The Dostoevsky allusion in the title of latest Untold episode we cover ("Crimes & Penalties") is apt in more ways than one. Like the hard-hitting Russian novel, this episode about a small-town mafia-run hockey team comprised entirely of goons blurs the lines of orthodox morality.
The premise is simple: Jimmy Galante (kingpin of Connecticut's trash empire and the purported real-life inspiration for Tony Soprano) buys his son, AJ, his very own minor league (UHL) hockey team. AJ is a bonafide WWE/The Mighty Ducks fanatic & a former ice hockey enforcer (who's burgeoning career prematurely ended due to a debilitating injury). Equally intimidated and thrilled, AJ does what any 17-year old would do with an expansion team: he molds it after his obsessions, assembling an eclectic ensemble of outcasts, goons, rejects, and ‘heels’.
Known as the Danbury Trashers, AJ's bizarre vision quickly becomes the bane of the UHL and the talk of the town (ultimately, the country, too, after being featured in multiple segments on Sportscenter). Embracing their ethos as a bunch of troublemakers, rabble-rousers, and misfits, the Trashers run amok: turning the ice rink into a three-ring circus of broken bones, dirty equipment pranks, toothless smiles, and the infamously rowdy goading of Section 102. Meanwhile, the owner, Jimmy, keeps the players happy with under the table duffel bags of money, meals at 4 star restaurants, and lakeside estates.
By the time the FBI enters the story, we’ve already witnessed extortion, bribery, and death threats all for the sake of beer league hockey. Yet, as wildly irreverent, crude, and notoriously rowdy as the Trashers became, you can’t help but to cheer them on — which is a testament to their unapologetic personalities and lovable underdog ethos. As underdog advocates, we found ourselves won over as well! So, without further adieu, enjoy this fast-paced & inspired free-for-all of an episode where we take turns oohing and aahing about this wildly entertaining and downright insane story!
