Posted on 06/10/2006 5:59:36 PM PDT by Libloather
29 indicted in trash hauling scam
Phil Helsel, Register Staff
06/10/2006
NEW HAVEN — A federal grand jury Friday indicted 29 people — including Danbury garbage magnate James Galante and former Waterbury Mayor Joseph Santopietro — who prosecutors allege participated in a mob-backed scheme to divide up Connecticut’s trash-hauling industry.
Operators of refuse firms in Cheshire and North Branford were among those named in the indictment.
Galante, 53, allegedly ordered his trash carting companies to pay a "mob tax" to Genovese crime family boss Matthew "Matty the Horse" Ianniello to enforce the scheme, in which trash haulers divvied up customers among themselves to prevent competition and inflate prices, using intimidation and threats to keep other companies in line.
Trash haulers would allegedly designate routes and customers that they essentially "owned" for life, and participating companies would deliberately inflate their bids to give the controlling company guaranteed contract approval.
"The Genovese crime family provided the muscle to keep everyone in line," U.S. Attorney Kevin J. O’Connor said at a press conference. "Specific threats were being made to those who don’t play by the rules."
Others charged at U.S. District Court here included Ianniello, who was arrested Friday at his Long Island home; Galante’s "silent partner" Thomas Milo of Mamaroneck, N.Y.; a Connecticut state trooper and a DEA agent; Galante’s employees, and business owners in Connecticut and New York.
Others named in the indictment were: Dennis Bozzuto, 35, of Madison, an owner and operator of John’s Refuse of North Branford; Arthur Wallinger, 41, of Cheshire, an owner and operator of AJ Waste Systems of Cheshire; and Jeremy Everett, 30, of Shelton, sales manager of Allied Waste, operator of the Westchester County, N.Y., transfer station. All those indicted appeared in court Friday for detention hearings.
(Excerpt) Read more at nhregister.com ...
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- The Danbury Trashers marketed themselves as a team in a rough-and-tumble minor league that would play dirty to win.
Prosecutors say they also broke federal law.
The team, owner James Galante and former coach J. Todd Stirling were accused Friday of defrauding the United Hockey League, violating its salary cap by giving some players and their wives no-show jobs with Galante's trash-hauling companies.
They are also accused of hiding improper payments as "housing allowances."
"In fact, in the 2004-2005 season, this scheme allowed James Galante to pay three key players on the Danbury Trashers a salary of approximately $100,000 each, when the UHL salary cap was only approximately $275,000 for the entire team for the regular season," a federal indictment stated.
**SNIP**
Stirling, son of former New York Islanders coach Steve Stirling, faces six counts of wire fraud related to the faxing of weekly salary-cap reports to league offices in Missouri.
The players involved were not charged, and were identified in the indictment only as "Hockey Player A" through "Hockey Player E."
The players or their wives were put on the payrolls as salespeople for various companies owned by Galante, but performed no services for those companies, according to the indictment. They were also given checks as housing allowances although the team had already paid for their housing, according to the indictment.
The five players subpoenaed in the investigation included Wayne Gretzky's brother Brent, a former Trasher player, according to someone with direct knowledge of the case who spoke to The Associated Press in March on condition of anonymity because grand jury matters are secret by law.
Brent Gretzky now plays for the Motor City Mechanics franchise in suburban Detroit.
Former Trashers Jay Murphy, Jim Duhart and Scott Sterling were also subpoenaed, the source said.
More -
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/H/HKO_TRASH_PROBE_TRASHERS_CTOL-?SITE=CTNHR&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Former Waterbury mayor arrested again, this time in trash probe
HARTFORD (AP) -- Seven years after being released from prison, former Waterbury Mayor Joseph Santopietro is in trouble again with federal authorities.
Santopietro, who spent more than six years in prison in the 1990's for corruption charges, was among 29 people arrested yesterday in a probe of the trash industry.
Santopietro was charged with racketeering. He was a consultant for trash-hauling companies owned by James Gallante and Thomas Milo, the main targets of the federal probe.
Santopietro was released from prison in 1999. He returned to Waterbury, where he and his wife, Julie Porzio, are raising their family.
Porzio, who's an attorney, was critically injured last year in a shooting at the state courthouse in Middletown. Her client was killed and the client's estranged husband shot himself to death before a divorce hearing.
Porzio has undergone several surgeries for her injuries, including a procedure this week.
Santopietro's attorney says they're trying to get more information about what he's accused of doing, and that they're ready to fight the charges.
His friends say they're shocked and hope it's all a big mistake.
http://www.wfsb.com/Global/story.asp?S=5013522&nav=menu120_2
"Hey, youse guys callin' me a garbage man? You talkin' to me? I'm in the waste management biz."
Why am I not surprised about all this?
When I saw the headline, I could have sworn that it would have been about the Garden State, aka Sopranostan. Then again, since such shenanigans are so damn common hear, they barely merit a mention by the AP.
I am SHOCKED, SHOCKED I tell you that there is mafia involvement in the waste management business!
So is Anthony J. Soprano.
"There's enough trash for everyone" (paraphrased from the "Sopranos").
The mob in the trash hauling business.......who'd a thunk it.
"The Genovese crime family provided the muscle to keep everyone in line," U.S. Attorney Kevin J. O’Connor said at a press conference. "Specific threats were being made to those who don’t play by the rules."
You know.. in this day and age that seems kind of tame.
I love Carmela's cheese ziti marinara. I wish she'd pick up that suitcase she left over here.
Tell me this isn't so! According to the FBI, MSM and general Political wisdom, the LCN is dying. Their leaders are in jail etc etc etc
Guess their leaders are in politics now.
Matty the Horse? Sometimes I think these guys ain't even trying hard anymore. "Icepick", now that is a nickname.
I bet he somehow has ties to NJ.
Wow Gretzky again....first his wife's involved with a gambling ring now his brother's involved with this.
Sounds kinda messy to me. I'd rather be a gold magnet.
;-)
Yes, it does.
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