Reputed gangster Ralph Santaniello back in court over road rage incident

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PALMER — Reputed organized crime leader Ralph A. Santaniello was arraigned on an assault and battery charge Friday, accused of blasting another motorist with pepper spray during a road rage incident in East Longmeadow.
According to the alleged victim, Bryan Punderson, the driver of a Nissan on North Main Street tried to muscle his way into a lane on June 26 without using a blinker.
The vehicle then merged behind Punderson's car. Soon after, a confrontation began, police said.
'Mr. Punderson stated he braked and, in an attempt to distance himself from the vehicle, he pulled into the Auth Fuel parking lot and pulled toward the exit to merge back into traffic,' a police report says.
Punderson, an insurance agent, told police he angled his car to leave the fuel company's parking lot. That's when he said two men approached his car. Punderson began recording the events with his cell phone.
The men came to his car window, which was open, and one, allegedly Santaniello, grabbed a black can.
The police report says the officer who examined Punderson's video observed a black can, about the size of a 16-ounce water bottle, in a black carrying case.
Santaniello, identified as 'Suspect 2,' stated: 'You think you're a (expletive) tough guy? You're a (expletive) rat. (expletive) you.'
Santaniello then hit Punderson in the face with an orange mist from the spray can, according to the report.
Santaniello, 58, of Longmeadow, is also charged with malicious destruction of a motor vehicle and disorderly conduct.
With a cast on his hand Friday, Santaniello pleaded not guilty to all charges in Palmer District Court. Despite his violent history and ties to the mob, Assistant Hampden District Attorney Andrew Gilbert did not make an argument for detention or bail.
Judge Michael Mulcahy released Santaniello on his own recognizance without restrictions.
Santaniello is a 'made man' with the Springfield crew of the Genovese organized crime family, according to law enforcement officials, though the local group is a shell of what it once was.
The East Longmeadow police report lists eight assault-related charges involving Santaniello dating back to the late 1980s.
Santaniello was convicted in federal court of extortion, for which he received a five-year prison sentence. He was released in 2020.
The primary scheme he was linked to at the time was the shakedown of a Springfield towing company operator. Santaniello and cohorts ambushed the businessman at his property in Hampden, court testimony showed. Santaniello slapped the man, demanded thousands of dollars in 'street taxes' and threatened to bury the man in his own backyard.
Before that, Santaniello was convicted of being involved in an illegal gambling operation he ran out of his mother's home.
Regarding the road rage allegations, defense lawyer Daniel D. Kelly said the police report told only one side of the story.
'We look forward to telling our side of the story and addressing the allegations in court,' Kelly said.
A pretrial conference is set for Sept. 26.
Read the original article on MassLive.