[7] In 2017, Cangelosi represented Meaghan Vass, a key witness in the ongoing controversy surrounding the murder of Bob Chappell by Susan Neill-Fraser.
[9] The circumstances of his representation were themselves the subject of some controversy, with The Age reporting that Tasmania Police had informed Ms Vass’ lawyers that they want to interview her about perverting the course of justice in respect of the ongoing appellate proceedings launched by Neill-Fraser, and also wished to interview Cangelosi "about matters not subject to legal privilege, including when he was retained to act for Ms Vass, and by whom".
[10] Also in 2017, Cangelosi conducted an unsuccessful appeal for Marco Daniel Rusterholz, convicted of the 2012 murders of Angela Hallam and Joshua Newman.
Cangelosi also told the court that the alias Curtis used was not created to avoid police detection, but rather because he was aware that he would be the target of unwanted attention because of his past crimes.
[13] In 2020, Cangelosi represented Rebels Motorcycle Club State President Shaun Lee Kelly on a charge of evading police whilst riding a Harley Davidson.
"[14] Also in 2020, Cangelosi successfully argued a landmark case before the Full Court of the Supreme Court of Tasmania on behalf of Duc Van Nguyen, resulting in declarations not only shortening the period until Nguyen's parole eligibility by 15 months, but also likely shortening the sentences of other recidivist inmates serving multiple sentences with non-parole periods.
[15] In 2022 Cangelosi argued that the Supreme Court of Tasmania should override the decision of a Coroner to refuse to hold an inquest into the notorious death by dangerous driving of Jari Wise, at the hands of his then-partner, Melissa Oates.
[19] In December 2023, following the charging of Gregory Geason, a judge of the Supreme Court of Tasmania, with domestic violence offences including assault, it was reported that Tasmanian Attorney-General Guy Barnett was forced to withdraw a bill from the Parliament of Tasmania to establish an inquiry into Justice Geason’s conduct, after Cangelosi intervened, accusing Barnett of departing “from the convention by which the first law officer seeks to defend the judicial branch of government” by “prosecuting a political case”.
[25] On 9 January 2019 Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton announced support for a publicly searchable national register of sex offenders.
[33] Cangelosi courted controversy during the campaign by denouncing two of his party's policies, writing that his party's position on poker machines “overstuffs the coffers of the Federal Group”, “maintains the monopolised flow of blood money”, and “unbalances unequal scales, committing the poor to financial devastation, the vulnerable to depression and suicide, and working families to fracture and ruin.”[34] He also was embroiled in a controversy over his comments on social media following the murder of George Floyd that appeared to suggest that he supported the police abolition movement.
[36] On 28 March 2024, it was announced that Cangelosi had resigned from the Labor Party in order to contest the division as an independent, citing the Labor Party’s apparent refusal to attempt to govern in minority at the 2024 Tasmanian state election held on 23 March 2024, and its failure to endorse any person to contest the division for an election due on 4 May 2024.