NYC film producer seeks $1M after tripping over ‘carelessly’ placed Amazon package: suit

Writer/director/producer Chris Gambale, left in red carpet pic wearing black suit; manhattan supreme court, top right; amazon package bottom right
Writer/director/producer Chris Gambale, left in red carpet pic wearing black suit; manhattan supreme court, top right; amazon package bottom right

A Brooklyn film producer is suing Amazon for $1 million, claiming he tripped over a “carelessly” placed package and was “launched” five feet and shattered his arm — all in the wake of his mother’s death.

Chris Gambale, who was once an assistant to Bill Cosby and later a writer on Martin Scorsese’s “Dueces Wild,” was living with his elderly mother in May 2023 when she died in his Bath Beach home, according to the suit.

After a four-hour cleanup following the removal of her body, and before heading to sleep, Gambale, 53, had to walk her dog.

Writer and director Christopher Gambale is suing Amazon after he tripped over a “carelessly” placed package in May 2023. WireImage
Writer and director Christopher Gambale is suing Amazon after he tripped over a “carelessly” placed package in May 2023. WireImage

“He stepped on a misplaced Amazon package causing him to launch approximately 5 feet and crashing down on his right arm and elbow,” according to the filing.

Delivery instructions requested that packages be brought up the driveway and left near the garage. Instead, Gambale claimed footage showed the driver carelessly tossing the package on his steps while talking on the phone.

Because of the injuries, he is unable to work as a film and television producer, the suit states, “and his professional career has ended.”

His “emotional damage” was “tremendously enhanced due to the fact that it occurred on the date of his mother’s death,” Gambale claimed in the suit filed Thursday in Manhattan Supreme Court.

Gambale, who previously worked at Miramax, was in the development stages of a 1980’s Brooklyn mobster film “Nights of Turquoise,” which he was writing and directing. It was slated to come out by next year, according to IMDB.

Gambale claimed a driver didn’t follow specific directions about where to leave the package. Corbis via Getty Images
Gambale claimed a driver didn’t follow specific directions about where to leave the package. Corbis via Getty Images

Back in 2010, Gambale threatened to sue MTV, claiming “Jersey Shore” ripped off a show he originally pitched, according to reports.

Gambale and Amazon did not immediately respond to inquiries.

Advertisement