon said. 

“The numbers speak for themselves,” Allana responded, noting that the ledgers — which he also added were destroyed once repayments were made — were only for cash transactions, particularly expensive wine purchases. 

Cannon also inquired about several deleted texts between Allana and Galatolo, some of which contained brief references to business. Allana testified that he and Galatolo spoke about their mutual business dealings a total of three times throughout their friendship. 

One of the texts, about a chancellor at a different community college, was dated in 2009, Cannon said, years before Allana said the men began a relationship. Allana maintained the date of the message was likely incorrect. 

The two have discussed the trial around 12 times since Galatolo’s 2022 indictment, he said. 

“We have talked about the fact that he thinks he is innocent,” Allana said. “I know he is innocent.”