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NORFOLK - Former Mansfield High School offensive lineman Tom Frongillo recently scored, arguably, the biggest touchdown of his career.

It was in a federal courtroom in Montana.

In May, Frongillo, now a lawyer living in Norfolk, won an acquittal for his client, who was accused of knowingly endangering the city of Libby, Mont., by allowing his company, W.R. Grace, to release asbestos into the air from its former mine outside the city.

After an 11-week trial that drew national media attention, the jury acquitted former W.R. Grace Senior Vice President Robert Bettacchi, and other former executives, of charges related to violating the Clean Air Act.

Bettacchi was a client of the law firm of Weil, Gotshal and Manges, where Frongillo is a partner in the Boston office. Frongillo was the lead attorney in the case. "In the annals of criminal environmental prosecutions, this unquestionably was one of the most significant prosecutions ever brought by the federal government," said Frongillo, co-captain of the 1974 Mansfield High School football team.

It was the latest highlight of Frongillo's career.

Before joining Weil Gotshal Manges, Frongillo spent about 10 years as an assistant U.S. Attorney in Massachusetts, specializing in high-profile cases involving drug trafficking, homicide and other crimes. In 1999, he led Massachusetts' case in "Operation Southwest Express," in which several states prosecuted 100 people, "the largest international drug and money laundering prosecution conducted by the FBI at that time," according to Frongillo's bio.

Frongillo now specializes in white collar crime, regulatory issues, and lawsuits involving businesses.

This interview was conducted by e-mail.

SUN CHRONICLE: So, what drew you to become an attorney?

TOM FRONGILLO: Growing up in the '60s, I was a "Perry Mason" enthusiast.

Each episode had a complicated murder plot, and ended with the true culprit confessing on the witness stand during a blistering cross-examination by Perry Mason, the skillful defense attorney.

I admittedly was inspired by Hollywood-created courtroom drama, but also was fascinated by the criminal law. By the age of 10, I told my parents that I was going to be a trial lawyer.

SC: How has prosecuting white collar crimes changed over your career? FRONGILLO: The transition (from federal prosecutor to private practice) was a smooth one. It wasn't difficult for me because I previously had defended white collar criminal cases in private practice before joining the U.S. Attorney's Office.

I also didn't find myself pitted against my old colleagues and the agents with whom I worked because they were still prosecuting organizational crime and narcotics trafficking.

SC: What was the key to winning the W.R. Grace case?

FRONGILLO: Just as in the Perry Mason episodes, the key to the successful defense in the case was the effective cross-examination of the government's witnesses.

It was my strong view that no crimes had been committed, and the defense team did a particularly effective job in proving that through the government's own witnesses.

SC: What's more stressful, trying a high-profile criminal matter or needing a touchdown with the clock running out in a Mansfield-Foxboro high school football game?

FRONGILLO: The trial of a high-profile criminal case gets the edge.

A high-profile criminal case is a serious matter in which a person's liberty is on the line. The burden of prosecuting and defending these cases is a heavy one. These cases require an extraordinary degree of preparation and flawless execution in the courtroom. There is added pressure from media coverage of the trials, particularly since the media is not bashful when commenting on the performance of the lawyers.

As to the Mansfield/Foxboro Thanksgiving Day football showdowns, I'm quite sure that they were among the most important events in my life back in the early 1970s. Both the Mansfield and Foxboro athletes took a great deal of pride playing for their towns.

The game is still a fierce rivalry, often with the Hockomock League title at stake. We only had one game that came down to the final play, and it ended in a 0-0 tie. While the Turkey Day clashes were intense, they also were fun. I've enjoyed our more recent successes over Foxboro under Coach (Mike) Redding.