Mob-tied hockey boss returns to the rink: ‘Intimidation never goes out of style'

New York Post

2 days ago

The boss is back and he's ready to clean up the trash.
AJ Galante, the teenager behind the mob-tied pro hockey team of Netflix fame, is back in the game as the general manager of the Danbury Hat Tricks, an entry-level pro team based in Connecticut.
'I believe there's still a place in the game for toughness,' Galante, 38, told The Post.
3 AJ Galante, 38, who was the teenager behind the mob-tied pro hockey team of Netflix game has returned to the sport.
Danbury Hat Tricks/X
'Intimidation never goes out of style, man, and you when you have that you have that X factor.'
In 2021, the story of how Galante's father, Jimmy, inserted his son as the general manager of the Danbury Trashers, named after the family's garbage-hauling business, became the stuff of Netflix gold.
The film recounts how Trashers players were treated like big league stars and were even given 'no-show jobs' and under-the-table money — until the FBI started digging through the garbage.
In June 2008, Galante Sr. admitted to charges of racketeering, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and defrauding the Internal Revenue Service.
He was also forced to forfeit interest in 25 different garbage-related businesses, estimated to be worth more than $100 million.
3 Galante is now the General Manager of the Danbury Hat Tricks, a professional hockey team based in Danbury, Connecticut.
Danbury Hat Tricks/X
Galante Sr. was released in 2014 after serving a seven-year sentence.
'It was a sad day when the Trashers folded, but the legacy still lives on, and I'm excited to build on that history with the Hat Tricks,' said the younger Galante, now a married father of two.
Following the release of the Netflix film, demand grew for Danbury Trashers jerseys, with even rappers like Drake and Fabolous spotted wearing the team's sweater, which features demonic eyes peeking out of a trash can.
3 Galante told The Post, 'I believe there's still a place in the game for toughness.'
Danbury Hat Tricks/X
Since then, Galante has run a Danbury boxing gym, helped develop a UFC-style hockey fight circuit called Ice Wars, and most recently served as the Hat Tricks' senior advisor to the previous general manager.
The Hat Tricks, who are members of the Federal Prospects Hockey League, open their season on Oct.10 at Danbury Arena.
'It's going to be the 20 years later movie sequel,' said Galante.
'I'm giving it my all.'
While Galante won't shy away from the on-ice toughness that made the Danbury Trashers famous, he says he wants to focus on winning.
'I know what the fans here are starving for, and we want to bring the toughness back,' Galante says.
'At the same time, if we're not winning, it means nothing.'