Antony ‘The Cat’ Catalano’s elderly parents launched legal action against him amid claims he and his ex-wife failed to repay a hefty loan they gave the couple to buy a luxury property in Melbourne’s exclusive Brighton suburb.
Antonio and Anna Catalano went to court after a supposed gentleman’s agreement went sour over the $150,036.65 – plus years of unpaid interest – they say they lent their newspaper boss son and his then-wife Shara.
The extraordinary family feud, which began in 2011, has surfaced as Antony, 59, faces a barrage of fresh scandals, including recent assault charges over allegations he dragged a woman through her home and swung a clothes iron at her head.
The once high-flying media executive has stepped down from key roles, checked into rehab citing mental health and substance abuse struggles, and watched his personal and professional life unravel in spectacular fashion.
According to a Statement of Claim filed in the Victorian County Court, the loan was made in January 2004 to help Antony and Shara buy a property in Brighton, one of Melbourne’s most affluent bayside enclaves.
The parents alleged the agreement was partly oral – stemming from a series of conversations where the young couple said they needed the cash to seal the deal – and partly implied by the parties’ conduct.
The writ details how the senior Catalanos advanced $143,936.65 from the sale of another Brighton property at 51 Halifax Street, plus $6,100 in cash handed over on the same day.
Antony Catalano and his estranged current wife Stefanie
The loan reportedly carried interest at a ‘family rate’ of six per cent a year, with the couple agreeing to repay the full amount ‘upon request’ by the parents.
The deal initially appeared amicable, with the couple paying interest until October 2008, but then the payments dried up, according to the court documents.
The writ claimed Shara acknowledged the debt through her previous legal representative, in conversations with others present, and in a text message to Antony on March 23, 2011.
Antony was also said to have acknowledged the loan.
By the time the papers were filed, the parents were demanding the full $150,036.65 plus interest from November 1, 2008, statutory interest, and costs.
They accused their son and ex-daughter-in-law of breaching the agreement and causing them ‘loss and damage’.
‘Wrongly and in breach of the agreement, the defendants have failed to repay the monies owing,’ the claim stated.
The case is just the latest twist in Catalano’s rise from relatively humble beginnings to the upper echelons of Australia’s media and property worlds.
Antony Catalano has gone into rehab amid allegations of domestic violence
He allegedly assaulted a woman at his penthouse home
He built his empire through his stake in regional newspapers like the Canberra Times via Australian Community Media, while enjoying a lavish lifestyle.
But recent months have painted a very different picture.
In mid-March, the tycoon was charged with assault, false imprisonment and making threats to kill following an alleged incident at a Melbourne property.
His current wife, Stefanie, has reportedly been left shaken, while past allegations of domestic incidents have also resurfaced in media reports.
Catalano has publicly spoken of his deep shame and humiliation, admitting struggles with mental health and substance abuse, and confirming he has now gone into rehab.
He has stepped back from executive roles amid the turmoil, and says his focus is now ‘entirely on treatment and recovery’.
‘I am deeply ashamed and humiliated,’ Antony told the Australian Financial Review.
‘Those close to me have been urging me to seek professional help for some time and there have been interventions by close family and friends.
Antony Catalano and his estranged wife Stefanie
‘I regret not heeding their advice and I continued to believe I could hide my mental health issues.
‘I allowed shame and pride to prevent me from confronting these problems and seeking treatment earlier.’
County Court documents suggest the case launched by his parents was resolved before it went to trial.
Antonio Catalano has since died.
