Were about an hour north of New York City. What was the injury that actually ended your hockey career? Revolving around the thuggish antics of Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano, played by the late James Gandolfini, the show became famed not only for its twisted storylines of gang brutality and power play, but also for its comments on family dynamics, mental health and the dark underside to the American dream. Growing up, AJ was instantly attracted to the game of hockey and wanted to play nothing else. 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. But Jimmys upward climb to success would soon come to an end. They thought we were insane. 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. We wanted to have the baddest, the roughest, the toughest team that wouldnt jeopardize us from winning.. 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. I mean, there was a lot of stuff, away games were crazy too, because usually, hockey teams, theyre tough at home, but when they go away, they kind of shy away from it. Jimmy said of the incident, He was a defenseman and hit a kid. It was more than a sports game, AJ, admitted. In [my fathers] passport it said restaurant owner as his occupation. Who is the most powerful crime family? Galante was now moving among the elite of the underworld. And theyre sick. The Sopranos: (L-R) Vincent Pastore as Big Pussy Bompensiero; James Gandolfini as Tony . Jimmy Galante is a Bronx-born garbage magnate with suspected mob ties, who by the early aughts had a business empire worth a reported $100 million. In the pros, at the time, everyone either had to a half visor or no visor. "Oh, God, You want me in my nerdy glasses?" "These kids in the gym are gonna kill me. Why did he stop playing in the NHL after he lost the eye? Galante found this out when he was betrayed by his Sicilian bodyguards and allies on July 12, 1979. I knew nobody. One of my favorite guys is in the UK, coaching in a big league out there. And I know what youre getting at with it. Someone, I dont know, a Christmas gift or something, gave me a box set DVD. By Tom Fordy 22 September 2021 3:55pm. Jimmy Galante turns out to be a Capo in the Genovese family. He said Mr. Galante, 56 years old, was an inducted member of the Bonanno family and the nephew of Carmine Galante, who the authorities said was the boss of the Bonanno family when he was shot to death in a Brooklyn restaurant in 1979. Should rap lyrics be used as evidence in court? Its my buddy Jon Mirasty. Hes in Bakersfield, California at the time. I think thats in Michigan or Illinois. He won the Super Bowl with Marblehead High . They killed him! His hockey team did decently well, but it and his other business ventures were involved in a series of scandals over the years, eventually surmounting in Galante's arrest. As of 2023, James Galante's net worth is estimated to be $3 million. "It's clear he fell in love with the drama, the entertainment value, the storytelling that goes along with wrestling figures and the theatrics of it all," Way explained to Thrillist. . There were so many guys. 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 was born in the Bronx, New York, in January 1953. It was at this meeting that the old and new Mafia divided the lucrative heroin trafficking routes and roles each clan would play. 6 of 18 7 of 18 Auctioneer Paul Erickson, of Worster, MA, leads an auction of seized property of James Galante's at Metro Auto Body & Towing in Harford, CT, Friday, Nov. 6, 2009. "James was a great athlete. Who was Jimmy Galante? But the Trashers two-year stint in the league is still fondly remembered. AJ stepped away from hockey for a while, and his father served time in federal prison. [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. Come along for the ride! They modeled their team on Slapshot. I swear to you. Powerful bosses relied upon his areas of expertise. James Galante, of Marblehead, avoids a tackle on a punt return in the Division 3 Elite 8 playoff football game against Masconomet at Marblehead High School on Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. I would have been right in there with them. Montreal to me was a very glamorous city, she says. In the 1950s, Bonanno sent Galante to Montreal, Canada to oversee the family's drug business there . James Gandolfini was born in Westwood, New Jersey, to Santa (Penna), a high school lunchlady, and James Joseph Gandolfini, Sr., a bricklayer and head school janitor. I just became a fan. How? The New York Times described him. Jimmy Galante was charged with crimes including extortion, evading the IRS, and racketeering as well as wire fraud. Blending WWE with the UHL is a disruptive idea, to be sure. Putnam Victory Fund. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 10. He surrounded himself with them, using them as bodyguards. Edie Falco played Carmela on "The Sopranos." HBO; Taylor Hill/FilmMagic. If you have not seen it, the show is about a guy named "Jimmy Galante" who buys his son a hockey team called, " The Trashers". The US Attorneys office also stated that Jimmy and some of his associates burned a competitors truck in 1992 after leaving the driver bound. [CDATA[ I kind of just sit back and observe and kind of play chess from here. Is James Galante related to Carmine Galante? His father tried to sell him. In May 1979, Jimmy set up Automated Waste Disposal in Danbury, which eventually became a wildly successful empire. A teenage boy died after he was involved in a car crash on the causeway in Marblehead early Friday morning, officials said. [17], Galante also agreed to forfeit a horse farm he bought for a former girlfriend, six racing cars, a racing trailer and $448,000 in cash that federal agents seized in 2006, and must pay at least $1.6 million in back taxes to the IRS. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. You need to be a member of Gangsters Inc. - www.gangstersinc.org to add comments! The government seized most of his assets after his arrest and conviction. Obviously, I didnt see that, that was way before the Trashers time. Then when the pain started rushing to my body, I just started pounding on my leg, which sent the knee cap back into place. But he is also famous for owning the Danbury Trashers, a minor league hockey team that had his son managing it at just 17 years old. Great show. I used to hear it, hes named AJ! and the kid was a little kid douchebag kid, I think. DeLuca also accepted large donations from Galante and his associates and allegedly promised to look out for Galante's interests. James Galante (born January 5, 1953) 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 (AWD), a company that holds waste disposal contracts for most of western Connecticut and Westchester and Putnam counties in New York. There was a little rut in the ice, and my right blade on my skate got stuck. The trashers were famous for intentionally starting as many hockey fights as possible. I do what I got to do, they throw two punches and then they hug. Soprano and Galantes sons even had the same name AJ. [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. After all, he gave his dad his word that he would. But after Jimmys arrest in 2006, the team also ceased to exist amidst the controversy surrounding the FBIs investigation into Jimmy. James Galante. That knack, even as a teenager, connected with the people of Danbury immediately. Upon completing their second season as a full-fledged hockey crew, it all abruptly ended. Though he loved and trusted Sicilians and both his parents were from Castellammare del Golfo, he himself was not born there. He had that God complex. [23], In 2007, Former Connecticut State Senate Minority Leader Louis DeLuca pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges in connection with Galante. Galante also agreed to forfeit a horse farm he bought for a former girlfriend, six racing cars, a racing trailer and $448,000 in cash that federal agents seized in 2006, and must pay at least $1.6 million in back taxes to the IRS. I mean, its a rink, but excessively cold for some reason. 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. Even in the early stages he feared nothing, and I think that that was a big part of him becoming what he was and who he was.. Anything less than that would be disrespectful. In 2011, he forayed into the world of boxing after a friend asked for help managing a fighter. Please check your browser settings or contact your system administrator. James is currently a topic of attraction because of his . Because like the mob, you're all intertwined, you're all family.. Advert. Tony Sirico (Paulie "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri) from The Sopranos, reflects with Federico Castelluccio (Furio Giunta) on how he became close with James Gando. Her father didnt have a job working 9 to 5 and it was cause for a lot of guesswork. He was often accused of working with local mob families, specifically the Genovese crime family, to secure this control over the area. 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) NEW HAVEN - Roseanne Galante, the wife of trash kingpin James Galante, is asking a judge to unfreeze accounts seized by prosecutors when her husband was indicted June 9 in a mob-connected conspiracy to control the region's trash hauling industry. He was later put in Massinos crew and . But the real-life dons of New Jersey may have a different take. Also indicted were three former foremen at Metropolitan News and members . The second thing I realized was this kid is going to be special. "Honestly, for a good day or two, I was scared. If there is a thing besides criminal intent that mafia is known for that is most certainly Cuban Cigars. Galante as general manager - trumpeting that he'd co-captained his high school team the season before among. I kind of stay in my little hole here, and I just observe, and kind of do what my dad did with the Trashers, what I grew up watching him do. After enjoying lunch on an open patio at Joe and Mary's Italian-American Restaurant, Galante was confronted by three men wearing ski-masks. Traveling the world, surrounded by beautiful women, driving the fanciest cars, and always looking over his shoulder. The feds yesterday arrested reputed Bonanno boss Joseph Massino and his three top associates, charging them with murder, racketeering and other crimes, including the 1981 murder of a fellow mobster who allowed an FBI agent the infamous Donnie Brasco to infiltrate the family. It was definitely a tough injury, and it was just a fluke thing. No agents. Jimmy Galante is also known as James Galante. You cant spoil them. 3 of 50. It never dawned on me Oh this is a great place for dad to bring in his drugs. I didn't know any of that., There was a lot she didnt know. Terms of Service, 2023Gangsters Inc. - www.gangstersinc.org DeLuca had asked Galante to threaten the husband of DeLuca's granddaughter, whom DeLuca believed was being abused. Were there other guys that you remember fondly that they couldnt get in the movie? Celebrity.fm #1 Official Stars, Business & People Network, Wiki, Success story, Biography & Quotes. Its crazy. Galante got into trouble at an early age. He was one of the first new guys the Bonannos made when the books were reopened in 1976. Untold: Crime And Penalties premieres August 31st on Netflix. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat. I saw a tape of him once when Wingfield got hurt, we lost our big enforcer at the time. In June 2008, Galante pleaded guilty to these charges. I didn't have any contacts in the league and no one really wanted to talk to us." Galante did lead the life of a secret agent. [6] As a result, municipalities, businesses and residents paid artificially inflated carting prices for years. Can You Fix A Photo That Is Out-of-focus? I didnt feel sorry for myself. 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. Well send you our daily roundup of all our favorite stories from across the site, from travel to food to shopping to entertainment. I didnt grow up boxing, and this kid is actually now, at 17, the number one ranked super heavyweight in America. We catered to people that needed something like this.". Privacy Policy. The government seized most of his assets after his arrest and conviction. ", AJ sort of Moneyball'd it. Jimmy was released from prison in 2014 after serving about six years in federal prison. James Galante (born January 5, 1953) 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 (AWD), a company that holds waste disposal contracts for most of And I put him in there, when he was a little fat kid, 11, 12-years-old. On Stephens' recommendation, the town board then awarded a $1.5 million no-bid garbage contract to Galante's company. The character of Tony Soprano is said to have been inspired by DeCavalcante crime family boss, John The Eagle Riggi as detailed in an episode of the American Greed series, titled Mob Money. But my mom said I couldnt go, so thats that. James Galante, an 18-year-old Marblehead High School student-athlete, died from his injuries Friday morning after he was involved in a car crash returning home on Ocean Avenue, a causeway in. [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. Galante was only initially paid $7.6 million. What is the best hockey fight of all time? After serving in the Air Force for a while, Jimmy was honorably discharged in 1975. Responding officers found it . I ended up watching it years later. HBO. I had three surgeries in six months on it. A Massachusetts high school football star killed in a crash last month was remembered Thursday by family and friends. Bonanno and Galante would play a significant part in flooding the United States with their product. You guys are kind of like streetwise Italian guys, New York kind of guys, and then, youve got these rustic Canadians that are playing hockey, who seem kind of like the opposite thing, but you guys are all just thrown together in this hockey environment. [24] Other Connecticut politicians, including Connecticut U.S. He ended up serving an eight-year sentence. He was later sentenced to 87 months in prison. [22] The investigation culminated with raids of Putnam County Executive Robert Bondi's office, although no charges were ever filed. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Many of whom AJ found by browsing websites like hockeyfights.com, and whose services the Trashers were able to afford thanks to some allegedly creative accounting tricks pulled by AJs father. What did you think of it when you finally saw it? Move on. Jimmy still seems to be living in Connecticut and, in a recent interview, said that he has been enjoying life since his release. "The Sopranos" premiered January 10, 1999 on HBO. That was when the idea for a hockey team in Danbury, Connecticut, took shape. [2] In June 2008, Galante admitted to charges of racketeering, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and defrauding the Internal Revenue Service, and faced between five and seven years in prison under Federal Sentencing Guidelines, and was also forced to forfeit his controlling interest in 25 different garbage-related businesses, estimated to be worth over $100 million. Jimmy Galante/Source/hitc.com Early Life. He rose to infamy after he was arrested in 2008 on multiple charges, significantly for evading the IRS for years, and was known to be involved with local mafia families to establish his business in the areas. And second of all, I'm not going to be able to spend time with friends.". James Galante was born in South Salem, New York, on January 5, 1953. Who was the boss that got whacked in Donnie Brasco? The DeCavalcante crime family is partly the inspiration for the fictional DiMeo crime family of the HBO television series The Sopranos. After all, how would his fighters react to seeing the home movies he submitted from his childhood? It is estimated that his father's net worth is around $3 Million. 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. I put a kid in, 12-years-old, five years ago, when I was pushing 30. 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. He was getting hooked, and it just came up and caught him. He ended up serving an eight-year sentence. The whole thing was crazy. He didn't think anything would ever happen to him. No, hockey guys are the most humble guys. The team played in the Danbury Arena. In 1979, he, among others, sought the Commission for approval of the kill, which was swiftly approved. That doesnt seem like a big deal, but if youre in the middle of the third period, and your legs are tired and you dont want to hop over the boards Those are little stupid things that things would happen. Is The Sopranos based on Jimmy Galante? In the movie there were the brothers, there was Beauregard, there was Wingfield, and the Nigerian Nightmare. [18] He did not admit to other acts federal authorities first accused him of, including extortion, attempted arson and kidnapping. AJ said, It happened at dinner. Jimmy Galante or James Galante owned his own company a trash collection business that grew tremendously before he purchased a minor age league hockey team that was set up in Danbury, Connecticut. The Danbury Trashers actually folded as a team not long after Galante's arrest. 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. They recovered a substantial amount of money and evidence. Chase learnt of Ruggerio Richie the Boot Boiardo and his relatives from relatives in Newarks North Ward.