Michael Volpe Investigates Podcast the Impromptu: Episode 66 an Interview with Hillary Styer and Gus Zucco

Gus donated a kidney to his then wife; she repaid him by asking for a divorce.

Check out the interview with Gus Zucco and his wife, Hillary Styer below.

Gus Zucco’s story is stranger than fiction.

In 2007, he donated a kidney to his then wife, Tracy Simms. Because he wasn’t a match, he donated his kidney to a stranger which started a chain ending with Tracy getting a kidney.

She was so appreciative that months later- while he was still recovering- she asked for a divorce.

That’s only the beginning of the madness. In their divorce settlement, she only received a token alimony payment: $1 per year for five years.

This seemed fair. They had no kids. She got their home which was paid off while he got the house with the mortgage, and he took on nearly $500,000 in debt.

Gus had done well for himself. In the early 2000s, he found great success with internet marketing. By 2007, still recovering from surgery, his business faced all sorts of headwinds. Here’s more from Frank Report.

After Gus gave up his kidney to Grossfield, and Tracy got a kidney from Eng, the couple’s fortunes reversed. Tracy got off dialysis and became eligible for a pancreas transplant. She got her pancreas from a cadaver. She was feeling better than she had in years.

On the other hand, Gus took some time to recover; his health was not as robust. For the first time in years, his business began to fail. 

In 2014, Gus married Hillary Styer and the opened a bed and breakfast in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Tracy wasn’t through with Gus. Though she never worked during their marriage, and she walked away with a huge home- owned free and clear- she demanded the alimony be increased.

In 2015, she filed a motion, arguing that Gus had hidden money.

This was a curious accusation since Gus and Hilary had filed for a Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Chapter 13 allows debts to be reorganized.

In 2019, Gus found himself in front of Connecticut Judge Anthony Truglia.

Judge Truglia has become a notorious figure in Connecticut jurisprudence. First, he has an appetite for half naked women, as seen by his Facebook page.

Second, he has a penchant for granting custody- sole custody even- to clearly unfit parents. Below is the report from Wayne Dolcefino where Judge Truglia granted custody to a woman with a history of suicide attempts.

More recently, Judge Truglia granted sole custody to Josh Nemore, despite a history of physical abuse.

The evidence of abuse by Mr. Nemore is overwhelming- Erin sums it up in the last three minutes of the podcast- it includes the testimony of a Rhode Island detective, hospital reports, and reports by mandated reporters from school, camp, and DCF.

In December 2019, Gus faced a hearing in front of Judge Truglia. He had a conflict. Hillary’s grandfather died; this was months after her father died.

The funeral was the day before the hearing; it was located approximately ten hours from the courthouse.

No matter, Judge Truglia ordered the hearing to move forward; Gus wasn’t there and so his ex-wife’s claims went unanswered. Some of those are below.

In particular, Tracy claimed he moved several hundred thousand from a Morgan Stanley account.

Gus explained to me that the money wasn’t frozen, and he received that money as part of the settlement. He provided explanations TO ME for all her charges, however, since he wasn’t at the hearing, those charges were left unanswered in court.

Judge Truglia had a problem. The period- five years- for the alimony had expired. It couldn’t be modified. Judge Truglia merely rewrote a new alimony order.

Instead of $1 per year, it was $2,000 per month. This was made retroactive which meant that Gus also owed $110,000. Finally, instead of five years, it was indefinite.

Mind you, the court recognized that Gus was going through bankruptcy when he made this order.

Gus told me there were two problems, specifically, with this order. First, it assumed that his current wife, Hillary, was not contributing any income when they owned the business together. Second, it assumed that Gus had over $2,000 remaining every month which could be paid to Tracy. In fact, he told me that $2,000 per month goes to paying the restructured bankruptcy debt. All of this could also have been explained if he had attended the hearing.

He told me he tried to address both errors in subsequent appeals, one of which was heard by Judge Carla Nascimento.

Judge Nascimento, in a hearing which lasted approximately six hours, then rubber stamped Judge Truglia’s order.

A subsequent appeal’s court and a court in Pennsylvania also rubber-stamped Judge Truglia’s decision. The last judge, Judge Christina Simpson, is even threatening Gus with jail if he doesn’t pay to back due alimony.

On April 18, 2023, Judge Simpson gave attorney Roberts what she wanted. Without regard to Gus’ financial condition – and that he did not have any savings left – let alone $110,000 to pay in retroactive alimony, Judsge Simpson gave Gus 60 days till June 18, 2023, or she would find him in contempt.

If he was in contempt, as attorney Roberts surely told Tracy, Gus would go to jail, starting perhaps with 30 days to teach him a lesson.

As Hillary told me, she is not allowed to speak at any of the court proceedings. The court acts like this doesn’t affect her, even though it is partially her money which is needed. As a result, her son’s college fund has been drained and paying for his college education is now in jeopardy.

I reached out to Tracy and two of her attorneys, but I received no response.