Its never really had a major identity, so its kind of like everyone I knew who I grew up with, they ended up moving to the city, for more opportunities and stuff. They didnt really like it. He was a born and raised New Yorker. How? Naturally, Slapshot plus The Sopranos was extremely my wheelhouse, so I jumped at the chance to speak with AJ Galante. Danbury, its a blue collar town. We had a very skilled team we wanted entertainment, and whether people like it or not, fighting and physicality, that was a huge part of hockey. By the time he was a teenager, he led his own gang on New Yorks Lower East Side. BRIDGEPORT H. James Pickerstein, a former top federal prosecutor in Connecticut and a popular figure among generations of state lawyers, was sentenced Tuesday to 30 days in prison for stealing . 3 of 50. brothers Maclain and Chapman Way's new series of Netflix documentary films, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 'The Search' on Netflix Covers the Heartbreaking Death of Paulette Gebara Farah, 'Aftermath' Is Based on the Terrifying True Story of Jerry Rice and Janice Ruhter, Evan Peters Will Star as This Notorious Serial Killer in Ryan Murphy's New True-Crime Series on Netflix. There may have been a fish, a couple of fish planted in the air vents. He also admitted to witness tampering. What was the injury that actually ended your hockey career? Then, Jimmy was indicted on over 70 charges that included racketeering, mail fraud, and wire fraud, among other things. He was born in the Bronx, New York in the United States on January 5, 1953. Advert. "I was just as shocked as other people," AJ revealed during a Zoom chat with Thrillist about his initial reaction to his father's larger-than-life gift. He said of Jimmy, After all my father did for me and continues to do for me the very least I could do was visit him at least twice a month. Well send you our daily roundup of all our favorite stories from across the site, from travel to food to shopping to entertainment. I know when my dad started the team, one of his main reasons was, Hey, I want to bring an identity to the city. It only lasted two years, but were still talking about it to this day. Wine and Cheeseburger: Harley and Lara Pair Falafel with Wine. Galante was accused of donating to a PAC ( Political Action Committee) which laundered money to several politicians who may have used their influence to award contracts to Galantes trash hauling business. GIF So even when I was younger I knew my daddy owned a restaurant in Canada. The indictment included allegations that Galante and others conspired to commit arson and kidnapping by damaging a truck owned by one of Galantes competitors and by kidnapping the driver of that truck at gunpoint. After all, he gave his dad his word that he would. Galante also agreed to forfeit his stake in 25 trash hauling and recycling companies to the federal government, and promised to never work in the business again, stating to the Judge that he agreed to withdraw from involvement with any segment of the trash industry in the United States. The 25 trash-disposal companies owned by Galante, all based in Danbury and estimated by him to be worth $100 million, were condemned and forfeited to the United States of America. The businesses were sold, with the money going to the United States Department of the Treasury, under laws allowing the forfeiture of property obtained through criminal activities. You need to be a member of Gangsters Inc. - www.gangstersinc.org to add comments! In Sunday's commercial, it was Sigler who was behind the wheel and in a sweet twist at the end, the actress reunites with her Sopranos costar Robert Iler, who played her on-screen brother, A.J . Federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment of Galante and 28 others in an alleged Mafia-backed scheme to stifle competition in the trash industry (Republican American, September 1, 2007) On July 12, 1979, Galante was killed just as he finished eating lunch on an open patio at Joe and Mary's Italian-American Restaurant at 205 Knickerbocker Avenue in Bushwick, Brooklyn. James Galante, more popularly known as Jimmy Galante, is the owner of the defunct Danbury Trashers, a minor league hockey team, and also owns a racecar team fielding cars for Ted Christopher. Hockey, a lot of teams, you have to have that, but a lot of teams dont want it, they just need it. James invested in the Danbury Arena, bringing revenue to the city, and added a weekly event for the fans to look forward to. [23], In 2007, Former Connecticut State Senate Minority Leader Louis DeLuca pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges in connection with Galante. But the real-life dons of New Jersey may have a different take. martin guitar service center; white stuff in bottom of canned green beans Jimmy Galante turns out to be a Capo in the Genovese family. It kind of immobilized my leg, and I went to pivot and turn, and my leg was just there. James Galante, who had direct ties to the Genovese crime family, who have been cited as part of the inspiration for The Sopranos, was arrested under a massive FBI indictment and was charged. The New York Times described him. And people are like, Oh, I get it. The team quickly became notorious for its violent streak in the rink and was popular among the passionate fans watching the games. It seems like such a funny combination to me. [3] The businesses handled 80% of garbage hauling in southern and western Connecticut, and Westchester and Putnam counties in New York. Like any father, you want to be able to do something for your son. So, in April 2004, Jimmy bought a franchise in minor league hockey and named it the Danbury Trashers. We brought him in midway through the first year. [8] Among those also indicted as a result of the investigation were former Waterbury Mayor Joseph Santopietro, former Division Manager for Diversified Waste and Genovese Crime Family enforcer Robert Taggett, federal Drug Enforcement Agent Louis Angioletti, several of Galante's underlings and former Danbury Trashers hockey coach H. Todd Stirling. He was primarily active as an enforcer. I just went down. Blending WWE with the UHL is a disruptive idea, to be sure. We found the guys that liked it.. His daughter Angela talked about her father and what it was like growing up with a man aiming to take over the underworld. In the years since the critically-acclaimed show ended in 2007, many of its stars have kept . The real Tony Soprano James/Jimmy Galante was the king of garbage disposal and the mastermind behind the illegal activity which pertained to the Danbury Trashers. "People that get up in the morning to grind every day that, maybe, don't feel too fulfilled in their jobs. . Jimmy Galante is married to a lady named Roseanne. Now, as the owner and manager of Champs Boxing Club in his hometown of Danbury, AJ dismisses the connection. If youre a minor league hockey enforcer, and once youre too old to play hockey, what are the most of these guys do afterwards? However, in hockey, fighting is part of The Code. Fighting has been an officially accepted part of hockey at the professional level for almost a century. Paul Grondahl. In 1998, a federal grand jury indicted Galante with defrauding the IRS and obstructing a federal investigation into AWD's garbage-hauling business. "[14] The 25 trash-disposal companies owned by Galante, all based in Danbury and estimated by him to be worth $100 million, were "condemned and forfeited to the United States of America. It was like family. Along with his son, Anthony Tony Boy Boiardo, Richie used waste management as a cover for their activities, according to the Express. AJ said, It happened at dinner. Personalities like Tommy "T-Bone" Pomposello, AJ's cigar-smoking middle school coach-turned equipment managerwho once soaked the team's jerseys in Crisco oil so the opposing team couldn't get a firm grip on any playerand notorious brute Brad "Wingnut" Wingfield, who could hit the puck as effectively as he punched faces, cemented their place as the bad boys of hockey. Powered by. He has a net worth of $500k, which is enough to lead a happy yet lavish lifestyle. But hey, I stayed here, Im trying to build stuff over here. Jimmy Galante was charged with crimes including extortion, evading the IRS, and racketeering as well as wire fraud. I was just talking to Brad Wingfield the other day. E-mail me when people leave their comments , He feared nothing. - Daughter of Mafia boss Carmine Galante talks about her infamous father, How The Hells Angels Actually Works | How Crime Works | Insider, Bonannos go to war in New York: Shooting in Long Island tied to Mikey Nose and Joe C. beef, Watermelons, submarines & sex toys: The craziest ways cartels traffic drugs, How China Is Fuelling America's Drug Epidemic. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat. Its my buddy Jon Mirasty. Hes in Bakersfield, California at the time. He had no visor or anything, and he ended up getting hooked from behind, and the stick ended up coming up and taking his eye out. And theyre sick. Here is a brief guide to the essential ice hockey rules! A lot of them are coaching now, actually. HBO. I heard there mightve been fire alarms pulled at hotels, 2:00, 3:00 in the morning, things like that. James Galante is an American convicted felon and associate of the Genovese crime family,[1] owner of the defunct Danbury Trashers minor-league hockey team and a defunct racecar team fielding cars for Ted Christopher, and ex-CEO of Automated Waste Disposal , a company that holds waste disposal contracts for most of western Connecticut and Westchester and Putnam counties in New York. So I'm not going to spoil the show because it was not only a great crime show but also a bit of a comedy as well. I mean, too many to name. Since then, AJ has worked as a boxing promoter and has held the position of Vice President at CT USA Boxing. In May 1979, Jimmy set up Automated Waste Disposal in Danbury, which eventually became a wildly successful empire. He also had to turn over his local garbage empire, which reportedly was worth millions of dollars and controlled much of the garbage disposal in the area. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. I don't know what I'm doing, first of all. While sporting gold chains, oversized jerseys, and an always lined up fade, Galante fostered an environment in which fighting was not only tolerated, but encouraged. Police said around 3 a.m. Galante's car went off the causeway. What did you think of it when you finally saw it? Senator Joe Lieberman, received campaign funds raised by Galante, but had not been linked to any actions on Galante's behalf. He was a high school kid who had absolutely no idea what he was doing. In [my fathers] passport it said restaurant owner as his occupation. Got a Problem With That? No, hockey guys are the most humble guys. The businesses handled 80% of garbage hauling in southern and western Connecticut, and Westchester and Putnam counties in New York. Stirling and Galante allegedly violated the UHL's $275,000 per team salary cap by giving several players and their wives no-show jobs with AWD and hiding illegitimate payments as housing allowances. As of 2022, Jimmy Galante is estimated to have a net worth of $3 million. It is estimated that his father's net worth is around $3 Million. Thats a good question. You can access his archive of reviews here. Why did he stop playing in the NHL after he lost the eye? For the Galante family, the Sopranos parallels are unavoidable. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Growing up, AJ was instantly attracted to the game of hockey and wanted to play nothing else. A lot of these guys turn to coaching, believe it or not. He was 69. [5] Since 1993, they have been accused of muscling out local competition through no-bid-contracts and payments of up to $120,000 per year to Genovese crime family boss Matthew "Matty the Horse," Ianniello. I didn't have any contacts in the league and no one really wanted to talk to us." Jimmy said of the incident, He was a defenseman and hit a kid. In the 1950s, Bonanno sent Galante to Montreal, Canada to oversee the family's drug business there . Great show. , Erik Goddard Vs Brian McGrattan. So many different guys. As the team president, how did you sort of foster an environment that would make it happen? With the official Bonanno boss Philip Rastelli in prison, Galante had taken effective control of the family in the early 1970s. I read about the equipment manager, that you guys had maybe playing some tricks on the other teams [such as soaking the home jerseys in Crisco so the other team couldnt grab them]. What were some of the things that he did to try and get an edge? Galante was now moving among the elite of the underworld. Jimmy Galante, a "real-life Tony Soprano" as he's described in the film, purchased an expansion hockey team for $500,000 and put his son in control. Addison Rae Net Worth. In your boxing gym, are you getting in there and sparring and training with them, or are you just the manager guy? In June 2008, Jimmy decided to make a deal and pleaded guilty to racketeering, conspiracy to defraud the IRS, and wire fraud conspiracy. Stupid, annoying things like the opposing bench may or may not have been welded so they couldnt open the door. His parents were both of Italian origin. Advert. James Galante, who had direct ties to the Genovese crime family, who have been cited as part of the inspiration for The Sopranos, was arrested under a massive FBI indictment and was charged with 72 counts of racketeering, extortion, and witness tampering, among other crimes. [3] In June 2006, Galante was issued a 98-count indictment describing Galante as a man who ran an illegal enterprise by carving up the garbage business in western Connecticut and Putnam County and using mob muscle to strong-arm any competitors who might get in his way. Jimmy was released from prison in 2014 after serving about six years in federal prison. 10. I put a kid in, 12-years-old, five years ago, when I was pushing 30. So, we were looking to replace him. The team played in the Danbury Arena. After serving in the Air Force for a while, Jimmy was honorably discharged in 1975. Jimmy Galante was one of the more divisive personalities in Connecticut during the 1990s and early 2000s. His father tried to sell him. Im in my gym now. Thats always a nice smell in the cold. The story of Jimmy Galante and his garbage empire he built in Danbury, Conn., spans through the '90s and into the early 2000s. I was always trying to put on a show for my father. The rink in Danbury is cold. I think one of the biggest things I ever did is I pursued him our second year. They aimed their guns at the cigar-chomping mob boss and gunned him down. When he hit you, he hit you.. Used to drive Lilo around. As of 2023, James Galante's net worth is estimated to be $3 million. They killed him! Wed sit literally in the locker room, and if I had my Dad sometimes, hed be like, Yeah, number 17 over there, hes got a real attitude. So, we would, from the box, sometimes wed throw up numbers, like number 12, and one of our guys would go to number 12 and try to goad him into a fight. Jimmy Galante was born in 1953 and is now 68 years old. Is amazing, because they could play on the same line together. In the pros, at the time, everyone either had to a half visor or no visor. MARBLEHEAD An 18-year-old driver has died from injuries sustained in an early morning crash on the Causeway in Marblehead Friday, police announced. DeLuca also accepted large donations from Galante and his associates and allegedly promised to look out for Galante's interests. But Jimmys upward climb to success would soon come to an end. Together they built a successful hockey team, but at significant personal cost. He never got any settlement money out of that for losing an eye while playing? Hes still in Danbury, now running a boxing gym, but didnt mind reliving the glory days of the Trashers for posterity. Michael Gandolfini is the son of Sopranos star and Hollywood legend James Gandolfini. He ended up serving an eight-year sentence. The FBI was investigating Jimmy for suspected ties to the mob. According to the outlet, AJ lost his ownership of the team following his father's arrest, as many of his possessions were also taken as assets to be forfeited with Galante's sentencing. Required fields are marked *. When you say you set it up, obviously, fans love hockey fights, I like watching hockey fights, but its not in the rule book. In 1979, Anthony Indelicato participated in the murder of Bonanno boss Carmine Galante. But from what he told me, it was an accident. Jimmy was released from prison in 2014 after serving about six years in federal prison. You know what? It quickly nearly doubled the initial goal of $25,000. What did you think of it when it first came out? The film claims that James Galante was the inspiration for the character Tony Soprano, although it is disputed and many have said it is loosely based on New Jersey mobster Vincent Palermo. He is the ex-CEO of Automated Waste Disposal, waste management, and disposal company. Again, no one believes me, but I never watched Slapshot the whole way through. Please check your browser settings or contact your system administrator. Most of his earnings come from his business and side projects. I came back running and sprinting. I was like, We have to have him. Closing hand on puck. Galante, who was gifted the UHL (minor league hockey) team by his father, Jimmy, surprised Netflix's audience that hadn't heard the story by helming a competitive club through two seasons as a. We found guys that cherished this role. It was my second game of my senior year, and it was just a fluke thing. Come along for the ride! Im a prime example. And I put him in there, when he was a little fat kid, 11, 12-years-old. He admitted to evading the IRS for years and was found to be involved in gang activity, making him infamous in the area. Regarding his life after prison, Jimmy said, Everybody in life has a hard-luck story, and mostly, they have more than one or two. "Oh, God, You want me in my nerdy glasses?" While the business made him a rich man, Jimmy stated in the documentary that his son, AJ, was the love of his life. Jimmy Galante is a Bronx-born garbage magnate with suspected mob ties, who by the early aughts had a business empire worth a. I knew nobody. The Danbury Trashers' reign was short-lived, but their larger-than-life reputation lives on. But after news broke that Marblehead High School Super Bowl champion James Galante was tragically killed in an automobile accident last Friday, the outpouring of love for this young man came. Galante did lead the life of a secret agent. Maybe the funniest press release ever written came from the Trashers announcing A.J. The other guys didnt know that, but we knew that. My father said, out of nowhere, If I ever buy a hockey team, youre going to run it. I was like, Yeah, sure. Then, two days later, he said, Okay, I bought the team., Between 2004 and 2006, the Danbury Trashers gained a reputation for their fights and toughness on the rink. [21] Former State Assemblyman Willis Stephens, who also served as the legal counsel to the town of Southeast, New York, accepted over $9,000 from Galante. I remember he opened up one not far from my house in Broadway. The team, owner James Galante and former coach J. Todd Stirling were accused Friday, June 9, 2006, of defrauding the United Hockey League, violating its salary cap by giving some players and. And thankfully, it was just us two in the gym at the time. Get our free mobile app Michael was in Danbury last night as the guest of Jimmy Galante, we'll come back to that. There was a little rut in the ice, and my right blade on my skate got stuck. I don't think he thought he would ever die. Is James Galante related to Carmine Galante? [12] Galante acknowledged that he defrauded the IRS, including writing double paychecks for some employees and having them return one of them to him in cash, claiming items he purchased for his girlfriend's horse farm including hay and a wide-screen television as business expenses, and skimming cash from the register at the Danbury garbage transfer station. He was also (allegedly, *wink*) working with the Genovese crime family to cut out the waste removal competition. Thats nice. But no, I mean, I didnt live under a rock, I understood what the story was and some of the characters, but truthfully, I didnt watch it until years later. On Stephens' recommendation, the town board then awarded a $1.5 million no-bid garbage contract to Galante's company. James Galante, 18, a senior at Marblehead High School, died of his . That knack, even as a teenager, connected with the people of Danbury immediately. The old days when you could do fun stuff like that. Mike Rupp, who ended up playing in the NHL. Can You Fix A Photo That Is Out-of-focus? Vince Mancini is on Twitter. Marblehead High School senior James Galante and his teammates achieved success last season that few athletes reach. Theres the New York Connecticut, which is like us. In June 2008, Galante pleaded guilty to these charges. Copyright 2023 Distractify. He did contract murders for some of the biggest names in the New York underworld of the 1930s and 1940s. A movie adaptation of their improbable tale, aptly titled Trashers, inspired by the Sports Illustrated article "This Hockey Mogul Was 17. The DeCavalcante crime family is partly the inspiration for the fictional DiMeo crime family of the HBO television series The Sopranos. A Massachusetts high school football star killed in a crash last month was remembered Thursday by family and friends. After enjoying lunch on an open patio at Joe and Mary's Italian-American Restaurant, Galante was confronted by three men wearing ski-masks. 10. Netflix is releasing a documentary on the Trashers, a minor league hockey expansion team in the United Hockey League (UHL). Petty gang crimes led to a career in bootlegging and connections to powerful figures in the Mafia. The United States government came in and seized my assets, and one of the assets was the team, he said. At the time of this interview, AJ admitted he hadn't watched Crimes and Penalties yet. James Galante, who had direct ties to the Genovese crime family, who have been cited as part of the inspiration for The Sopranos, was arrested under a massive FBI indictment and was charged with 72 counts of racketeering, extortion, and witness tampering, among other crimes. After claims that the government violated their plea agreement, he was given the remaining $3.1 million. He actually runs with two other guys a hockey development camp. And I know what youre getting at with it. And hes actually on pace to hopefully represent America in the 2024 Olympics. Most of his earnings come from his business and side projects. What he did have were his passions: playing video games, watching professional wrestling, and, of course, hockey. Frequently described as "freakishly tall," he once used his 6'10" frame to sneak in the NBA Draft and convince people he was a member of the Utah Jazz. Galantes goal for the Trashers to kick the other teams asses, both with their sticks and their fists, drove him to put together a rag-tag team of unlikely scorers and unrepentant goons that included Wayne Gretzkys brother, Brent, David Beauregard a former top prospect who washed out of the NHL after losing an eye two brothers highly reminiscent of the Hanson Brothers from Slapshot, and a rogues gallery of bruisers that included Brad Wingnut Wingfield and Ruman The Nigerian Nightmare Ndur. He dropped his guard momentarily and admitted it was all "a bit nerve-wracking." No agents. I watched little parts here or there, but I never sat down and watched Slapshot. From his marriage life, he has two children. "1,000,000 percent, it was like a human video game," AJ said with a laugh. And it was sick, because a couple of the guys, Wingfield, Murasty, Id be like, Number two, and theyd nod, and they just did it. I mean, its a rink, but excessively cold for some reason. "AJ is one of the most gifted people I've met. But unfortunately, a lot of NHL teams, foolishly, in my opinion, kind of steered away from him, because hes got one eye. Yeah, I know. Tony Sirico (Paulie "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri) from The Sopranos, reflects with Federico Castelluccio (Furio Giunta) on how he became close with James Gando. And, number one, I realized I need to keep my ass out of the ring. For all intents and purposes, he used the experience of creating characters on-screen, and the team-building strategy of playing the NHL hockey video game series to what he did in the Danbury Arena. Jon Nasty Mirasty. He did not admit to other acts federal authorities first accused him of, including extortion, attempted arson and kidnapping. When he was in senior year, he had a serious injury to his knee. [7], The government sold the companies, estimated to be worth $100 million, on the condition that they would return $10.75 million to Galante as a portion of his share of more than $40 million in loans he and his wife, made to the businesses over the years, and Galante will keep EnviroServices Inc. a waste collection, transfer and disposal business in Virginia, with subsidiaries in Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, West Virginia and Kentucky. He owned a trash collecting business that grew substantially before he purchased a minor league hockey team that was set up in Danbury, Connecticut. He was a well-known philanthropist, but because of his controversy, he eventually had to stop, and by taking the wrong turns in his life, his life was turned upside down. At 5 5 tall, some people might not see the brute force that Galante was capable of. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Galante pushed his high school wants aside to lead this crew, anyway. In 1999, he pleaded guilty to tax fraud, paid a. Sometimes it happened, sometimes it didnt. Someone, I dont know, a Christmas gift or something, gave me a box set DVD. He ended up serving an eight-year sentence. I would have been right in there with them. So, I was playing. [11], Although he initially entered a plea of not guilty, in June 2008, Galante agreed to a change-of-plea hearing. AJ has attended the New Fairfield High School, where he was an alternate team captain on the schools hockey team. Powerful bosses relied upon his areas of expertise. Among the allegations, Stirling and Galante allegedly violated the UHLs $275,000/team salary cap by giving several players and their wives no-show jobs with AWD and hiding illegitimate payments as housing allowances, according to the indictment, which stated that the Trashers real payroll was nearly $750,000. Against All Odds: Oscar Goodman and the Jimmy Chagra Murder Trial, Drug trafficker Peter Shue on coke vs. heroin, doing 21 years, Suge, Alpo, Keith Sweat, Madonna & Mike Tyson, Inside Italy's biggest Mafia trial in decades. You could hit him with everything, and hed sit and hed smile. Traveling the world, surrounded by beautiful women, driving the fanciest cars, and always looking over his shoulder.
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