An Embarrassing Situation For The Canadiens
by Robert L on Feb 20, 2009 1:25 AM EST
9 comments
Translated from RDS.com.
The Quebec french daily La Presse has published an embarrassing document today regarding Montreal Canadiens brothers Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn's involvement with organized crime members arrested in a police investigation termed "Operation Axe".
The presumed criminal, Pasquale Mangiola, 38, has been arrested for drug trafficking and it is alleged that he served as an intermediate for several criminal factions.
During the investigation that led up to "Operation Axe" the police taped several telephone conversations with Mangiola's knowledge. Several of them involved the Kostitsyn brothers.
According to La Presse, Mangiola is a good friend of the Kostitsyn brothers.
The 38 year old was at the service of the two Canadiens players, performing favors for them that involved nights on the town, women, and luxury cars.
Canadiens defenseman Roman Hamrlik also has ties with Mangiola. Hamrlik has been seen in bars in the company of Mangiola and the brothers.
La Presse questioned Andrei Kostitsyn after the game against the Penguins on Thursday. The elder of the brothers confirmed that he knew Mangiola, but that he didn't know anything about him.
Don Meehan, the player agent for both Kostitsyns, made it clear that does not know the individual in question.
Additionally, Meehan and the Canadiens organization, sought to clarify that the demotion of Sergei to the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs earlier in the week, was strictly done for reasons involving hockey.
The sports radio station CKAC's Corus Sports page has more details on the emerging story. Here's a translation of this one.
According to La Presse, Roman Hamrlik, as well as the Kostitsyn brothers, Andrei and Sergei, have been limked to Pasquale Mangiola, a member of an organized crime ring.
Mangiola had been implicated in arrests undertaken by the SPVM (Service de la Police de la Ville de Montreal) on February 12, in an undercover operation now known as "Operation Axe".
Six charges have been laid on Mangiola, including possession and trafficing of cocaine as well carrying a prohibited firearm. He is said to have been involved with three gangs targeted by the police sting.
The Kostitsyn brothers are said to have communicated with the suspect several times per week, and the conversations were recorded by police during the operation. The two brothers have been seen in the company of the accused in a St. Laurent boulevard bar. The police have also indicated that Hamrlik has been spotted amongst Mangiola's entourage, but say he is not as close to him as the brothers.
According to the paper, there are no charges pending against the Canadiens players, but that they will be subjected to an interrogation.
Mangiola took the brothers under his wing upon their arrival in Montreal, helping them find homes and vehicles. An avid hockey fan, Mangiola provided for all their needs: purchases, luxury cars, alcohol and even women, much to the host's pleasure.
The investigation also reveals that Mangiola had access to the player's credit cards and that financial documents containing the logo of the Canadiens Hockey Club were found during a search of his premeses.
It is however impossible to know what role the Kostitsyn brothers had in the suspects entourage, other than being associated with bad company.
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Guilty Of ???
Robert if the above is the sum total of the facts that will eventually be exposed they are guilty of being very very stupid. although this association with the individual in question is significant in and of itself the ominous and vague position taken by the analysts of l’antichambre last night was over the top and unnecessary but in the media frenzy that is Montreal it will be seen as if they were runners for the guy.
by pfhabs on Feb 20, 2009 7:03 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Guilty Of???
and now we shall see just how fickle we are. this story is almost a non-story. “Another pair of young athletes confirm that they are capable of making bad choices.” Ho-hum. Carbonneau has been making them daily, and some of his choices are what I would really call criminal. Great choice sending out the 4th line with 1 minute left in a game that we had staged comebacks in 3 times. Oh, and you should keep changing the lineups Carbo, that always helps. Maybe you should try Halak at Centre between Laracque and Schneider. Think of those three tearing down the ice!
Still, we do love a drama here so I am sure there will be plenty of fans that boo them every time they touch the puck, so we will trade them and then watch as the brothers lift the cup together in Phoenix in two years.
And the Antichambre analysts should be ashamed for starting this drama – the way they made it sound, someone on the team had been involved in something that would be considered illegal anywhere, not just in Hab-town.
(I imagine Gainey will now be saying, very quietly) – Welcome back, Kovalev. Please, stay. I am on my knees here!!!
by cdnred17 on Feb 20, 2009 9:28 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I think L’Antichambre crew are guilty of being duped as well. There surely weren’t told the whole story.
by Robert L on Feb 20, 2009 9:39 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
maybe…but Demers was almost in tears, so they knew a lot more than they led on. Anyone heard anything about a press conference? I heard one may be called this morning to address…
by cdnred17 on Feb 20, 2009 9:48 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
On CKAC around 9:30 this morning, Martin Maguire said there was none scheduled as of yet. The team is practicing in Brossard at 4 p.m. I’m tempted to go, lol!
by Robert L on Feb 20, 2009 9:56 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Press Conference
Canadiens will apparently address the La Presse after today’s practice at 2:00 pm…..
as for rejean tremblay as I have said on a number of occassions the francophone press in Montreal has a large number of “social engineers” masquarading as journalists and their agenda has nothing to do with a better hocket team…tremblay is their leader, pierre trudel, michel bergeron, and many participants on 110% formulate the rest of the gang
my hope is that Bovin and Gainey do not react as did Corey who was the ultimate apple polisher and was the architect of trading Chelios and Roy
by pfhabs on Feb 20, 2009 1:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
All this BS packs the collective wallop of a wet klennex!
by Robert L on Feb 20, 2009 9:28 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
So … A ganster was their pimp and gofer?
No dead bodies? Dog-fighting rings? Nightclub shootings? That’s it, and that was enough to get the media in a lather?
NCAA violations are more serious than this. A couple guys associated with someone they shouldn’t have. Big deal. It isn’t as though they were compatriots of Bernie Madoff, or anything.
I admit, I always rolled my eyes when people would talk about how intense the scrutiny was in Montreal, but it is just as crazy as Habs fans say. No wonder such a hockey market tends to make free agents nervous.
"A vacuum is a hell of a lot better than some of the stuff that nature replaces it with." -- Tennessee Williams
by Baroque on Feb 20, 2009 11:04 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
The market doesn’t make anyone nervous who has a clean nose and big balls.
As far as this dude saying he gets chicks for the Kostitsyn’s, I think he’s flattering himself. The girls fall at the player’s feet in Montreal.
by Robert L on Feb 20, 2009 11:09 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
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