Meet Our Team

Salvatore Muoio, CFA® | Chief Investment Officer


Salvatore Muoio is the founder of S. Muoio & Co. LLC and manager of the investment partnerships SM Investors, L.P., SM Investors II, L.P., SM Merger/Arbitrage, L.P., the offshore entities SM Investors Offshore, Ltd., SM Merger/Arbitrage Offshore, Ltd., as well as other privately held investment vehicles.

Prior to establishing SM Investors, L.P. in 1997, he served in the equity markets group of Lazard Frères & Co. LLC from 1995 to 1996 as Director of Equity Research and as an equity analyst concentrating in telecommunications and media industries. From 1985 to 1995, Mr. Muoio worked in several capacities for Gabelli Funds, Inc., including as a securities analyst for Gabelli & Company, Inc., Director of Research for GAMCO Investors, and as Portfolio Manager for the Gabelli Global Telecommunications Fund, Inc..

Having focused throughout his career on intensive bottom-up company-specific research, sell-side analysis, portfolio management, and industry analysis, Mr. Muoio offers investors a value-oriented investment process backed by a deep, firsthand understanding of the myriad factors that drive investment decision making.

Mr. Muoio received a B.B.A. with a major in finance from the University of Notre Dame in 1981 and an M.B.A. with a concentration in Finance from Notre Dame in 1985. Mr. Muoio is a member of the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts, as well as the New York Society of Securities Analysts. Mr. Muoio also serves on the Board of Directors of LICT Corporation and CIBL, Inc., diversified publicly traded holding companies involved in various telecommunications, media, and service businesses. He also serves as a director of Heartland Media Acquisition Corp., a publicly-traded Special Purpose Acquisition Company. Over the years, he has been featured in numerous publications, including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Barron’s, Washington Post, Forbes, and Bloomberg, among others.

Mr. Muoio is active member of the Columbus Citizens Foundation, serving both on the Investment and Special Events committees.  His other interests include sailing and books documenting sea going voyages and narratives. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and has two grown children. 

Alessandro Ciarnelli | Director of Research


Alessandro Ciarnelli joined S. Muoio & Co. LLC in June 2003 as a Securities Analyst. Alex is a generalist with a special focus on the telecommunications and media industries.

In prior roles, Mr. Ciarnelli was an analyst and data researcher for Telespazio S.P.A, and financial consultant for Società Interbancaria Investimenti (a company held by Banca Nazionale del Lavoro) and Banca 121 (a subsidiary of Gruppo Monte dei Paschi di Siena), Rome, Italy. He holds a degree in Business Administration from L’Universita La Sapienza di Roma.

Originally from Italy, Mr. Ciarnelli lives in Brooklyn with his wife and their daughter. He is an active supporter of Doctors Without Borders and The Fresh Air Fund. In his free time, he enjoys running, reading adventure nonfiction, and taking family trips to Capri and Copenhagen, where he has extended family.

Christopher Takla, CPA® | Vice President of Finance


Christopher R. Takla joined S. Muoio & Co. LLC in April 2015 as the Vice President of Finance.

Prior to joining S. Muoio & Co. LLC, Mr. Takla work at Grassi & Company, CPAs with a focus on partnership administration.  Mr. Takla began his career at JLL Partners Inc., a firm that specializes in leveraged buyouts of underperforming companies.

Mr. Takla is a graduate of Rutgers University which is where he received his Bachelor of Science in 1996 in Accounting. He is a Certified Public Accountant, licensed in New York State, and a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Outside the office, Mr. Takla enjoys traveling, hiking, and spending time with his wife and daughter – whether it be a day trip to the beach, or a vacation further up the coast.

Ashley Gorman | Vice President of Operations & Administration


Ashley Gorman joined S. Muoio & Co. LLC in February 2013. Her primary responsibilities include administration, operations, marketing and investor relations.

Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Gorman focused on client relations in the wealth management industry.

Ms. Gorman received a B.A. in Psychology from Hofstra University and is a Notary Public in the state of New York.