Times Colonist

Photograph­er made name for pursuit of celebritie­s

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NEW YORK — Ron Galella, the photograph­er known for his visceral celebrity shots and his dogged pursuit of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who sued him and won a restrainin­g order, has died at age 91.

Galella died Saturday at his home in Montville, N.J., said Geoffrey Croft, a spokespers­on and the editor of Galella’s most recent book 100 Iconic Photograph­s — A Retrospect­ive. The cause was congestive heart failure, Croft said.

Galella amassed millions of images in a career that began in the 1960s, earning sobriquets like the “paparazzo extraordin­aire” for his up-close, candid shots of the rich and famous. His subjects included Hollywood icons like Ava Gardner and Greta Garbo, singers from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga and sports personalit­ies including Muhammad Ali. His work appeared in magazines like Time, People and the National Enquirer and in 22 books that he put out.

Many of Galella’s subjects did not want to be photograph­ed. Marlon Brando punched Galella in the face outside a New York City restaurant in 1973, breaking his jaw and knocking out five teeth.

Onassis battled Galella in court for years. In 1972, a judge ordered Galella to keep 25 feet away from Onassis and 30 feet away from her children.

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