Hockeywriter
07-15-2006, 10:21 AM
Hurry hurry step right up..See the UHL Commissioner Richard Brosal juggle, backpeddle and try to cover up his dirty deeds with a known felon.
Read the words of FORMER UHL and current AHL linesman Jim Harper who is a deputy sheriff in upstate New York. Who has more credibility a deputy sheriff sworn to uphold the law or Brosal along with his merry band of felons James Galante and Ciro Veinto.
UHL president says wiretaps paint unclear picture
By Doris Yon THE NEWS-TIMES
United Hockey League president Richard Brosal said Thursday his office conducted a thorough investigation into a 2004 post-game incident between James Galante and a linesman – even though recently released wiretaps shed new light on the case.
Galante, who faces federal racketeering charges, owns the now-defunct Danbury Trashers, which suspended operations June 13. Federal wiretaps played during a June 27 court hearing – and posted online by The News-Times and NewsTimesLIVE.com this week – revealed instructions Galante gave to associate Ciro Viento to offer Brosal about the post-game melee.
In separate telephone conversations, Galante told Viento how he wanted the UHL investigation to turn out.
Then, Viento and Brosal spoke, and Brosal seemed to say that Galante would have the outcome that he sought.
Reached on Thursday, Brosal said the audio reco rdings are misleading, that he and Viento were talking about something else.
"Obviously, if you listen to Jimmy Galante's conversation with Ciro (Viento) – which obviously I was not privy to – and Ciro calls me and you listen to them (the two tapes) together, I could see where the perception is that there was something going on here," Brosal said.
"What's very upsetting, or what's concerning is, if you listen to that and you're a layman and nobody knows what really went on there, it really paints an ugly picture of my office and myself completely, when this is something that did not take place," the commissioner said.
Galante was charged with third-degree assault after allegedly punching linesman Jim Harper in the mouth following a game Dec. 1, 2004. The incident took place in the visitors' penalty box at the Danbury Ice Arena after the Trashers beat Kalamazoo 5-3 in a fight-filled game.
Galante was fined $2,000 for being in a prohibited area and Harper was given a five-game suspension following a UHL investigation. Harper never officiated a UHL game after that. He worked for the American Hockey League this past season.
Prosecutors said there were too many conflicting stories about what happened. They opted to drop charges against Galante May 18, 2005.
That decision disappointed Harper.
Prior to the charges being dropped, the federal government recorded phone conversations between Galante and Viento, then between Viento and Brosal.
"Tell (Brosal) that it is (expletive) imperative that we get that letter that this guy is going to write, that Harper is going to write Brosal, that 'I called the Connecticut prosecutor and I told him I wanted to drop the case,'Ÿ" Galante instructed Viento.
"'I told him that after, you know, cooling off and thinking about it a couple of days that I was just as much at fault," Galante continued.
"And now that my head's clear, after all the craziness that went on in the game, within the game, that I realized that when the incident took place there was pushing and shoving people in the penalty box, and I can't be sure now whether Mr. Galante hit me or didn't hit me or if it was somebody else," Galante suggested, on the audiotape.
"That's one of the other reasons I want to drop the (expletive) charges, because I couldn't stand there and say that the man actually punched me in the mouth.'"
Viento later called Brosal, and that conversation also was caught on tape by federal investigators.
"It will say what we need it to say," Brosal was recorded as saying to Viento. "Brad and I had spoken to both linesmen and have told them exactly what to put in there."
Viento responded: "Right, and I'll assume that you've discussed this with (Galante) already. He wanted me to tell you that. I'm sure that you already know that with all the confusion we don't know who hit who or who punched who or whatever. I'm sure that you know what you're doing."
Viento and Brosal then seemingly joked how Harper was changing his story.
"We have the opening statement that (reads), 'I, Jim Harper, solemnly swear that I have been coerced into dropping the charges,'Ÿ" Brosal said, and he and Viento laughed.
"He knows everything that needs to be put. We went into detail."
Brosal said Thursday the letter he referred to in his conversation with Viento was to be written by Harper, explaining that the Danbury police, and not Harper, wanted to press charges against Galante.
"The letter in which they're referring to … is a letter that Jimmy's attorney and Jimmy and I and Brad had already been in on a conversation a couple of days previous, regarding that the linesman did not want (Galante) to be charged; that it was the Danbury police that wanted him to be charged," Brosal explained.
"That is the letter that is being referred to. At no time was there any conversation from Ciro or from Jimmy Galante telling us to concoct a letter or to get or apply pressure to Jimmy Harper to write any kind of letter that Jimmy wanted."
Brosal added the letter from Harper was never sent. Neither Galante nor his representatives ever called UHL offices to pursue it.
Harper, also reached Thursday, said he never intended to write a letter saying he wanted the charges dropped.
"I never said I was going to write a letter. I said I wasn't going to write a letter," said Harper, a deputy sheriff with the Oneida County Sheriff's Office in Oriskany, N.Y.
"I gave Danbury police a statement that I got punched. I know I got punched and I'm not going to write a letter saying, 'No, it didn't happen.' Why would I do that?"
Brosal said some team owners have contacted him since the wiretaps were posted on NewsTimesLive.com, but they have not lost faith in him as the league president.
"They support me 100 percent," Brosal said.
Brosal said he considered the assault matter resolved a long time ago and the only reason it has been brought up again is because the wiretaps were made public.
Harper, however, has a different feeling. He said he is looking into taking civil action against Galante, pending the outcome of the federal racketeering case against the Danbury businessman.
Read the words of FORMER UHL and current AHL linesman Jim Harper who is a deputy sheriff in upstate New York. Who has more credibility a deputy sheriff sworn to uphold the law or Brosal along with his merry band of felons James Galante and Ciro Veinto.
UHL president says wiretaps paint unclear picture
By Doris Yon THE NEWS-TIMES
United Hockey League president Richard Brosal said Thursday his office conducted a thorough investigation into a 2004 post-game incident between James Galante and a linesman – even though recently released wiretaps shed new light on the case.
Galante, who faces federal racketeering charges, owns the now-defunct Danbury Trashers, which suspended operations June 13. Federal wiretaps played during a June 27 court hearing – and posted online by The News-Times and NewsTimesLIVE.com this week – revealed instructions Galante gave to associate Ciro Viento to offer Brosal about the post-game melee.
In separate telephone conversations, Galante told Viento how he wanted the UHL investigation to turn out.
Then, Viento and Brosal spoke, and Brosal seemed to say that Galante would have the outcome that he sought.
Reached on Thursday, Brosal said the audio reco rdings are misleading, that he and Viento were talking about something else.
"Obviously, if you listen to Jimmy Galante's conversation with Ciro (Viento) – which obviously I was not privy to – and Ciro calls me and you listen to them (the two tapes) together, I could see where the perception is that there was something going on here," Brosal said.
"What's very upsetting, or what's concerning is, if you listen to that and you're a layman and nobody knows what really went on there, it really paints an ugly picture of my office and myself completely, when this is something that did not take place," the commissioner said.
Galante was charged with third-degree assault after allegedly punching linesman Jim Harper in the mouth following a game Dec. 1, 2004. The incident took place in the visitors' penalty box at the Danbury Ice Arena after the Trashers beat Kalamazoo 5-3 in a fight-filled game.
Galante was fined $2,000 for being in a prohibited area and Harper was given a five-game suspension following a UHL investigation. Harper never officiated a UHL game after that. He worked for the American Hockey League this past season.
Prosecutors said there were too many conflicting stories about what happened. They opted to drop charges against Galante May 18, 2005.
That decision disappointed Harper.
Prior to the charges being dropped, the federal government recorded phone conversations between Galante and Viento, then between Viento and Brosal.
"Tell (Brosal) that it is (expletive) imperative that we get that letter that this guy is going to write, that Harper is going to write Brosal, that 'I called the Connecticut prosecutor and I told him I wanted to drop the case,'Ÿ" Galante instructed Viento.
"'I told him that after, you know, cooling off and thinking about it a couple of days that I was just as much at fault," Galante continued.
"And now that my head's clear, after all the craziness that went on in the game, within the game, that I realized that when the incident took place there was pushing and shoving people in the penalty box, and I can't be sure now whether Mr. Galante hit me or didn't hit me or if it was somebody else," Galante suggested, on the audiotape.
"That's one of the other reasons I want to drop the (expletive) charges, because I couldn't stand there and say that the man actually punched me in the mouth.'"
Viento later called Brosal, and that conversation also was caught on tape by federal investigators.
"It will say what we need it to say," Brosal was recorded as saying to Viento. "Brad and I had spoken to both linesmen and have told them exactly what to put in there."
Viento responded: "Right, and I'll assume that you've discussed this with (Galante) already. He wanted me to tell you that. I'm sure that you already know that with all the confusion we don't know who hit who or who punched who or whatever. I'm sure that you know what you're doing."
Viento and Brosal then seemingly joked how Harper was changing his story.
"We have the opening statement that (reads), 'I, Jim Harper, solemnly swear that I have been coerced into dropping the charges,'Ÿ" Brosal said, and he and Viento laughed.
"He knows everything that needs to be put. We went into detail."
Brosal said Thursday the letter he referred to in his conversation with Viento was to be written by Harper, explaining that the Danbury police, and not Harper, wanted to press charges against Galante.
"The letter in which they're referring to … is a letter that Jimmy's attorney and Jimmy and I and Brad had already been in on a conversation a couple of days previous, regarding that the linesman did not want (Galante) to be charged; that it was the Danbury police that wanted him to be charged," Brosal explained.
"That is the letter that is being referred to. At no time was there any conversation from Ciro or from Jimmy Galante telling us to concoct a letter or to get or apply pressure to Jimmy Harper to write any kind of letter that Jimmy wanted."
Brosal added the letter from Harper was never sent. Neither Galante nor his representatives ever called UHL offices to pursue it.
Harper, also reached Thursday, said he never intended to write a letter saying he wanted the charges dropped.
"I never said I was going to write a letter. I said I wasn't going to write a letter," said Harper, a deputy sheriff with the Oneida County Sheriff's Office in Oriskany, N.Y.
"I gave Danbury police a statement that I got punched. I know I got punched and I'm not going to write a letter saying, 'No, it didn't happen.' Why would I do that?"
Brosal said some team owners have contacted him since the wiretaps were posted on NewsTimesLive.com, but they have not lost faith in him as the league president.
"They support me 100 percent," Brosal said.
Brosal said he considered the assault matter resolved a long time ago and the only reason it has been brought up again is because the wiretaps were made public.
Harper, however, has a different feeling. He said he is looking into taking civil action against Galante, pending the outcome of the federal racketeering case against the Danbury businessman.