June 29, 2023 • 37 mins
The Trashers have made it to their season ending game with victory in their sights. As the FBI’s investigation into organized crime comes to a head, Jimmy and AJ seem oblivious to the coming storm.
The Fighty Pucks is produced by Novel for iHeartRadio.
For more from Novel visit novel.audio
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Novel.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
It's mid July two thousand and five. FBI agent Mike
Gaeta leaves the bustle of New York City for a
wealthy neighborhood in Long Island. He looks out the window
as he rolls up a perfectly manicured driveway towards a
huge house.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
It was a very nice ranch style house. It steps
up to the front door, and I think there was
a little bit of a porch there.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
It's clear whoever lives here is not sure of a
buck or two.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
The landscaping was beautiful. Think it had a pool on
the back.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
The car pulls to a stop. Gator and a couple
of other agents get out.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
We rang the bell.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
The door opens. There in front of them is a
man in his eighties, silver hair, heavy set. Agent Gator
flips his badge.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Look, we haven't warrant to search your ass. He said,
all right, come in, let's do this. How can we
do this?
Speaker 2 (01:10):
When the man speaks, Agent Gator immediately recognizes the voice.
He's been secretly listening to it for almost a year.
It's very distinctive.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
It is as if he's got a mouth stuffed with marbles,
and you cannot understand a word, he says.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
This old guy with the impossible voice is a big deal.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
He was deemed as one of the most successful wise
guys in the history of New York City wise guys.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Matthew iron Ello, otherwise known as Mattie the Horse, is
the acting boss of a mafia crime family. A knock
at the door from the FBI has been a long
time coming did.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
Not phase him at all. He was call as a cucumber.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Matty Harmony shows the agents inside.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
We just sat him down at his kitchen table where
he would be comfortable.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
We just got down to business.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
The agents begin to search with methodical precision.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
You just can't tear through the house like you see
in the movies and throw everything on the floor and
just kick it all around. That's not how the FBI operates.
We have to leave the house as we find it.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
What were you looking for?
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Documents? Various records.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Well, the other agents carefully searched the many rooms in
this enormous house. Agent Gator hangs back to break the
ice with Matty.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
Just to talk and just to you know, for lack
of a better phrase, get to know one another.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
What did you talk about?
Speaker 4 (02:46):
I said, how did you get that nickname. So Maddy
told me himself.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
He was playing baseball with a bunch of other kids
and there was a fight and he punched a much
larger kid and knocked him out, and somebody looked in and said, oh,
you punched like a horse kicks, And from that moment
on he was known as Maddie the Horse.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Several hours later, the agents have filled box after box
with files and documents. Their search is complete, but before
they leave, Agent Gator has imparting words for Matty.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
I said, you're going to be seeing me again soon,
and he's like really, I go yeah, and he kind
of drugged his shoulders. He's like, well, if I'm going
to I'm ma too, all right, And he said, look,
do me a favor.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
Can he at least just give me a call. Please,
just give me a call and there won't be any problems.
And I said, okay, no problem.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
And with that the agents leave with a trunk loaded
with evidence. The New York FBI have been looking into
Matty for years, building a complex case against him, but
today's search was actually conducted on behalf of the FBI
in New Haven, Connecticut. They have good reason to believe
(04:01):
Matty the horse has close ties to a man they've
been targeting certain hockey loving trash magnet, Jimmy Gallante.
Speaker 5 (04:11):
I've got my guy going to the meeting tomorrow. You
know what, if he has anything interesting he'd like me
to relay other than HI, Like you know, Grandpa said
high to him.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Here's Jimmy on the phone in two thousand and five.
The FBI are particularly interested in this school.
Speaker 5 (04:33):
Like, you know, Grandpa says hello, Long Island or something.
I might put the fear of it into him.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Grandpa says hello from Long Island.
Speaker 5 (04:44):
You know, however cryptically you could do it.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
You know it's not that cryptic, though, is it? Eighty
five year old Matty the horse lives in Long Island.
Speaker 5 (04:54):
That might shake his tree alot?
Speaker 4 (04:56):
Okay?
Speaker 2 (04:58):
With ties to one of the most senior figures in
the New York mafia, it's starting to become pretty clear
why you do not fuck with Jimmy Delante. I'm Claire
Crofton from the Team's at Novel and iHeartRadio. This is
(05:18):
the fighty Pucks Game eight Grandpa on Long Island. When
(05:43):
I started reporting this story, not only did I know
fuck or about hockey, it wasn't exactly O fay with
the mafia either, but Special Agent Mike Gator took me
through everything I needed to know.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
I'm a retired FBI special agent.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
In late nineties, Agent Gata was part of a law
enforcement effort to crush a certain type of.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Crime, traditional organized crime Italian mafia. They were powerful, influential,
and were a significant crime problem at the time. They
were recognized as the largest crime problem by the FBI
in New York. There was significant work to be done.
The FBI, in particular, in conjunction with the Department of Justice,
engaged in a concerted effort to go after the Italian
(06:29):
mafia in New York City but also at its other
locations throughout the country.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Young Agent Gaeta was assigned to look at one specific
crime family.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
The Genevese family in particular, was recognized as and traditionally
was the most powerful, the largest organized crime family in
New York City, powerful being wealthy, having the most control,
having influence over the most influential sectors of industry and
business in New York City.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
It's thought that the Geneve's crime family have been active
since the eighteen nineties. They were named after one of
their early bosses veto Genevese. Members of this so called
family aren't necessarily related by blood. Instead, they swear an
oath of allegiance. And in the early two thousands, Matty
(07:23):
the horse iron Elo was the acting boss of the family.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
He's one of the most powerful men in New York
City period, very business savvy, very successful.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
An Agent Gator and his team are determined to get him.
After watching the old man for a while, they have
enough evidence to push their investigation to the next level.
In November two thousand and four, the courts allow them
to bug Matty's phone. Now, his calls will pass through
(07:55):
a bank of computers in the FBI offices. All Agent
Gator and his team have to do is wait.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
When that first phone call triggers, the bell goes off,
the light goes on, and so everybody looks at each other.
It was an exciting moment, and when you start hearing
the voice, you're extremely satisfied that you're at that point
where you're now recording your subject's voice. That was certainly
tempered by the fact that nobody could understand a word
(08:23):
he was saying. I took a special interest in trying
to decipher and understand what he was saying because somebody
had to so at a necessity. It became somewhat of
an expert on transcribing and deciphering his.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Words, But there aren't a lot of conversations for Agent
Gator to interpret. Matty doesn't use his phone much as
the head honcho. He's not really the one to get
his hands dirty. If the FBI wants to understand and
prove what this crime family is up to, they have
(08:58):
to get creative.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
We're able to get an authority for a wiretap to
place a microphone at a table in a famous Italian
restaurant in Queen's in a neighborhood where wise guys reside,
where the crew would meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays and
have wise guy hangouts, And so the thought was, let's
try and capture some of those conversations.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Bugging a wise guy hangout is not going to be easy.
Agent Gator and his team have to break into the
restaurant in the middle of the night to install a
camera and a microphone. Once they're all set up, they
can sit back and enjoy the drama from the comfort
of an FBI surveillance room across town and they begin
to build a picture of what Matty and his crew
(09:47):
are up to.
Speaker 4 (09:49):
The people and the crew are loaning money to businesses
on the street at are extremely high illegal rates, and
if payment is not received, then the response can be violent,
illegal gambling. The illegal control for decades of the New
York City Public School System bus drivers union. We learned
(10:10):
that the president of the union was actually a made
member of the Genevievese crime family while acting as the
president of the union.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
But just as they're collecting all this incriminating information, agent
gators phone rings. It's another FBI agent with some bad
news found.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
The bug at the restaurant. Our hearts sank, because then
that means the investigation's over.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
No point trying to keep a low profile. Now, might
as well put down to queens in person. They get
to the restaurant and the atmosphere is weird.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
Immediately people realize that we were law enforcement. I told
the matre d, I said, please tell your boss that
he has that belongs to us.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
After some whispering at the back table, up.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
Comes the matre d with a paper bag and he
gives it to me.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
And he says, I was told to tell you that
it's all there, and inside the paper bag is all
the equipment, the camera.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
With a microphone.
Speaker 4 (11:21):
Okay, that's very nice. Please tell your boss that we'll
be seeing him soon. And they have a nice night.
And then we left with our equipment that they pulled
out of the wall.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
And this is when his team in New York are
alerted to an FBI investigation over in Connecticut, an investigation
into the garbage industry.
Speaker 4 (11:44):
Okay, what do you have going on? What we have
going on? You know, is there any intersection?
Speaker 2 (11:49):
There was a big intersection. The agents in New Haven
think their main target, Jimmy Glante, is connected to New
York's main target, Matty and better yet, they've secured a
warrant to search Matty's house.
Speaker 4 (12:06):
Logistically, since it was in New York, we would be
doing the major part of providing the resources necessary to
conduct a search warrant.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Which is how Agent Gator winds up at Matty's kitchen
table learning how the horse got his name. And less
than ten days after that search, Agent Gator's back outside
the Long Island ranch house. But this time he's not
just gathering evidence. It's time for a takedown. That's after
(12:35):
the break It's a big day for Agent Gator late
July two thousand and five. He's been sitting in his
(12:56):
car since the small hours.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
Six in the morning.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
You have a rally point where all your investigators meet
nearby where the residence is.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
FBI agents have made the early morning journey over to
Matty's Long Island neighborhood. It's not long since Agent Gator
was here last searching for evidence to help the New
Haven FBI with their investigation into Jimmy Gallante and his
trash empire. Gaet told Matty he'd be back, and true
to his word, here he is, this time with an
(13:27):
arrest warrant. After months of covert surveillance for their own
investigation into the New York Mafia, Agent Gator and his
crew now have enough to bring Matty in, but Gaetor
made the old man a promise. He pulls out his
phone and punches in Matty's number, the number he's spent
the last few months listening in on. This time, Agent
(13:51):
Gator isn't a silent eavesdropper.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
Maddie and he goes, yeah, this is Mike from.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
Downtown Mike.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Good, and I go it's time today, yep, and He goes,
all right, I'm going.
Speaker 4 (14:07):
To open the door. Come in. You're not going to
have any problems.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
I don't expect any problems, but just come to the
door right now, because we have to do this.
Speaker 4 (14:16):
It's okay, okay, okay.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Agent Gator and the rest of his team approached the
front door. No need to break it down. A promise
is a promise.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
And then next thing you know, the door opens and
he's standing right there in his pajamas. He looks at us,
six to seven New York City detectives and FBI agents.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
He goes, I only asked one thing. He goes, Please
don't wake up my wife. Please, can you just be quiet?
I said, not a problem.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
And we walked into the foyer and we said, look,
you're under arrest, and read him is right.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
And say, look, here's how we have to do this.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
Let's take you to your bedroom, get you dressed, brush
your teeth, then we'll get out of here. That's when
everybody stopped and started listening, and it was a theme
to the Godfather, and everybody starts looking at each other
and looking at Maddie, and Maddie starts looking at us,
recognizing that we're now listening to the theme from the Godfather,
(15:17):
and he's being arrested as the Godfather for home intents
and purposes.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
And we look into the living.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
Room den and there's a large screen TV and there
are the credits to The Godfather, and we look at him,
and everybody's got a smile on their face except Maddie,
who looks at us and he goes, it's just a movie, guys,
It's just a movie.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
He goes, let's get dressed and we'll go. He said, Okay,
I think we should do that.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Mattie the Horse is charged with labor racketeering, extortion, large
scale loan sharking, and the operation of illegal gambling businesses.
And that's just based on the investigation Mike Gate has
been working on in New York. As Matty awaits his
hearing under house arrest over in New Haven, agent Jeff
Waterman and his team are preparing a whole load of
(16:09):
other indictments. Their main target has always been Jimmy Galante,
but they also have some charges to bring against Matty
thanks to the evidence they've bagged during their raids New Haven.
FBI agent Jeff Waterman and his team believed they were
starting to understand how exactly Jimmy Gallante and Matty the
Horse were connected.
Speaker 6 (16:33):
Essentially, the Genevies backed Galante's company and in exchange, Galante
paid a quarterly tax of thirty thousand dollars.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
In return for paying this tax, the FBI believed Jimmy
got to use Matty's reputation, which Mike Gator says would
have gone a long way.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
You can use Mattie's name and say, look, I've got
these routes, I have this business, it's mine. In case
somebody else is trying to quote unquote muscle in or
obtain those routes, Jimmy can then say, don't talk to me,
You're gonna have to talk to Maddie the Horse.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
The FBI think this is one of the ways Jimmy
Galante was able to intimidate other trash holders and gain
control of the market. They claim it helped him become
the multi millionaire trash kingpin of Danbury.
Speaker 4 (17:28):
At the end of the day, it's about who has power,
and at the end of the day, you don't want
to cross Maddie or others like him, because really, at
the end of the day, it's also about violence. If
they hear this guy is with Maddie, then Maddie is
overseeing him. People are going to say, okay, let me
go find something else to do.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
And do you think that Matty's free would have used
violence to protect people? Paying more attacts?
Speaker 4 (17:53):
Oh if needed? Without a doubt, these are not empty threats.
They can't be. You see, when people don't listen to
the bosses, ultimately they may pay the ultimate price, which
is to be murdered. You end up in the trunk
of a car. And that's that.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
More after the break. It's been six months since the
FBI raided Jimmy's yard in July, and he still hasn't
(18:36):
had a peep out of them. Maybe the whole thing's
blown over. By December two thousand and five, the Trash
mogul has some positive news to keep his mind off
the raid. His hockey team is killing it in their
second UHL season. Brad Wingnut Wingfield is back and on
fighting form, and the Trashes are becoming hard to beat.
(18:58):
By mid April two thousand and six, they finish up
the season with a six game winning streak. The Trashers
top their division and now they're in the running for
the big prize the Colonial Cup. They've made it to
the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Colonial Cup finals represent a battle of good versus evil,
in which apparently that Ambury Trashers are evil.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Remember that to win the UHL Championship, the Trashers will
need to get through three playoff rounds, the quarterfinals, the semifinals,
and a final, and win a best of seven games
in each round. In the first round, Danbury's bad boys
are pitted against the Coud City Mallards from Illinois. It
(19:42):
doesn't start well. The Trashers lose the first two games.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Watt City has pulled off two stunning road victories.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
Danbury have some work to do.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
Worn around town this week for the Ambourrey Trashers has
been urgency.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
They need to fight back.
Speaker 7 (19:59):
They've had their game BA pretty much all day.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
And they do fight back. The series ends up going
to game seven where the Thrushes duck under the finish
line to steal victory.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
I want to come back tonight for Danbury. They were
trailing at one point four to one, and then something
magical happened for Danbury. They started scoring. Finally.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
The Thrushes are through to the semi finals, where they're
up against defending champions, the Muskegan Fury. This is the
team that knocked the Trushes out in last year's playoffs,
and the Thrushes won't revenge.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Welcome back to Muskegan, Michigan. We are live at the
LC Walker Arena. I'm filledible ao and this is Danbury
Trashers Hockey.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
Unnke last year. The team hold their own against the
more experienced Fury.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
After Game five, the Trashers with the three games to
two lead in the UHL Colonial Cup Semifinal best of
seven series.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
The chance that the finals hang in the fate of
Game six. It's a tough one between them. The teams
score and astonishing thirteen goals, six to Muskegon and seven
to the Trashers.
Speaker 7 (21:12):
Trashers wins seven to six. Won again for Danbury.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
They've made it to the UHL Final. This is the
furthest the Trashes have ever come.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
And the first appearance in the Colonial Cup Championships for
than Ambery Trasher.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
All that stands between them and that big Silver Cup.
Speaker 7 (21:31):
One last hurdle for Daboory to clive.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
So they've got a date with their arrivals from the
Central Divisions, the Kalamazoo Wings.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
The Kalamazoo Wings, the team of Brad Wingfield's nemesis Josh Elsinger,
with a recent history of broken legs and blood baths.
This final is going to be intense.
Speaker 8 (21:54):
I was nervous. I really was.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
Kalamazoo's left winger, Damien Summer have heard the room is
about the Trashes, but he'd never been in the lineup
against them until the playoffs.
Speaker 8 (22:06):
I remember stepping off the bus and kind of wondering
what I would be in store for.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
As the visiting team walked tentatively towards the arena, they
stopped in their tracks.
Speaker 8 (22:19):
There was this eighty foot tall, eighty foot wide. It
looked like a bed sheet, but it had the dan
Berry Trasher's logo painted on it, and it had our
logo painted on it, and it said, welcome to the.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
Pit of Hell.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
The Trashers are pulling out all the stops to get
the edge.
Speaker 8 (22:41):
Jeezus, Mary and Joseph Flake, what is going to happen?
Am I gonna step on the ice and you know
I'll get clubbed in the head by one of the fans.
Are they gonna let the dogs loose and just kind
of try to intimidate us? This is what they do.
This is how they win. Beat up everybody like something's
(23:03):
going to happen. Something has to happen.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
And welcome back to the Danbury Ice Arena, filled your
balao with you. Game five of the Colonial Cup Finals
facing off in just.
Speaker 7 (23:16):
A few minutes.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
It's May twenty seventh, two thousand and six. Kalamazoo lead
the Trashes three games to one. If the Wings win
tonight's game, they take home the cup.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Now it's do or die for the Trashers here tonight.
If the Trashers loose to night, their season's over.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
In their locker room, the Trashers prepare for battle. The
mood is tense. Speedy center forward Mike Omacholi taps into
the bad blood between the teams for motivation.
Speaker 9 (23:48):
We handed each other, Both teams handed each other. We
wanted that series so bad. If we lost that game,
we were done in playoffs.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
As Mike cited himself up, Jimmy Galante marches into the
locker room. This is the most important game the Trashes
have ever played, but he's not here to throw tennis balls.
Tonight's pregame pep talk is encouraging.
Speaker 9 (24:14):
Just go out and have fun and win.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
And with that, Mike and the rest of the Trashes
make their way along the corridor that leads out onto
the ice. They've walked this way hundreds of times, but
tonight feels different. As they pass through the heavy metal doors,
the noise is deafening, searing spotlights cut through clouds of
(24:41):
dry ice. The team bursts into the rink and gaze
up at sea of banners. The crowd goes fucking nuts.
(25:02):
The two teams line up the puck drops.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
Here's mikeelm and Jolie up left wing over the Gay
Wings line drop past the ball reguard and the Trashers shooting.
Speaker 7 (25:12):
Mike shoot one too, are in front block by.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
Mark Missus and six minutes in it's the Wings who score. First.
Speaker 7 (25:20):
Throws it across the right side of shot Kerriery store.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
And it happens again.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
That's past the near post at Kalamazoo. With two quick
power play goals, have a two to nothing league.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
The Trashes try to fight.
Speaker 1 (25:35):
Back, but the ball regard Martin's got a piece of it.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
But the Kalamazoo defense is just too good.
Speaker 7 (25:40):
A big Pa'll say it by Martin.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
Every time the Trashes shoot, the Wings deflect.
Speaker 7 (25:45):
And the Wings clear it out across that a rights.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
As the first period ends, the Trashers skate off their
heads bowed.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
The Trashers are trailing Kalamazoo two to nothing and the
Trashers macing elimination down three games to one. They're in
the Colonial Cup finals, so Danburry, if they want to
keep playing well, they're gonna have to do a one
to eighty in the second period and trying to get
back in the game.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
During the first intermission, the teams retreat to their locker rooms.
The Kalamazoo Wings are on a high. Their coach gives
Damien Sama and his teammates some mid game advice.
Speaker 8 (26:21):
Look, we've got two more periods, play your type of
hockey and WOBE champions. And for whatever reason that really
like I think resonated with the team because we came
out and we just started playing.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
Loose, maybe a bit too loose. In the second period,
the Trashers seize the opportunity.
Speaker 7 (26:41):
Well, regard of the one you want one, I want
the behind of it.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
He wants any ship, said red on a front star
half of it, follows up his own shut and he
knocks at Profar and they get the Trashers on the floor.
Speaker 7 (26:54):
And it is erupted. Hearing Danbury hosfullly if this if
the Trashers a new lease online.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
But with thirteen minutes left in the second period, the
puck hits Damien Sommer's stick.
Speaker 8 (27:09):
I can't explain what that feeling means, but I felt
like I was going to score.
Speaker 7 (27:13):
It takes it over the line bar circle shot, so.
Speaker 8 (27:15):
Score this funds so good, so good.
Speaker 7 (27:18):
Danny and Serma from the.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Far circle label to convert the two on one on
van Rushak Kalamazoo is back on top by a couple.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
The Trashas fight back toward the end of the second period.
Jeff Dare, one of their most experienced players, gains control
of the puck and steers it into the net.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
Now everyone is standing at trash er town. If this
be the break the Trashers need to get back of
this game.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
As the second period ends, the Trushas are only one
goal behind their rivals. Victory could be theirs, but they're
going to have to hustle man.
Speaker 7 (27:57):
This is going to be a wild third period coming up.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Were flaring it din very after forty minutes of play,
as the Treasures possibly want urion away from their season ending,
and they're not going down without a fight.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
And neither of the fans. Trasha's diehard supporter, Greg Sinclair,
watches from the stands as his team skates back out
for the third period. He's surrounded by other rowdy fans
who are now hurling abuse.
Speaker 10 (28:27):
Hey, players, so and so he ain't naked pictures of
your girlfriend? No, you want to buy some how much
you're making two hundred bucks a week after the season
and you'll be more my lawn.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
There's the generic insults, and then there's the personal ones.
Speaker 8 (28:43):
They must have talked to the players or something, because
some of the things that they said, like nobody would
have known. I mean, they knew the names of guys wives.
I can't say the things that was said because it
was off sides, but it was pure hatred for us,
(29:05):
it was pure bedlam.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
Maybe the abuse from the stands has some effect, because
with just six minutes left in the third period, the
trash has put on an electric performance.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
Well, Zinga poked the way Belaji gets to it behind
the neck, did an ear circle the high of its
center point over the Drover.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
Lowations Donny Grover from the third point.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
The Treasures have tied the score for the first time tonight,
and now this place is erupted once again.
Speaker 7 (29:44):
And if the Danbury Trashers are.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
Going to be eliminated tonight, they're going down kicking it
to screaming.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
As the final buzzer sounds the score is tied, the
game goes into a dramatic sudden death over time. The
first team to score wins.
Speaker 1 (30:03):
Everyone is standing in Danbury. This one again coming right
down to the wire, and.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
The Trashers need their fans to power them on through
the exhaustion and the tension. They need a win in
order to have a shot at the cup. The player's
face off overtime begins. It's tense. The Trashas have decent
possession of the puck. They even take a couple of shots,
(30:31):
but they miss. And then about two minutes into overtime,
Mike Omatli and Damian Samma are wrestling for the puck
when another Kalamazoo player slides in and takes control.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
Gall The boards are the park corner of Iraq Bartacle
Drake what timer score?
Speaker 7 (30:48):
They want? Timer in the slot by Lucas.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
Straight and with one for two gone by in overtime,
Calamba Zoo has won the Colonial Cup.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
The Trashes are defeated four three. They've fallen at the
final hurdle. It's all over. Down on the ice. Damien
Samma and the rest of the Kalamazoo players are celebrating the.
Speaker 8 (31:17):
Pure enjoyment, and my face was absolutely insane.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
One of his ecstatic teammates grabs him.
Speaker 8 (31:26):
He picked me up like I was one of his
little kids. He put his hands under my arms and
just picked me up because he was so excited, Like,
I fucking love you.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Man. Meanwhile, Mike Obatoli and the rest of the shell
shocked Trashes, I'm not sure what to do with themselves.
Speaker 9 (31:44):
We're exhausted, We're beat up, We're tired.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
It was an emotional game.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
Up in his commentary box Filledibleo has his head in
his hands.
Speaker 7 (31:54):
That moment, like your heart sunk.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
Put the Colonial Cup on a table at center rice
along the floor. The Wings players are all hugging in
very excited me.
Speaker 11 (32:05):
I didn't really care about, you know, watching gallum Azoo
celebrate because you're so invested in the team that you
work with. While you want to describe things as a
broadcaster accurately and fairly it's still a little bit hard
because you know, you've been with this team for two
years now. I'm the guy that saw it all, and
it was sad.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
The Trashes players eventually skate over to their rifles.
Speaker 7 (32:27):
That's a great thing about hockey. You get me, Bush
and Cole fight.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
All you want, and the end of the playoff series,
everyone huddles at cent A Rise and you have the
traditional handshake and a show of great sportsmanship. The Anbury
Trashers losing and the Colonial Cup championships in five games.
Speaker 11 (32:48):
I was really disappointed because I really thought this was
going to be a team that won the whole thing.
I mean, we were measured for championship rings. There's going
to be a parade in Danbury. I was convinced of
all that, and then and it didn't happen, and it's like,
oh crap, what do we do now?
Speaker 1 (33:03):
In the Colonial Cup finals, one guy Kalamazoo ordered three
the final score in overtime. I would like to thank
all of you for joining me during the course of
the year i've been I'm happy to bring you Danbury
Trasher's hockey all season long, seventy six regular season games, eighteen.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
Point It's painful, but as team president Aj Galante has
to come down from his box and shake hands with
the winning team.
Speaker 12 (33:32):
It's one thing to lose in the finals, it's another
thing to lose at home and seeing the other team,
you know, celebrate and have the trophy on the ice.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
As the Kalamazoo flag is raised in Dunbury, the Trash's
file off the ice in silence. AJ follows them into
the locker room.
Speaker 12 (33:49):
The guys were kind of down in the dumps, you know.
It was a long year and we were so close.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
Ever the optimist, he tries to make people feel better
and go to.
Speaker 12 (33:59):
Everyone in individually. Talk to them today. We'll get them
next year. We'll figure it out.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
Over the airwaves, Phil Giubileo signs.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
Off, it's been quite a long season and quite an
exciting one, and we were glad to bring it to you,
and we'll be glad to bring it to you once
again next season. And I'll do it from the Danbury
Ice arena. I say so long, We'll see you next year.
You've been listening to Danbury Trashers Hockey. Have a great
off season. Everybody, goodbye.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
The Trasha's second season is over and a spring swells
into summer and the sun beats down on Danbury. It's
time for the team to take a well earned break,
for the Trashers and the Glantes to pick themselves up
and look to the future, because there's always next season, right,
But you know who's not taking a vacation this summer.
(34:52):
The Feds having spent the last year painstakingly picking through
the evidence against Jimmy and his mafia associates, the FBI
are going in for the kill and Jimmy, well, he's
not going down without a fight. If you were me,
Jimmy like, how would you li Sainclair.
Speaker 12 (35:12):
You've never heard me say I was an angel.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
No, that's true. You've been very upfront of me. Jimmy
Gallante is about to step out of the shadows.
Speaker 12 (35:24):
There's the FBI side, there's my side, and somewhere in
the middle.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
Of the truth, that's next time on The Fighting Pucks.
(35:51):
The Fighting Pucks is produced by Novel for iHeartRadio. For
more from Novel, visit novel dot Audio. The series is
hosted by me Claire Crofton and produced by me Joe
Wheeler and Amalia Sortland. The executive producer is David Waters.
Story editing from Max O'Brien, Mitherley Raul and Austin Mitchell.
(36:15):
Our field producer is Babette Thomas, Our fat checker is
Darnia Suleiman. Our hockey sensitivity reader is Nikhil Dessai. Production
management from Sharie Houston and Charlotte Wolfe. Sound design, mixing
and scoring by Nicholas Alexander and Daniel Kempson. Music supervision
(36:36):
by Nicholas Alexander and David Waters. Original music composed by
Eric Phillips. Willard Foxton is creative director of Development. Special
thanks to Sean Glynn Katrina Novelle, David Vassiman, Sean ty
Tone and beth Anne Macaluso
Speaker 10 (37:08):
Novel
Novel.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
It's mid July two thousand and five. FBI agent Mike
Gaeta leaves the bustle of New York City for a
wealthy neighborhood in Long Island. He looks out the window
as he rolls up a perfectly manicured driveway towards a
huge house.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
It was a very nice ranch style house. It steps
up to the front door, and I think there was
a little bit of a porch there.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
It's clear whoever lives here is not sure of a
buck or two.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
The landscaping was beautiful. Think it had a pool on
the back.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
The car pulls to a stop. Gator and a couple
of other agents get out.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
We rang the bell.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
The door opens. There in front of them is a
man in his eighties, silver hair, heavy set. Agent Gator
flips his badge.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Look, we haven't warrant to search your ass. He said,
all right, come in, let's do this. How can we
do this?
Speaker 2 (01:10):
When the man speaks, Agent Gator immediately recognizes the voice.
He's been secretly listening to it for almost a year.
It's very distinctive.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
It is as if he's got a mouth stuffed with marbles,
and you cannot understand a word, he says.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
This old guy with the impossible voice is a big deal.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
He was deemed as one of the most successful wise
guys in the history of New York City wise guys.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Matthew iron Ello, otherwise known as Mattie the Horse, is
the acting boss of a mafia crime family. A knock
at the door from the FBI has been a long
time coming did.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
Not phase him at all. He was call as a cucumber.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Matty Harmony shows the agents inside.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
We just sat him down at his kitchen table where
he would be comfortable.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
We just got down to business.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
The agents begin to search with methodical precision.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
You just can't tear through the house like you see
in the movies and throw everything on the floor and
just kick it all around. That's not how the FBI operates.
We have to leave the house as we find it.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
What were you looking for?
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Documents? Various records.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Well, the other agents carefully searched the many rooms in
this enormous house. Agent Gator hangs back to break the
ice with Matty.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
Just to talk and just to you know, for lack
of a better phrase, get to know one another.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
What did you talk about?
Speaker 4 (02:46):
I said, how did you get that nickname. So Maddy
told me himself.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
He was playing baseball with a bunch of other kids
and there was a fight and he punched a much
larger kid and knocked him out, and somebody looked in and said, oh,
you punched like a horse kicks, And from that moment
on he was known as Maddie the Horse.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Several hours later, the agents have filled box after box
with files and documents. Their search is complete, but before
they leave, Agent Gator has imparting words for Matty.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
I said, you're going to be seeing me again soon,
and he's like really, I go yeah, and he kind
of drugged his shoulders. He's like, well, if I'm going
to I'm ma too, all right, And he said, look,
do me a favor.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
Can he at least just give me a call. Please,
just give me a call and there won't be any problems.
And I said, okay, no problem.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
And with that the agents leave with a trunk loaded
with evidence. The New York FBI have been looking into
Matty for years, building a complex case against him, but
today's search was actually conducted on behalf of the FBI
in New Haven, Connecticut. They have good reason to believe
(04:01):
Matty the horse has close ties to a man they've
been targeting certain hockey loving trash magnet, Jimmy Gallante.
Speaker 5 (04:11):
I've got my guy going to the meeting tomorrow. You
know what, if he has anything interesting he'd like me
to relay other than HI, Like you know, Grandpa said
high to him.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Here's Jimmy on the phone in two thousand and five.
The FBI are particularly interested in this school.
Speaker 5 (04:33):
Like, you know, Grandpa says hello, Long Island or something.
I might put the fear of it into him.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Grandpa says hello from Long Island.
Speaker 5 (04:44):
You know, however cryptically you could do it.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
You know it's not that cryptic, though, is it? Eighty
five year old Matty the horse lives in Long Island.
Speaker 5 (04:54):
That might shake his tree alot?
Speaker 4 (04:56):
Okay?
Speaker 2 (04:58):
With ties to one of the most senior figures in
the New York mafia, it's starting to become pretty clear
why you do not fuck with Jimmy Delante. I'm Claire
Crofton from the Team's at Novel and iHeartRadio. This is
(05:18):
the fighty Pucks Game eight Grandpa on Long Island. When
(05:43):
I started reporting this story, not only did I know
fuck or about hockey, it wasn't exactly O fay with
the mafia either, but Special Agent Mike Gator took me
through everything I needed to know.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
I'm a retired FBI special agent.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
In late nineties, Agent Gata was part of a law
enforcement effort to crush a certain type of.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Crime, traditional organized crime Italian mafia. They were powerful, influential,
and were a significant crime problem at the time. They
were recognized as the largest crime problem by the FBI
in New York. There was significant work to be done.
The FBI, in particular, in conjunction with the Department of Justice,
engaged in a concerted effort to go after the Italian
(06:29):
mafia in New York City but also at its other
locations throughout the country.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Young Agent Gaeta was assigned to look at one specific
crime family.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
The Genevese family in particular, was recognized as and traditionally
was the most powerful, the largest organized crime family in
New York City, powerful being wealthy, having the most control,
having influence over the most influential sectors of industry and
business in New York City.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
It's thought that the Geneve's crime family have been active
since the eighteen nineties. They were named after one of
their early bosses veto Genevese. Members of this so called
family aren't necessarily related by blood. Instead, they swear an
oath of allegiance. And in the early two thousands, Matty
(07:23):
the horse iron Elo was the acting boss of the family.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
He's one of the most powerful men in New York
City period, very business savvy, very successful.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
An Agent Gator and his team are determined to get him.
After watching the old man for a while, they have
enough evidence to push their investigation to the next level.
In November two thousand and four, the courts allow them
to bug Matty's phone. Now, his calls will pass through
(07:55):
a bank of computers in the FBI offices. All Agent
Gator and his team have to do is wait.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
When that first phone call triggers, the bell goes off,
the light goes on, and so everybody looks at each other.
It was an exciting moment, and when you start hearing
the voice, you're extremely satisfied that you're at that point
where you're now recording your subject's voice. That was certainly
tempered by the fact that nobody could understand a word
(08:23):
he was saying. I took a special interest in trying
to decipher and understand what he was saying because somebody
had to so at a necessity. It became somewhat of
an expert on transcribing and deciphering his.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Words, But there aren't a lot of conversations for Agent
Gator to interpret. Matty doesn't use his phone much as
the head honcho. He's not really the one to get
his hands dirty. If the FBI wants to understand and
prove what this crime family is up to, they have
(08:58):
to get creative.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
We're able to get an authority for a wiretap to
place a microphone at a table in a famous Italian
restaurant in Queen's in a neighborhood where wise guys reside,
where the crew would meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays and
have wise guy hangouts, And so the thought was, let's
try and capture some of those conversations.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Bugging a wise guy hangout is not going to be easy.
Agent Gator and his team have to break into the
restaurant in the middle of the night to install a
camera and a microphone. Once they're all set up, they
can sit back and enjoy the drama from the comfort
of an FBI surveillance room across town and they begin
to build a picture of what Matty and his crew
(09:47):
are up to.
Speaker 4 (09:49):
The people and the crew are loaning money to businesses
on the street at are extremely high illegal rates, and
if payment is not received, then the response can be violent,
illegal gambling. The illegal control for decades of the New
York City Public School System bus drivers union. We learned
(10:10):
that the president of the union was actually a made
member of the Genevievese crime family while acting as the
president of the union.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
But just as they're collecting all this incriminating information, agent
gators phone rings. It's another FBI agent with some bad
news found.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
The bug at the restaurant. Our hearts sank, because then
that means the investigation's over.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
No point trying to keep a low profile. Now, might
as well put down to queens in person. They get
to the restaurant and the atmosphere is weird.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
Immediately people realize that we were law enforcement. I told
the matre d, I said, please tell your boss that
he has that belongs to us.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
After some whispering at the back table, up.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
Comes the matre d with a paper bag and he
gives it to me.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
And he says, I was told to tell you that
it's all there, and inside the paper bag is all
the equipment, the camera.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
With a microphone.
Speaker 4 (11:21):
Okay, that's very nice. Please tell your boss that we'll
be seeing him soon. And they have a nice night.
And then we left with our equipment that they pulled
out of the wall.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
And this is when his team in New York are
alerted to an FBI investigation over in Connecticut, an investigation
into the garbage industry.
Speaker 4 (11:44):
Okay, what do you have going on? What we have
going on? You know, is there any intersection?
Speaker 2 (11:49):
There was a big intersection. The agents in New Haven
think their main target, Jimmy Glante, is connected to New
York's main target, Matty and better yet, they've secured a
warrant to search Matty's house.
Speaker 4 (12:06):
Logistically, since it was in New York, we would be
doing the major part of providing the resources necessary to
conduct a search warrant.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Which is how Agent Gator winds up at Matty's kitchen
table learning how the horse got his name. And less
than ten days after that search, Agent Gator's back outside
the Long Island ranch house. But this time he's not
just gathering evidence. It's time for a takedown. That's after
(12:35):
the break It's a big day for Agent Gator late
July two thousand and five. He's been sitting in his
(12:56):
car since the small hours.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
Six in the morning.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
You have a rally point where all your investigators meet
nearby where the residence is.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
FBI agents have made the early morning journey over to
Matty's Long Island neighborhood. It's not long since Agent Gator
was here last searching for evidence to help the New
Haven FBI with their investigation into Jimmy Gallante and his
trash empire. Gaet told Matty he'd be back, and true
to his word, here he is, this time with an
(13:27):
arrest warrant. After months of covert surveillance for their own
investigation into the New York Mafia, Agent Gator and his
crew now have enough to bring Matty in, but Gaetor
made the old man a promise. He pulls out his
phone and punches in Matty's number, the number he's spent
the last few months listening in on. This time, Agent
(13:51):
Gator isn't a silent eavesdropper.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
Maddie and he goes, yeah, this is Mike from.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
Downtown Mike.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Good, and I go it's time today, yep, and He goes,
all right, I'm going.
Speaker 4 (14:07):
To open the door. Come in. You're not going to
have any problems.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
I don't expect any problems, but just come to the
door right now, because we have to do this.
Speaker 4 (14:16):
It's okay, okay, okay.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Agent Gator and the rest of his team approached the
front door. No need to break it down. A promise
is a promise.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
And then next thing you know, the door opens and
he's standing right there in his pajamas. He looks at us,
six to seven New York City detectives and FBI agents.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
He goes, I only asked one thing. He goes, Please
don't wake up my wife. Please, can you just be quiet?
I said, not a problem.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
And we walked into the foyer and we said, look,
you're under arrest, and read him is right.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
And say, look, here's how we have to do this.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
Let's take you to your bedroom, get you dressed, brush
your teeth, then we'll get out of here. That's when
everybody stopped and started listening, and it was a theme
to the Godfather, and everybody starts looking at each other
and looking at Maddie, and Maddie starts looking at us,
recognizing that we're now listening to the theme from the Godfather,
(15:17):
and he's being arrested as the Godfather for home intents
and purposes.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
And we look into the living.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
Room den and there's a large screen TV and there
are the credits to The Godfather, and we look at him,
and everybody's got a smile on their face except Maddie,
who looks at us and he goes, it's just a movie, guys,
It's just a movie.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
He goes, let's get dressed and we'll go. He said, Okay,
I think we should do that.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Mattie the Horse is charged with labor racketeering, extortion, large
scale loan sharking, and the operation of illegal gambling businesses.
And that's just based on the investigation Mike Gate has
been working on in New York. As Matty awaits his
hearing under house arrest over in New Haven, agent Jeff
Waterman and his team are preparing a whole load of
(16:09):
other indictments. Their main target has always been Jimmy Galante,
but they also have some charges to bring against Matty
thanks to the evidence they've bagged during their raids New Haven.
FBI agent Jeff Waterman and his team believed they were
starting to understand how exactly Jimmy Gallante and Matty the
Horse were connected.
Speaker 6 (16:33):
Essentially, the Genevies backed Galante's company and in exchange, Galante
paid a quarterly tax of thirty thousand dollars.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
In return for paying this tax, the FBI believed Jimmy
got to use Matty's reputation, which Mike Gator says would
have gone a long way.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
You can use Mattie's name and say, look, I've got
these routes, I have this business, it's mine. In case
somebody else is trying to quote unquote muscle in or
obtain those routes, Jimmy can then say, don't talk to me,
You're gonna have to talk to Maddie the Horse.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
The FBI think this is one of the ways Jimmy
Galante was able to intimidate other trash holders and gain
control of the market. They claim it helped him become
the multi millionaire trash kingpin of Danbury.
Speaker 4 (17:28):
At the end of the day, it's about who has power,
and at the end of the day, you don't want
to cross Maddie or others like him, because really, at
the end of the day, it's also about violence. If
they hear this guy is with Maddie, then Maddie is
overseeing him. People are going to say, okay, let me
go find something else to do.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
And do you think that Matty's free would have used
violence to protect people? Paying more attacts?
Speaker 4 (17:53):
Oh if needed? Without a doubt, these are not empty threats.
They can't be. You see, when people don't listen to
the bosses, ultimately they may pay the ultimate price, which
is to be murdered. You end up in the trunk
of a car. And that's that.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
More after the break. It's been six months since the
FBI raided Jimmy's yard in July, and he still hasn't
(18:36):
had a peep out of them. Maybe the whole thing's
blown over. By December two thousand and five, the Trash
mogul has some positive news to keep his mind off
the raid. His hockey team is killing it in their
second UHL season. Brad Wingnut Wingfield is back and on
fighting form, and the Trashes are becoming hard to beat.
(18:58):
By mid April two thousand and six, they finish up
the season with a six game winning streak. The Trashers
top their division and now they're in the running for
the big prize the Colonial Cup. They've made it to
the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Colonial Cup finals represent a battle of good versus evil,
in which apparently that Ambury Trashers are evil.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Remember that to win the UHL Championship, the Trashers will
need to get through three playoff rounds, the quarterfinals, the semifinals,
and a final, and win a best of seven games
in each round. In the first round, Danbury's bad boys
are pitted against the Coud City Mallards from Illinois. It
(19:42):
doesn't start well. The Trashers lose the first two games.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Watt City has pulled off two stunning road victories.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
Danbury have some work to do.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
Worn around town this week for the Ambourrey Trashers has
been urgency.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
They need to fight back.
Speaker 7 (19:59):
They've had their game BA pretty much all day.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
And they do fight back. The series ends up going
to game seven where the Thrushes duck under the finish
line to steal victory.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
I want to come back tonight for Danbury. They were
trailing at one point four to one, and then something
magical happened for Danbury. They started scoring. Finally.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
The Thrushes are through to the semi finals, where they're
up against defending champions, the Muskegan Fury. This is the
team that knocked the Trushes out in last year's playoffs,
and the Thrushes won't revenge.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Welcome back to Muskegan, Michigan. We are live at the
LC Walker Arena. I'm filledible ao and this is Danbury
Trashers Hockey.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
Unnke last year. The team hold their own against the
more experienced Fury.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
After Game five, the Trashers with the three games to
two lead in the UHL Colonial Cup Semifinal best of
seven series.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
The chance that the finals hang in the fate of
Game six. It's a tough one between them. The teams
score and astonishing thirteen goals, six to Muskegon and seven
to the Trashers.
Speaker 7 (21:12):
Trashers wins seven to six. Won again for Danbury.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
They've made it to the UHL Final. This is the
furthest the Trashes have ever come.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
And the first appearance in the Colonial Cup Championships for
than Ambery Trasher.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
All that stands between them and that big Silver Cup.
Speaker 7 (21:31):
One last hurdle for Daboory to clive.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
So they've got a date with their arrivals from the
Central Divisions, the Kalamazoo Wings.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
The Kalamazoo Wings, the team of Brad Wingfield's nemesis Josh Elsinger,
with a recent history of broken legs and blood baths.
This final is going to be intense.
Speaker 8 (21:54):
I was nervous. I really was.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
Kalamazoo's left winger, Damien Summer have heard the room is
about the Trashes, but he'd never been in the lineup
against them until the playoffs.
Speaker 8 (22:06):
I remember stepping off the bus and kind of wondering
what I would be in store for.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
As the visiting team walked tentatively towards the arena, they
stopped in their tracks.
Speaker 8 (22:19):
There was this eighty foot tall, eighty foot wide. It
looked like a bed sheet, but it had the dan
Berry Trasher's logo painted on it, and it had our
logo painted on it, and it said, welcome to the.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
Pit of Hell.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
The Trashers are pulling out all the stops to get
the edge.
Speaker 8 (22:41):
Jeezus, Mary and Joseph Flake, what is going to happen?
Am I gonna step on the ice and you know
I'll get clubbed in the head by one of the fans.
Are they gonna let the dogs loose and just kind
of try to intimidate us? This is what they do.
This is how they win. Beat up everybody like something's
(23:03):
going to happen. Something has to happen.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
And welcome back to the Danbury Ice Arena, filled your
balao with you. Game five of the Colonial Cup Finals
facing off in just.
Speaker 7 (23:16):
A few minutes.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
It's May twenty seventh, two thousand and six. Kalamazoo lead
the Trashes three games to one. If the Wings win
tonight's game, they take home the cup.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Now it's do or die for the Trashers here tonight.
If the Trashers loose to night, their season's over.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
In their locker room, the Trashers prepare for battle. The
mood is tense. Speedy center forward Mike Omacholi taps into
the bad blood between the teams for motivation.
Speaker 9 (23:48):
We handed each other, Both teams handed each other. We
wanted that series so bad. If we lost that game,
we were done in playoffs.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
As Mike cited himself up, Jimmy Galante marches into the
locker room. This is the most important game the Trashes
have ever played, but he's not here to throw tennis balls.
Tonight's pregame pep talk is encouraging.
Speaker 9 (24:14):
Just go out and have fun and win.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
And with that, Mike and the rest of the Trashes
make their way along the corridor that leads out onto
the ice. They've walked this way hundreds of times, but
tonight feels different. As they pass through the heavy metal doors,
the noise is deafening, searing spotlights cut through clouds of
(24:41):
dry ice. The team bursts into the rink and gaze
up at sea of banners. The crowd goes fucking nuts.
(25:02):
The two teams line up the puck drops.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
Here's mikeelm and Jolie up left wing over the Gay
Wings line drop past the ball reguard and the Trashers shooting.
Speaker 7 (25:12):
Mike shoot one too, are in front block by.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
Mark Missus and six minutes in it's the Wings who score. First.
Speaker 7 (25:20):
Throws it across the right side of shot Kerriery store.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
And it happens again.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
That's past the near post at Kalamazoo. With two quick
power play goals, have a two to nothing league.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
The Trashes try to fight.
Speaker 1 (25:35):
Back, but the ball regard Martin's got a piece of it.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
But the Kalamazoo defense is just too good.
Speaker 7 (25:40):
A big Pa'll say it by Martin.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
Every time the Trashes shoot, the Wings deflect.
Speaker 7 (25:45):
And the Wings clear it out across that a rights.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
As the first period ends, the Trashers skate off their
heads bowed.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
The Trashers are trailing Kalamazoo two to nothing and the
Trashers macing elimination down three games to one. They're in
the Colonial Cup finals, so Danburry, if they want to
keep playing well, they're gonna have to do a one
to eighty in the second period and trying to get
back in the game.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
During the first intermission, the teams retreat to their locker rooms.
The Kalamazoo Wings are on a high. Their coach gives
Damien Sama and his teammates some mid game advice.
Speaker 8 (26:21):
Look, we've got two more periods, play your type of
hockey and WOBE champions. And for whatever reason that really
like I think resonated with the team because we came
out and we just started playing.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
Loose, maybe a bit too loose. In the second period,
the Trashers seize the opportunity.
Speaker 7 (26:41):
Well, regard of the one you want one, I want
the behind of it.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
He wants any ship, said red on a front star
half of it, follows up his own shut and he
knocks at Profar and they get the Trashers on the floor.
Speaker 7 (26:54):
And it is erupted. Hearing Danbury hosfullly if this if
the Trashers a new lease online.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
But with thirteen minutes left in the second period, the
puck hits Damien Sommer's stick.
Speaker 8 (27:09):
I can't explain what that feeling means, but I felt
like I was going to score.
Speaker 7 (27:13):
It takes it over the line bar circle shot, so.
Speaker 8 (27:15):
Score this funds so good, so good.
Speaker 7 (27:18):
Danny and Serma from the.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Far circle label to convert the two on one on
van Rushak Kalamazoo is back on top by a couple.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
The Trashas fight back toward the end of the second period.
Jeff Dare, one of their most experienced players, gains control
of the puck and steers it into the net.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
Now everyone is standing at trash er town. If this
be the break the Trashers need to get back of
this game.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
As the second period ends, the Trushas are only one
goal behind their rivals. Victory could be theirs, but they're
going to have to hustle man.
Speaker 7 (27:57):
This is going to be a wild third period coming up.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Were flaring it din very after forty minutes of play,
as the Treasures possibly want urion away from their season ending,
and they're not going down without a fight.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
And neither of the fans. Trasha's diehard supporter, Greg Sinclair,
watches from the stands as his team skates back out
for the third period. He's surrounded by other rowdy fans
who are now hurling abuse.
Speaker 10 (28:27):
Hey, players, so and so he ain't naked pictures of
your girlfriend? No, you want to buy some how much
you're making two hundred bucks a week after the season
and you'll be more my lawn.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
There's the generic insults, and then there's the personal ones.
Speaker 8 (28:43):
They must have talked to the players or something, because
some of the things that they said, like nobody would
have known. I mean, they knew the names of guys wives.
I can't say the things that was said because it
was off sides, but it was pure hatred for us,
(29:05):
it was pure bedlam.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
Maybe the abuse from the stands has some effect, because
with just six minutes left in the third period, the
trash has put on an electric performance.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
Well, Zinga poked the way Belaji gets to it behind
the neck, did an ear circle the high of its
center point over the Drover.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
Lowations Donny Grover from the third point.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
The Treasures have tied the score for the first time tonight,
and now this place is erupted once again.
Speaker 7 (29:44):
And if the Danbury Trashers are.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
Going to be eliminated tonight, they're going down kicking it
to screaming.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
As the final buzzer sounds the score is tied, the
game goes into a dramatic sudden death over time. The
first team to score wins.
Speaker 1 (30:03):
Everyone is standing in Danbury. This one again coming right
down to the wire, and.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
The Trashers need their fans to power them on through
the exhaustion and the tension. They need a win in
order to have a shot at the cup. The player's
face off overtime begins. It's tense. The Trashas have decent
possession of the puck. They even take a couple of shots,
(30:31):
but they miss. And then about two minutes into overtime,
Mike Omatli and Damian Samma are wrestling for the puck
when another Kalamazoo player slides in and takes control.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
Gall The boards are the park corner of Iraq Bartacle
Drake what timer score?
Speaker 7 (30:48):
They want? Timer in the slot by Lucas.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
Straight and with one for two gone by in overtime,
Calamba Zoo has won the Colonial Cup.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
The Trashes are defeated four three. They've fallen at the
final hurdle. It's all over. Down on the ice. Damien
Samma and the rest of the Kalamazoo players are celebrating the.
Speaker 8 (31:17):
Pure enjoyment, and my face was absolutely insane.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
One of his ecstatic teammates grabs him.
Speaker 8 (31:26):
He picked me up like I was one of his
little kids. He put his hands under my arms and
just picked me up because he was so excited, Like,
I fucking love you.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Man. Meanwhile, Mike Obatoli and the rest of the shell
shocked Trashes, I'm not sure what to do with themselves.
Speaker 9 (31:44):
We're exhausted, We're beat up, We're tired.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
It was an emotional game.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
Up in his commentary box Filledibleo has his head in
his hands.
Speaker 7 (31:54):
That moment, like your heart sunk.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
Put the Colonial Cup on a table at center rice
along the floor. The Wings players are all hugging in
very excited me.
Speaker 11 (32:05):
I didn't really care about, you know, watching gallum Azoo
celebrate because you're so invested in the team that you
work with. While you want to describe things as a
broadcaster accurately and fairly it's still a little bit hard
because you know, you've been with this team for two
years now. I'm the guy that saw it all, and
it was sad.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
The Trashes players eventually skate over to their rifles.
Speaker 7 (32:27):
That's a great thing about hockey. You get me, Bush
and Cole fight.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
All you want, and the end of the playoff series,
everyone huddles at cent A Rise and you have the
traditional handshake and a show of great sportsmanship. The Anbury
Trashers losing and the Colonial Cup championships in five games.
Speaker 11 (32:48):
I was really disappointed because I really thought this was
going to be a team that won the whole thing.
I mean, we were measured for championship rings. There's going
to be a parade in Danbury. I was convinced of
all that, and then and it didn't happen, and it's like,
oh crap, what do we do now?
Speaker 1 (33:03):
In the Colonial Cup finals, one guy Kalamazoo ordered three
the final score in overtime. I would like to thank
all of you for joining me during the course of
the year i've been I'm happy to bring you Danbury
Trasher's hockey all season long, seventy six regular season games, eighteen.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
Point It's painful, but as team president Aj Galante has
to come down from his box and shake hands with
the winning team.
Speaker 12 (33:32):
It's one thing to lose in the finals, it's another
thing to lose at home and seeing the other team,
you know, celebrate and have the trophy on the ice.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
As the Kalamazoo flag is raised in Dunbury, the Trash's
file off the ice in silence. AJ follows them into
the locker room.
Speaker 12 (33:49):
The guys were kind of down in the dumps, you know.
It was a long year and we were so close.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
Ever the optimist, he tries to make people feel better
and go to.
Speaker 12 (33:59):
Everyone in individually. Talk to them today. We'll get them
next year. We'll figure it out.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
Over the airwaves, Phil Giubileo signs.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
Off, it's been quite a long season and quite an
exciting one, and we were glad to bring it to you,
and we'll be glad to bring it to you once
again next season. And I'll do it from the Danbury
Ice arena. I say so long, We'll see you next year.
You've been listening to Danbury Trashers Hockey. Have a great
off season. Everybody, goodbye.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
The Trasha's second season is over and a spring swells
into summer and the sun beats down on Danbury. It's
time for the team to take a well earned break,
for the Trashers and the Glantes to pick themselves up
and look to the future, because there's always next season, right,
But you know who's not taking a vacation this summer.
(34:52):
The Feds having spent the last year painstakingly picking through
the evidence against Jimmy and his mafia associates, the FBI
are going in for the kill and Jimmy, well, he's
not going down without a fight. If you were me,
Jimmy like, how would you li Sainclair.
Speaker 12 (35:12):
You've never heard me say I was an angel.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
No, that's true. You've been very upfront of me. Jimmy
Gallante is about to step out of the shadows.
Speaker 12 (35:24):
There's the FBI side, there's my side, and somewhere in
the middle.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
Of the truth, that's next time on The Fighting Pucks.
(35:51):
The Fighting Pucks is produced by Novel for iHeartRadio. For
more from Novel, visit novel dot Audio. The series is
hosted by me Claire Crofton and produced by me Joe
Wheeler and Amalia Sortland. The executive producer is David Waters.
Story editing from Max O'Brien, Mitherley Raul and Austin Mitchell.
(36:15):
Our field producer is Babette Thomas, Our fat checker is
Darnia Suleiman. Our hockey sensitivity reader is Nikhil Dessai. Production
management from Sharie Houston and Charlotte Wolfe. Sound design, mixing
and scoring by Nicholas Alexander and Daniel Kempson. Music supervision
(36:36):
by Nicholas Alexander and David Waters. Original music composed by
Eric Phillips. Willard Foxton is creative director of Development. Special
thanks to Sean Glynn Katrina Novelle, David Vassiman, Sean ty
Tone and beth Anne Macaluso
Speaker 10 (37:08):
Novel
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Monster: BTK
'Monster: BTK', the newest installment in the 'Monster' franchise, reveals the true story of the Wichita, Kansas serial killer who murdered at least 10 people between 1974 and 1991. Known by the moniker, BTK – Bind Torture Kill, his notoriety was bolstered by the taunting letters he sent to police, and the chilling phone calls he made to media outlets. BTK's identity was finally revealed in 2005 to the shock of his family, his community, and the world. He was the serial killer next door. From Tenderfoot TV & iHeartPodcasts, this is 'Monster: BTK'.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.