MOBSTERS AND MAYHEM: Bizarre story of hockey’s Danbury Trashers
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It appears like one thing a third-rate Hollywood producer may conjure up.
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“It’s kinda like Mighty Geese meets the Sopranos,” the low-rent auteur may recommend, and toss in some WWE.
“It’s actually unreal what’s been occurring. It hasn’t actually slowed down,” A.J. Galante just lately instructed the Toronto Solar from his boxing health club in Danbury, Conn.
What Galante, 31, is speaking about is the juggernaut Netflix documentary Untold: Crime and Penalties that premiered in August.
The documentary tells the story of AJ’s waste disposal tycoon father, James “Jimmy” Galante — a reputed Gambino crime household affiliate and described as a “real-life Tony Soprano” — the Danbury Trashers of the UHL, and the son who discovered himself normal supervisor of a minor league hockey group when he was 17 years previous.
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“After we bought requested to do it, my father and I’s preliminary response was ‘No’. Lastly, although, we determined to do it. The Trashers rose so quick, like a phoenix, after which all of it blew up simply as quick. We needed to place it to mattress,” A.J. instructed the Solar.
In 2004, Jimmy Galante purchased a franchise within the UHL for the teenager to run. The group could be named the Danbury Trashers after Jimmy’s waste disposal empire.
Two years later, the experience was over when Jimmy, now 69, was indicted on a slew of prices, together with defrauding the UHL, finally killing the franchise. His son was devastated for his father and the Trashers.
A.J. moved on — till Netflix producers got here calling.
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Danbury isn’t a hockey hotbed. Earlier than the Galantes, the blue-collar city north of the Large Apple didn’t actually have a rink. After which when he was seven years previous, A.J. noticed the Disney hockey movie The Would possibly Geese and that modified all the things.
“It turned an enormous a part of my life. I knew fairly early on I wasn’t going to make the NHL, however I loved hockey a lot. I liked speaking with the fellows about stuff just like the enforcer’s code,” A.J. stated.
He began enjoying the sport and bought fairly good at it: A burly, bruising participant who wasn’t afraid to make use of his dimension.
“I checked a man in a highschool sport, clear, arduous hit. The man went down like a sack of potatoes. I didn’t really feel something,… then I noticed I used to be injured. I landed the most effective hit of my life, I felt like Scott Stevens,” A.J. recalled, including he didn’t really feel any ache.
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However he went off the ice on a stretcher. A health care provider instructed him he would by no means play hockey once more.
“I used to be completely distraught,” A.J. stated.
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A.J. Galante remembers it effectively. In 2004, he walked into his faculty and observed individuals have been taking a look at him humorous. They knew one thing he didn’t: His father had simply bought a franchise within the United Hockey League, and he could be the overall supervisor. He was 17-years-old.
From the beginning, A.J. knew what he needed. A little bit of WWE, a little bit of Mighty Geese, and an entire lot of Slapshot.
The Galantes would reduce corners. For starters, the gamers they drafted liked enjoying there, the payroll was the very best within the league, wives have been on the waste disposal payroll. All very dodgy.
A.J. was helped by former gear supervisor and longtime household pal, Tommy “T-Bone” Pomposello, a bald, cigar-smoking bruiser who had a gradual smirk behind his tinted glasses.
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“His coronary heart is so huge he couldn’t get in by the door. But it surely’s not an act, that’s the true Tommy you see there. He has at all times been good to me and my household,” A.J. stated.
With their bruising type and a circus-like environment, the Trashers appeared to be the reincarnation of the Broad Road Bullies from the Seventies. And the gamers have been dedicated to the proprietor and their younger GM.
“Proper from the beginning, we instructed them we’d be within the trenches with them. We didn’t see ourselves above them, we took their recommendations with advertising and marketing and gamers,” A.J. stated.
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The Trashers fought with everybody. After which the occasion got here crashing down.
In June 2006, Jimmy was indicted on a slew of prices, together with racketeering. One of many prices was related to the Trashers, one thing about wire fraud. Jimmy Galante pleaded responsible to at least one rely of conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).
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He was sentenced to 87 months in jail. In 2006, as Galante’s troubles mounted, the Trashers disbanded.
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“I sort of walked away from it, however for the reason that documentary was filmed two years in the past, I’m firing up for hockey once more. I’m nonetheless a Devils fan,” A.J. stated. “The sport is so totally different now — sooner, extra talent.”
As we speak, the 34-year-old owns the Champs Boxing Membership and can be passing on his love of hockey to the under-privileged youngsters of Danbury. Classes within the ring at the moment are punctuated by highway hockey.
One of many locations have been the documentary has resonated is Canada, significantly Toronto, A.J. stated
“It’s come full circle however what I believe I actually need to do is transfer to Canada,” he stated, including that each he and his father thought Crimes and Penalties was “very reasonable” and “balanced”.
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“Hockey wants a brand new demographic. I purchased 20 avenue hockey sticks. If a child offers us a tough time on the health club, I’ll inform him, ‘Get the goalie gear on,’ and all of us fireplace the balls at him,” A.J. stated.
In true Trashers type.
bhunter@postmedia.com
@HunterTOSun