Monday, August 20, 2007

ENFIELD CORRUPTION PROBE EXPANDS

To Include Troiano Land Deals


A Cool Justice Report Exclusive
News & Commentary


FLIP THAT LAND
With A Little Help
From My Friends
In Town Government




Or


How To Rip Off
A Guy With
No Connections


Small Businessman
Sam Hubster Was Scammed
By Enfield Hucksters,
AKA Town Officials
And The Powers That Be



He Told His Story
To Corruption Investigator
For Chief State's Attorney


The Same Power Clique
Advancing Troiano Interests
Used The Power Of Government
To Club Montessori School Nuns And Students



By ANDY THIBAULT
And JIM BREWER
The Cool Justice Report
www.cooljustice.blogspot.com
Aug. 20, 2007

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story is available for reprint courtesy of The Cool Justice Report, http://cooljustice.blogspot.com


ENFIELD -- The numbers tell much of the story. The questions they raise -- when answered -- will tell the rest of the story.

Small businessman / outsider said he had a deal to get about $650,000 from CVS for land at a prime intersection in Enfield - the corner of Enfield and Elm streets.

Town said, No Way. Big problem with traffic and historic structure.

The small businessman / outsider sold to Connected Inside Man for significantly less -- in the neighborhood of $350,000.

Traffic and historic structure roadblocks disappeared. Connected Inside Man somehow flipped that land for development -- receiving considerations including a reported $1 million from Enfield Federal Savings. Documents also show the bank leases the land from an entity controlled by Connected Inside Man.

In any case, town officials cheered and development proceeded.

Funny how $650,000 shrunk to about $350,000 and then grew to $1 million -- unless you are doing business in Enfield. Then, as in other deals, it all depends on who is moving the pieces on the chessboard.

Whether it's issuing a cease and desist order for a 60-year-old parking lot that pre-dated regulations, building on lots where construction is not allowed, finessing a tax break for a connected bank, or placing a crematorium in a residential neighborhood with the help of a state "rat" bill -- designed to help only one particular connected individual or group -- local government in Enfield tends to benefit a certain few over the many.

To the extent that government actions might have been taken to benefit a chosen few in exchange for any favors or gifts, the chosen few have come under scrutiny by political corruption investigators from the Chief State's Attorney's office.

Indeed, the Public Integrity And Political Corruption unit of the Chief State's Attorney's office seems to be picking up steam, raiding the house of Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez in a corruption probe just last week. The unit began an investigation of Enfield Mayor Patrick Tallarita and others earlier this year.

East Windsor businessman Sam Hubster told The Cool Justice report in recent interviews about his pending deal with CVS that went down the drain due to forces beyond his control. Hubster said he met with a corruption investigator from the Chief State's Attorney's office, responding to detailed and probing questions.

"[The investigator] was very interested," Hubster said. "We spoke for about half an hour [during the initial interview]."

"One reason [the Enfield Planning and Zoning] turned [my] plan down was they said the traffic counts would be too high," Hubster recalled. "The other reason was they said some structure in the back of the house on the property could not be razed, as it was historical. They screwed me big time. They are a bogus commission.

"I was going to get $600,000 … $650,000 … I ended up getting [about] half," Hubster said. "Troiano knew that I had it because I know they were the ones that were fighting it. They called me and then made a down payment."

Troiano -- The Connected Inside Man -- is Big Anthony Troiano, a vehement foe of the Enfield Montessori School and a businessman with vast land holdings in town.

Big Anthony was able to get not only the Hubster parcel. He was able to remove the historic building and have two other residential lots razed. Big Anthony developed the new Enfield Federal Savings building and an adjacent medical office building. Traffic counts and historic structures were no longer at issue. A new CVS was built across the street from where Enfield Federal now stands.

"It's not right that somebody should be able to do that," Hubster said. "I called up several lawyers and no one would do anything. They heard it was Troiano."


In other recent developments, sources tell The Cool Justice Report:

* An Enfield Realtor told associates about being approached by Jeannette and Patrick Tallarita and Diane and David Frederick to help develop major tracts of land near the Enfield Montessori School. When questioned by The Cool Justice Report, the Realtor denied making those statements.

Much has been made of an easement restriction in the area that ostensibly would prevent development. However, nothing stopped construction of two houses on Yale Court even when the property was listed by town officials as "not a buildable lot … "

* Mayor Patrick Tallarita has been contacted by the Chief State's Attorney's Office and has told associates he is considering answering questions without legal counsel sometime after returning from a vacation.

* Various witnesses have been coming forward to report accounts of assaults allegedly committed by a town official. Although police were called regarding these incidents, apparently no action was ever taken against the official.

* Not all town officials having business with Enfield Federal Savings have recused themselves from acting on a tax break request. One town official allegedly has or had a personal loan with the bank.

* State law enforcement authorities are reviewing the Shaw's Supermarket Memorial Day incident in which Tallarita allegedly threatened a witness in the corruption investigation. Among the areas of inquiry: whether local police, acting "off the job," attempted to obtain store surveillance videos to protect Tallarita.

* Businessmen whose companies have appeared before town commissions have hosted an official or officials at various beach houses on the East Coast.


Big Anthony Troiano has also been known to dip into the public trough. At one point, Big Anthony and his partners owed the town about $40,000 in property taxes, but the town still paid them about $180,000 over two years to repair cop cars and other vehicles. They also flouted a state law requiring payment of at least 75 percent of disputed taxes at the same time the town paid them for services.

Troiano interests over the years have included a plaza housing a former CVS and a local office of the state Labor Department. The lease for the Labor Department office is overseen by Tallarita, the department's director of facilities operations.

"Everyone knew Troiano was blocking CVS moving into [my] property, because he owned the plaza they were leasing from him at the time," Hubster said. "Troiano built up the Enfield Revitalization Corp., which worked to block my development."

The Enfield Revitalization Corp. sent two letters to town officials opposing the Hubster development without specifying a reason.

Indeed, key forces lined up in an apparent effort to stop anything like the Hubster deal. Those same forces seemed to end their resistance once Hubster sold to Big Anthony Troiano and Troiano went forward with his development.

Before Troiano took control of the land, Assistant Town Planner Roger Alsbaugh -- liaison to the Historic District Commission -- corresponded with the state archaeologist and a New York consultant to help preserve Terry House. Also, Enfield Historic District Commission Chairman Richard Tatoian -- an attorney and now a director of Enfield Federal Savings -- pushed hard to preserve the centuries-old house at 1-3 Elm St., where Enfield Federal now stands.

The Terry House has been described as a pre-Revolutionary War relic and one of the oldest homes in town at its original site. The Terry family was said to be involved in the military during the Revolution. Tatoian, in a position paper for the Historic District Commission delivered to the Town Council, said, "the structure certainly stands on its own merits as a classically simple architectural representative of its time." He asked the council to help preserve the house.

The Hartford Courant editorial page raved about Tatoian's courageous stand, opining: "Credit the Enfield Historic District Commission with taking seriously its job as a watchdog for history."

Why wasn't the same position taken against the bank? After Hubster's proposal was rejected, only the applicant and the owner changed. What caused the silence?

Hubster's request for a zone change was denied in 1998. Around that time, an analysis said traffic would increase more at the site for a bank than a pharmacy.

In 2004, Troiano submitted plans to the town to build a new headquarters for Enfield Federal at the intersection of Enfield and Elm streets.

As Enfield Federal began building at the corner of Enfield and Elm streets, the Town Council voted in December 2005 to grant the bank a tax break based on the promise of about 40 new jobs.

Only about half those jobs materialized, yet, sources said, the bank continues to press to this day for the full tax break. One of the jobs went to the mayor's sister, state Rep. Kathy Tallarita.

Tax breaks generally go to the landowner. In this case, documents show Troiano began leasing the land to Enfield Federal in 2005. The Hartford Courant reported the bank paid $1 million for the land, but, at the same time, records show a 25-year lease between the bank and a Troiano entity.

In the small world / small town department, Tatoian not only owns bank stock and serves on the bank board, he is also an officer of Leete-Stevens funeral home, owned by fellow bank board member Richard Stevens. Stevens is a former board member of the Enfield Montessori School who, like Tatoian, is known to bow to the wishes of Troiano.

Tatoian and Stevens were both allies of the school -- until Enfield Montessori began the application process for an addition that would have included a community room and off-street parking away from the highway. Town officials who tried to shut down the school last year have voiced concerns about safety -- while doing nothing to help secure safe parking toward the back of the school.

Here's what Big Anthony had to say about the community room and off-street parking:

"The school refused to accept the [Historic District] commission's ruling. It's like a teacher telling a child no. Why does the school continue to return again and again when they have been told that the application is not appropriate for the Enfield Historic District … Once this paving is accepted, no one can stop the school from fulfilling their intent to asphalt their backyard total. This is their way of coming back through the back door to the large addition to the school built.

"The school made their own problems," Big Anthony Troiano continued. "If you wish the school to grow as it has in the past, the most sensible thing to do is find another location out of this Historic District to build a brand new beautiful school. Or do the most obvious thing. Use the empty buildings across the street owned by the Felician Sisters."


Before that, Tatoian and Stevens had a history of helping the Felician Sisters and the Enfield Montessori School. That help stopped after the school began the application process. Stevens resigned from the Montessori board.

While the town's efforts to shut down the Montessori School failed with a Superior Court ruling last year, taxpayers are still footing the bill for a case before the state Appellate Court. In the latter matter, the school seeks to overturn a ruling by the Historic District Commission regarding the proposed addition and paving. The Sisters said they do not want to increase enrollment, rather, they just want safe parking and a place for students to go during inclement weather.

Notably, some of the same people protecting or helping Troiano are among those who have been using local government to club the nuns and students of Enfield Montessori School. Tatoian and the new town manager, for example, are among those widely viewed as straw men for Troiano and the ruling clique.

"What better than for a local bank to be on the main street through Enfield, bank President David O'Connor told The Hartford Courant in September 2005. A few months later, the Tallarita-led Enfield Town Council granted the tax abatement.

The night the tax break was granted, the Town Council also voted to pay Town Attorney Christopher Bromson an additional $1,000 per week as acting town manager. The Town Council, led by Tallarita, had recently engineered the firing of long-time Town Manager Scott Shanley.

The current town manager, Matthew Coppler, was the subject of a foreclosure action in Batavia, NY. Strangely and / or coincidentally, Coppler's confidential mortgage information regarding a separate mortgage -- on his Enfield house -- was leaked last month as the town negotiated with Enfield Federal Savings over the tax break. Coppler said his local mortgage is with Enfield Federal.

State corruption investigators have received numerous tips and documents about public officials and others in recent months. Areas of inquiry in the criminal investigation include but are not limited to:

* Alleged sale of government services including votes for personal gain.

* Alleged manipulation or alteration of land records.

* Alleged steering of a lease to a crony.

* Work allegedly done by a state contractor at a private residence.

* Alleged acceptance of gratuities including vacation trips and merchandise.

* Alleged falsification of time records by town employees working less than full shifts.


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[CONTACT INFO: Chief State’s Attorney’s Office
Public Integrity and Political Corruption Bureau
300 Corporate Place
Rocky Hill, CT 06067
Phone: 860-258-5805
Fax: 860-258-5804]

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BACKGROUND LINKS:


  • JI Story Looks At Enfield Montessori


  • Vintage Troiano


  • Town Has Spent More Than $15,000 To Harass Montessori School


  • Sisters Pray For Relief From Council


  • JI: Nuns To Keep Parking Lot


  • Judge Smacks Enfield P& Z ... Ruling and Comments


  • JI Follow-Up Story


  • Who Loves Ya, Baby?


  • Enfield Republican Advises


  • "Wanted: A Fair Playing Field"


  • Doubts Raised On Stones


  • 1st Daily Stories


  • Enfield Malfeasance Saga


  • HBJ Blows Lid


  • Mayor Cocoa Puffs Goes Berserk


  • 17 comments:

    Anonymous said...

    Boy, I really weep for Mr. Hubster. I can't imagine having to sell a run down piece of land for $350,000. How does the poor wretch afford to live?

    Anonymous said...

    Let someone rip you off, with the same apparent political ties, you'd better hope someone would give you a kleenix. You just don't get the point.

    Anonymous said...

    > Before Troiano took control of the land, Assistant Town Planner Roger Alsbaugh -- liaison to the Historic District Commission -- corresponded with the state archaeologist and a New York consultant to help preserve Terry House. Also, Enfield Historic District Commission Chairman Richard Tatoian -- an attorney and now a director of Enfield Federal Savings -- pushed hard to preserve the centuries-old house at 1-3 Elm St., where Enfield Federal now stands.


    Again, how was it that the historical barn on the new Senior Center property was "protected", and the Terry House was simply demolished?

    Clearly these folks don't really care much about preserving "historical Enfield" or they would have figured out a way to save the Terry House before Enfield Federal was built.

    If anyone really believes that building a huge new bank and a CVS across from the Town Hall adds to the historical quality of Enfield, they need their heads examined.

    Anonymous said...

    > Among the areas of inquiry: whether local police, acting "off the job," attempted to obtain store surveillance videos to protect Tallarita.

    Acting off duty????
    Sorry, but Enfield's Chief of Police is a 24/7 job. He and his officers are expected to act accordingly. They don't get to be
    "off the job" to do personal favors for their buddies. I'm guessing that Shaw's wouldn't hand over surveillance tapes to me (or anyone else) if I should inquire.

    Anonymous said...

    ANDY O' ANDY, YOU ARE SO.....RIGHT ON. IT'S ALL ABOUT QUID PRO QUO FOR THE "ENFIELD INSIDERS".

    THE SAM HUBSTER'S STORY IS THE END GAME AT THE ENFIELD P & Z. JUST LOOK AT THE P & Z RECORD. INSIDER'S ARE BEING TAKEN CARE OF BY EITHER GETTING THEIR APPLICATIONS APPROVED OR HAVING OUTSIDERS DENIED.

    I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT YOU DIDN'T FOCUS MORE ON PHONY TONY!

    Anonymous said...

    HELLO, HELLO....WHAT DO YOU THINK THE PROPOSED MORATORIUM IS ABOUT?? IT'S A REPEAT OF THE "SAM HUBSTER STORY". TROIANO HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO SELL THEIR AGE RESTRICTED DEVELOPMENT WHICH WAS APPROVED 18 MONTHS AGO. SO THE COMPETITION MUST BE QUELLED TO GIVE TROIANO MORE TIME TO SELL AND GET HIS PRICE.

    DOES ANYONE REALLY THINK THAT PHONY TONY IS LOOKING AFTER THE BEST INTERESTS OF ENFIELD ON THIS ONE! YOU'RE RIGHT ABOUT QUID PRO QUO. (I THINK THAT TERM BECAME POPULAR DURING THE IRAN CONTRA INVESTIGATION...GOOD TERM...APPROPRIATE FOR THE ENFIELD INSIDERS!

    PHONY TONY PULLED THE MORATORIUM OUT OF HIS B... A FEW MONTHS AGO AND HAS BEEN TAKING HEAT FOR IT EVER SINCE. CAUSE DUE TO THIS COOL JUSTICE, HE KNOWS THAT THE "EYES" ARE ON HIM. SO AT THE LAST MEETING, HE PUT THE MATTER IN "HIBERNATE". GIVE HIM TIME TO WORK THE ROPES, GET THE ATTENTION ONTO OTHER MATTERS.

    WE'LL BE WAITING AND WATCHING FOR THE LONG AWAITED RETURN OF "BIG LOVE" THIS SEPTEMBER.

    Anonymous said...

    > If anyone really believes that building a huge new bank and a CVS across from the Town Hall adds to the historical quality of Enfield, they need their heads examined.

    Excuse me, but isn't there a nail salon directly across from the Enfield Town Hall. And a day care. And a skateboard shop. And a car dealer. Add to that this bank and CVS, and I don't see anything "historical" about the setting. Its nothin' more than
    a bunch of lil'retail mini-malls.

    Anonymous said...

    It's difficult to believe that Mr. Hubster could not find a lawyer to assist him in this matter. Did he check the phone book? Troiano may be a greedy, politically-connected jerk, but he surely lacks the ability to frighten lawyers away from collecting legal fees in what, apparently, is a slam dunk case against the PZC and Town of Enfield.

    And why do business with the man you suspect of screwing you out of your lucrative land deal? Why not tell Troiano to shove it and sell the land to somebody else?

    There's no doubt "Big Tony" knows how to throw his weight around. That bit about the unpaid taxes and town contract is interesting. I guess we'll find out whether he's broken the law in other ways. It's good to know the investigators seem "interested" and are asking "probing questions." They'd be lousy investigators, otherwise.

    Anonymous said...

    Good work, Andy.

    But there are a few other goodies that should have been thrown in the brew:

    "The night the tax break was granted, the Town Council also voted to pay Town Attorney Christopher Bromson an additional $1,000 per week as acting town manager." Subsequently, the Town hired a new Town Manager and at the same time, removed the responsiblity of Town Safety Officer from the Town Manager's job description and gave to, you got it, Christopher Bromson for $$$$.

    And the good olde Leete-Stevens Family Funeral Home and Crematory deal, CREMATORY that is. Let's not forget about the citizen outcry over the crematory!! Where was Phony Tony on that deal??

    Anonymous said...

    The Leete-Stevens issue was caused by a few people who just didn't like the idea that a crematory was operating near their home. The evidence is overwhelming that crematories do not harm the environment. I have stood inside a functioning crematory. There was no smell and very little sound. The oven emitted no visible smoke. A second burner functioned to burn off excess fumes.

    The PZC held an extensive public hearing in which both sides were given ample time to state their cases. The PZC voted 5-2 to approve the special use permit. It was a bipartisan vote. Reasonable people can disagree about the wisdom of that decision. It's hard to argue that the proceeding wasn't fair and democratic. Also, only two or three residents cared enough to show up for the final vote. So the "outcry" certainly had faded by then. In all truth, that crematory doesn't hurt anybody.

    Anonymous said...

    I have been reading for months about all of these characters, Big Tony, Roger the Stooge, Phony Tony, etc.

    I believe that all people are innocent until proven otherwise. But there is a lot going on here.

    I think the answer is simple. The State should stop screwing around, should call a grand jury and get these characters to come in and testify under oath. In particular, the P & Z members seem to be at the core of all of the "alleged corruption". Let's get them in before a grand jury and see what's really going on. How about even the Town Attorney.

    The State should put an end to all of this one way or another. It has and continues to totally erode the confidence of us, the Town Citizens in our Town Government and Officials. And if it is real, it needs to be CLEANED UP.

    If it is proven real or not, it can serve at the beginning of restoring confidence in our Town Government and Officials.

    Anonymous said...

    > The State should put an end to all of this one way or another. It has and continues to totally erode the confidence of us, the Town Citizens in our Town Government and Officials. And if it is real, it needs to be CLEANED UP.

    Hope the State does a better job "cleaning up", than Enfield officials have done to the contaminated athletic field @ one of their high schools.

    Turned on Brad Davis' WTIC radio show, and lo and behold, caller was telling him about how the Town of Enfield has now purchased new contaminated soil, to put down.
    Hard to believe this field "thing" could be more screwed up, but alas, anything is possible in Enfield when it comes to wasting taxpayers'
    money and time.

    Anonymous said...

    YOU GO MATT!!!


    Businessman Sues Over Ordinance Enforcement
    By LARRY SMITH | Courant Staff Writer
    August 23, 2007

    ENFIELD - The owner of an automobile repair and used car company has filed a federal lawsuit against the town and the police department, asserting that their enforcement of the town's blight ordinance has been violating his constitutional rights.

    The suit by Matthew Porcello, owner of Porcello's Inc., was filed in U.S. District Court in Hartford on Aug. 15. Porcello is seeking a declaratory judgment that the town and its agents have violated his rights and a permanent injunction against citing him. It also seeks compensatory and punitive damages, as well as attorneys' fees.

    Police Chief Carl Sferrazza declined to comment Wednesday. Town Attorney and Public Safety Director Christopher Bromson could not be reached for comment.



    According to the lawsuit, the business's operations are at 710, 718, 704 and 699 Enfield St., and the company is licensed by the state to purchase, sell, repair and tow motor vehicles.

    During the 1990s, Porcello's was subject to a number of enforcement actions by the town, which sought to prevent the business from storing vehicles on its property, the suit alleges.

    Once Porcello hired an attorney to challenge the actions and demonstrate the company's compliance with local law, the town rescinded its enforcement actions, the suit says.

    In 2005 and 2006, police officers began ticketing and threatening to tow vehicles stored on the Porcello property, saying storage of the vehicles violated the town's blight ordinance, the suit said.

    The business was forced to remove the vehicles and sell them for salvage value, resulting in financial losses, the suit said. In 2006, Matthew Porcello refused to remove vehicles, which he believed were lawfully stored on his property, and was arrested under the town's blight ordinance. Those charges were dismissed by the court in January 2007, the suit said.

    Porcello' suit alleges that the town arrested him without probable cause and violated his Fourth and 14th Amendment rights.

    The suit further asserts that the town had not enforced the ordinance against other similar businesses in Enfield.

    Contact Larry Smith at lsmith@courant.com.

    Anonymous said...

    There are so many dirt experts writing to the blog. I didn't know it was such a popular field of study. Contaminated dirt was discovered and the town reacted quickly. It cost taxpers money but what could anyone do. It couldn't be ignored. It had to be cleaned up. When the project is done, our children will be safe and the dust that blows past my yard will be just dust again.

    Anonymous said...

    Porcello's is an eye sore and has been for many years. What other town has a junkyard in the middle of it. I am glad someone will finally start to clean it up.

    Anonymous said...

    The real "eye sore" in the Town of Enfield are the so-called insiders. Hopefully, the state.."will finally start to clean it up."

    Anonymous said...

    Porcello's is a dump and an embarassment to the town. He's gotten away with this unofficial junkyard for way too long.