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77-810: The Danbury Arena was the home of the Danbury Trashers of the United Hockey League from 2004 to 2006, and the New England Stars of the North Eastern Hockey League in 2006–07. In 2008, the Danbury Mad Hatters of the Eastern Professional Hockey League signed a lease with the arena and played one season before the league folded. On December 27, 2009, the newly formed Federal Hockey League (FHL) announced that

154-469: A Southbury residence, six racing cars, a trailer used to haul them, and $ 448,153.10 in cash seized from his business office and home. Amid the controversy, the Trashers disbanded. Adirondack failed to secure an arena lease and disbanded with their closest geographical competitor gone. Danbury folded over financial concerns, including travel costs. The players from both Danbury and Adirondack were placed into

231-486: A United Hockey League (UHL) professional ice hockey team located in Danbury, Connecticut , first established in 2004 as an expansion team . The team was named for its owner's business in waste management; James Galante purchased the franchising rights for $ 500,000 and named his 17-year-old son, A. J., president and general manager . As part of the franchising agreement, Galante invested an additional $ 1.5 million to upgrade

308-625: A dispersal draft and selected by the remaining teams in the UHL. Afterwards, the Danbury market was served by a string of short-lived teams; as of 2023 only the Danbury Hat Tricks ( Federal Prospects Hockey League ) play at Danbury Ice Arena. The story of James Galante and the Danbury Trashers was covered in the 2021 Netflix documentary Untold: Crimes & Penalties . It will be the subject of

385-546: A humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfa ), with four distinct seasons, resembling Hartford more than coastal Connecticut or New York City. Summers are hot and humid, while winters are cold with significant snowfall. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 28.0 °F (−2.2 °C) in January to 74.5 °F (23.6 °C) in July; on average, temperatures reaching 90 or 0 °F (32 or −18 °C) occur on 18 and 3.1 days of

462-530: A linesman , and charged the Wings bench, before the officials were able to subdue him. His actions led to a 20-game suspension by the league, while the Kalamazoo player received five games. Upset with the officiating, James Galante went down to ice level to voice his opinion. Galante entered the ice via the penalty box where he got into a shouting match with a linesman and allegedly punched him. For his actions Galante

539-474: A UHL record for penalty minutes (PIMs) during the 2002–03 season with 576. He also brought in skill players such as Jim Duhart, who led the UHL in scoring the previous season, former National Hockey League (NHL) player Brent Gretzky , and Michael Rupp , who played for the team during the 2004–05 NHL lockout . For the goaltender Galante acquired Scott Stirling, who was the Most Valuable Player of

616-484: A ban on mercury in hatmaking in 1941. While Danbury hat factories stopped using mercury in the 1940s, the mercury waste has remained in the Still River and adjacent soils, and has been detected at high levels in the 21st century. By the 1920s, the hat industry was in decline. By 1923, only six manufacturers were left in Danbury, which increased the pressure on workers. After World War II, returning GIs went hatless,

693-619: A feature film, titled The Trashers , from director Cooper Raiff , with David Harbour and Cooper Hoffman set to star as James and AJ Galante. The story of the Trashers was also the subject of the Novel podcast series The Fighty Pucks . Danbury, Connecticut Danbury ( / ˈ d æ n b ɛər i / DAN -bair-ee ) is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut , United States, located approximately 50 miles (80 km) northeast of New York City . Danbury's population as of 2020

770-493: A game against the Kalamazoo Wings on December 1, Wingfield attempted to instigate a fight after an altercation with a Wings player. The player refused to fight, but as Wingfield skated away the player grabbed Wingfield's jersey and pulled him back over an outstretched leg. Wingfield's skate caught on the ice as he fell backwards breaking his ankle. The play incited a brawl, in which Ndur fought with two players, attempted to kick

847-536: A lack of evidence. After the brawl, the Trashers went 8–2–0 in their next 10 games. A second brawl occurred months later in a game versus the Adirondack Frostbite . At the end of the brawl, the Trashers' Chad Wagner was being removed from the ice by the linesmen when he broke away, and attacked the Adirondack bench, grabbing their head coach, Marc Potvin . Compounding the issue, two other Trashers players left

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924-615: A reference to the destruction caused by the Loyalist army troops. The American General David Wooster was mortally wounded at the Battle of Ridgefield by the British forces which had raided Danbury, but at the beginning of the battle, the Americans succeeded in driving the British forces down to Long Island Sound. Wooster is buried in Danbury's Wooster Cemetery; the private Wooster School in Danbury also

1001-559: A regulation loss going 11–0–3. Danbury finished the season strong with a seven-game win streak in March and finished the year on a six-game win streak. The winning steaks helped Danbury win the Eastern Division finishing with 107 points, nine ahead of Adirondack. In the first round the Trashers faced off against Gillis's former team, the Mallards. Although the Trashers began the playoffs as

1078-480: A rematch with Muskegon. The Trashers took a 3–2 series lead into Game 6, which went to triple-overtime before Danbury finally eliminated the defending champions. In the finals, the Trashers faced the Kalamazoo Wings , who had not lost a game in the playoffs. Danbury lost Game 1 of the series, but rebounded to defeat the Wings in Game 2. It proved to be the only game that the Wings lost in the postseason that year, as they won

1155-618: A simple majority vote. If after five days the Mayor does not approve the ordinance (similar to a veto), the City Council may re-vote on it. If it then passes with a two-thirds majority, it becomes effective without the Mayor's approval. The current City Council consists of 14 Republicans and 7 Democrats. Danbury has six state representatives as of 2021; Raghib Allie-Brennan D-2, Stephen Harding R-107, Patrick Callahan R-108, David Arconti D-109, Bob Godfrey D-110 and Kenneth Gucker D-138. There

1232-517: A trend that accelerated through the 1950s, dooming the city's hat industry. The city's last major hat factory, owned by Stetson , closed in 1964. The last hat was made in Danbury in 1987 when a small factory owned by Stetson closed. According to the United States Census Bureau , Danbury has a total area of 44.3 square miles (115 km ), of which 42.1 square miles (109 km ) is land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km ), or 4.94%,

1309-799: Is grades 9 through 12. An alternative school by the name of Alternative Center for Excellence is housed off-campus, and its graduates receive Danbury High School diplomas upon completion of their studies. Danbury also has 3 public middle schools for grades 6 through 8: Broadview Middle School, Rogers Park Middle School and Westside Middle School Academy . There are 13 elementary schools in Danbury. These schools are Academy for International Studies Magnet School (K–5), Ellsworth Avenue (K–5), Great Plain (K–5), Hayestown (K–5), King Street Primary (K–3) and King Street Intermediate (4–5), Mill Ridge Primary (K–3), Morris Street (K–5), Park Avenue (K–5), Pembroke (K–5), Shelter Rock (K–5), South Street (K–5) and Stadley Rough (K–5). Roman Catholic schools in Danbury reside within

1386-588: Is one state senator, Julie Kushner D-24. Danbury is represented in the United States Congress by U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes (D). Danbury's Fiscal Year 2020–2021 mill rate is 27.60. Danbury Public Schools operates most public schools, with Danbury High School belonging to the district. The other public high school, Henry Abbott Technical High School , is within the Connecticut Technical High School System . Each high school

1463-580: Is water. The city is located in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains on low-lying land just south of Candlewood Lake (the City includes the southern parts of the lake). It developed along the Still River , which flows generally from west to east through the city before joining the Housatonic River . The city's terrain includes rolling hills and not-very-tall mountains to the west and northwest called

1540-697: The 06810 code was given to all of Danbury; it was shared with a then-still-rural New Fairfield to its north. In 1984, the 06810 Zip Code was cut back to areas of Danbury south of Interstate 84. A new 06811 ZIP code was created for areas north of Interstate 84. New Fairfield received its own code, 06812 . In 2016 Danbury's workforce was approximately 79,400 workers. 12,200 (15.4%) of them worked in goods producing industries. 67,200 (84.6%) of them worked in service providing industries which includes: trade, transportation and utilities (17,300), professional and business services (9,400), leisure and hospitality (7,300), government (10,200) and all other (23,000). In Nov. 2016,

1617-639: The Connecticut Whale of the Premier Hockey Federation , the Danbury Colonials of the junior North American 3 Hockey League , and another FHL (since rebranded as Federal Prospects Hockey League ) team in the Danbury Hat Tricks . This article about a sports venue in Connecticut is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Danbury Trashers The Danbury Trashers were

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1694-550: The Danbury Ice Arena , a 750-seat ice rink, used for the local hockey leagues. As part of the franchising agreement the arena needed the maximum capacity expanded. Galante invested an additional $ 1.5 million to renovate the arena, turning it into a 3,000 seat facility. Galante envisioned a physical team with a "bad-boy image" and to become the "Evil Empire of the UHL". To that end he brought in tough guys, Garrett Burnett , Rumun Ndur , and Brad Wingfield , who previously set

1771-438: The Danbury and Norwalk Railroad . Work moved quickly on the 23 mi (37 km) railroad line. In 1852, the first railroad line in Danbury opened, with two trains making the 75-minute trip to Norwalk . The central part of Danbury was incorporated as a borough in 1822. The borough was reincorporated as the city of Danbury on April 19, 1889. The city and town were consolidated on January 1, 1965. The first dam to be built on

1848-449: The ECHL the previous season. As for the coaches, Todd Stirling, son of former New York Islanders head coach Steve Stirling and brother of Scott, was named head coach. A.J.'s former high school head coach, Bob Stearns, was hired as an assistant coach. After the team had been assembled The Hockey News picked the Trashers to finish second in the league. The Trashers first season began with

1925-525: The Oglala Sioux nation, who re-enacted events from frontier history. Oglala Sioux Albert Afraid of Hawk died on June 29, 1900, at age 21 in Danbury during the tour. He was buried at Wooster Cemetery . In 2012, employee Robert Young discovered Afraid of Hawk's remains. The city consulted with Oglala Sioux leaders of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and arranged repatriation of the remains to

2002-771: The Quad City Mallards the previous season. Stirling remained with the team in a scouting and consulting role. They also brought in a new goaltender, Sylvain Daigle, who had won three Colonial Cups with the Fury. Daigle was taken by the Port Huron Flags in an expansion draft and traded to Danbury for their top goal scorer Mike Bayrack . They also reached an agreement to have all of their games broadcast on local ESPN Radio affiliated stations and to have select games broadcast on tape delay locally on Comcast Cable . The Trashers began

2079-457: The "Danbury 11", were arrested in Danbury. A sting operation had been set up where day laborers were lured into a van whose driver, a disguised Danbury police officer posing as a contractor, promised them work. The laborers were driven to a parking lot where, if it was determined they were in the US illegally, were arrested by agents of ICE and the Danbury police. Yale University law students represented

2156-421: The "Danbury shakes", was characterized by slurred speech, tremors, stumbling, and, in extreme cases, hallucinations. The effect of mercury on the workers' health was first noted in the late 19th century. While workers in the Danbury factories lobbied for controls on mercury in the early 20th century, a government study on the health effects of mercury was not conducted until 1937. The State of Connecticut announced

2233-504: The 1908 Danbury Hatters' Case the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the union was liable for damages. In the 1930s and 1940s, there were a number of violent incidents during several strikes, mostly involving scab workers brought in as strikebreakers. Beginning in 1892, the industry was revolutionized when the large hat factories began to shift to manufacturing unfinished hat bodies only, and supplying them to smaller hat shops for finishing. While Danbury produced 24% of America's hats in 1904,

2310-488: The City did not admit any wrongdoing and there were no changes in the city's policies or procedures. In 1780, what is traditionally considered to be the first hat shop in Danbury was established by Zadoc Benedict . ( Hatmaking had existed in Danbury before the Revolution.) The Benedict shop had three employees, and they made 18 hats weekly. By 1800, Danbury was producing 20,000 hats annually, more than any other city in

2387-740: The Danbury Arena would be home to the Danbury Whalers . On April 3, 2015, the Danbury Ice Arena did not want to renew their contract with the Danbury Whalers and gave them a notice to evict by April 17, leaving the last remaining team from the inaugural FHL season homeless. After initially announcing the Stateline Whalers to begin playing in nearby Brewster, New York , the Whalers organization

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2464-798: The Frostbite, winning the series in six games. In the second round, Danbury faced the Muskegon Fury , who led the Central Division with 111 points. The Trashers were eliminated in five games by Muskegon, who went on to win the league championship, the Colonial Cup . At season's end the Trashers were announced the winners of the UHL's Merchandiser of the Year Award. In the off-season the Trashers changed head coaches, bringing in Paul Gillis , who had coached

2541-471: The Paquioque in 1685, along with his brother James Benedict, James Beebe, and Judah Gregory. This area was also called Paquiack ("open plain" or "cleared land") by the Paquioque. In recognition of the wetlands, the settlers chose the name Swampfield for their town. In October 1687, the general court decreed the name Danbury. The general court appointed a committee to lay out the new town's boundaries. A survey

2618-459: The Still River throughout the late 19th century and into the 1940s. This toxic product flowed into the Housatonic River and Long Island Sound , affecting water quality and various fish and other organisms. Field studies conducted in the Still River basin in the 21st century have detected the continuing presence of high levels of mercury in the river sediments and nearby soils. Danbury has

2695-693: The U.S. Due to the fur felt hat coming back into style for men and increasing mechanization in the 1850s, by 1859 hat production in Danbury had risen to 1.5 million annually. By 1887, thirty factories were producing 5 million hats per year. Around this time, fur processing was separated from hat manufacturing when the P. Robinson Fur Cutting Company (1884) on Oil Mill Road and the White Brothers' factory began operation. By 1880, workers had unionized, beginning decades of labor unrest. They struggled to achieve conditions that were more fair, going on strike; with management reacting with lockouts. Because of

2772-450: The UHLs $ 275,000 annual salary cap by giving players or their wives no-show positions within one of the disposal companies or giving them housing allowance checks for sums which had already been paid. Estimates were that the Trashers had exceeded the salary cap by $ 475,000 making the total payroll closer to $ 750,000. For his part in aiding with violating the salary cap, former head coach Stirling

2849-476: The Western Highland. Ground elevations in the city range from 378 feet to 1,050 feet above sea level. A geologic fault known as Cameron's Line runs through Danbury. Bethel Brookfield New Fairfield New Milford Newtown Ridgefield The hatmaking fur-removal process was based on the use of mercury nitrate . The waste caused serious water pollution as the hat manufacturers dumped it into

2926-495: The approach of British regulars, helping them muster in defense; these accounts, originating from the Ludington family , are questioned by modern scholars. During the following day on April 26, 1777, the British, under Major General William Tryon , burned and sacked Danbury, but fatalities were limited due to Ludington's warning. The central motto on the seal of the City of Danbury is Restituimus , ( Latin for "We have restored"),

3003-509: The city supplied the industry with 75% of its hat bodies. The turn of the century was the heyday of the hatting industry in Danbury, when it became known as the "Hat City" and the "Hatting Capitol of the World". Its motto was "Danbury Crowns Them All". The use of mercuric nitrate in the felting process poisoned many workers in the hat factories, creating a condition called erethism , also called "mad hatter disease." The condition, known locally as

3080-434: The downtown. At the same time, roads were relocated and rebuilt, 123 major buildings were razed and 104 families were relocated. This began various efforts by the City through 1975 towards urban renewal, using another $ 22 million of federal funding. However, these efforts failed to reinvigorate the central business district. On February 13, 1970, brothers James and John Pardue detonated time bombs (injuring 26 people) at

3157-485: The eventual Colonial Cup champions. In their second year, the Trashers won the Eastern Division and reached the finals, but lost the championship to the Kalamazoo Wings , handing them their only loss of the playoffs. At the end of the team's second season, Galante was arrested on 72 criminal charges, including conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). He pleaded guilty,

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3234-434: The first 10 minutes of the game. The Trashers would go on to win the game 4–2. The Trashers struggled towards the end of the season having both a four and three game losing streak and posting a 2–6–2 record. Danbury finished the regular season with 95 points, second place in the Eastern Division, nine points behind Adirondack. They also set a UHL record PIMs at 2,776. In the first round of the playoffs, they faced off against

3311-471: The league. Galante had considered investing in the New Haven Knights prior to the franchise folding. He purchased the franchising rights after seeing the enthusiasm for hockey in Danbury at his son A.J.'s high school games. He also wanted to give A.J. experience in how to manage a professional sports franchise, naming him president and General Manager . A.J. was a 17-year-old high school student at

3388-409: The men pro bono and filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city on their behalf. On March 8, 2011, it was confirmed a settlement had been reached in the case whereby Danbury agreed to pay the laborers $ 400,000 (Danbury's insurance carrier paid the settlement plus legal fees of close to $ 1,000,000, less a $ 100,000 deductible). The federal government agreed to pay them $ 250,000. As part of the settlement,

3465-402: The nation's first prisons to desegregate its inmates. On August 18–19, 1955, the Still River, which normally meandered slowly through downtown Danbury, overflowed its banks when Hurricane Diane hit the area, dropping six inches of rain on the city. This was in addition to the nine inches that fell from Hurricane Connie five days earlier. The water flooded stores, factories and homes along

3542-577: The nation. This meeting occurred in the Health Sciences Library of Danbury Hospital with assistance of the Chaplain. Wrapped in a bison skin, the remains were transported to Manderson , South Dakota, to Saint Mark's Episcopal Cemetery, for reburial by tribal descendants. In 1928 local plane pilots bought a 60-acre (24 ha) tract near the Fairgrounds, known as Tucker's Field, and leased it to

3619-427: The next three games to capture the championship. During the finals, Daigle set a UHL record for most saves in a single playoff year with 511. In June 2006, James Galante was charged with 72 various charges including racketeering . One of the charges that pertained directly to the Trashers was wire fraud , which resulted from the interstate faxing of fraudulent salary cap documents. The Trashers had circumvented

3696-442: The penalty box and skated towards the bench. A third player sucker punched an opponent, breaking his nose. For his part in the brawl, Wagner was banned from the UHL while the two players, who left the penalty box, received 5 and 10 game suspensions, respectively, and the third player was suspended for the remainder of the season and playoffs. Head coach Stirling was also suspended three games for not being able to control his players. It

3773-473: The police station, Union Savings Bank and in their getaway car to cover their escape from robbing the bank at gunpoint, the culmination of a two-year crime spree that included four bank robberies and five murders. The flawed primary mirror of the Hubble Space Telescope was ground and polished in Danbury by Perkin-Elmer's Danbury Optical System unit from 1979 to 1981. It was mistakenly ground to

3850-402: The population of Danbury as of 2015 is 84,657. As of the 2010 census, there were 80,893 people and 29,046 households in the city, with 2.73 persons per household. 44.1% of the population spoke a language other than English at home. The population density was 1,921.4 people per square mile. There were 31,154 housing units at an average density of 740.0 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city

3927-435: The population was under the age of 5, and 21.1% was under the age of 18. 11.1% of the population was 65 years of age or older. 50.9% of the population was female. The per capita income for the city was $ 31,411. 11.1% of the population was below the poverty line. The median gross monthly rent was $ 1,269. In 2015 the median income for a household in the city was approximately $ 66,676. When ZIP codes were introduced in 1963,

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4004-478: The river from North Street to Beaver Brook, causing $ 3 million in damages. Stores downtown on White Street between Main and Maple were especially hard hit. On October 13–16, another 12 inches of rain fell on Danbury, causing the worst flooding in the city's history. This time, the river damaged all bridges across it, effectively cutting the city in half for several days. Flooding was more widespread than in August, and

4081-463: The river, to collect water for the hat industry, impounded the Kohanza Reservoir . This dam broke on January 31, 1869, under pressure of ice and water. The ensuing flood of icy water killed 11 people within 30 minutes, and caused major damage to homes and farms. As a busy city, Danbury attracted traveling shows and tours, including Buffalo Bill 's Wild West Show in 1900. It featured young men of

4158-404: The same downtown areas hit in August were devastated once again. The resulting damage was valued at $ 6 million, and two people lost their lives. The City determined the river in the downtown area had to be tamed. $ 4.5 million in federal and state funding were acquired as part of a greater urban renewal project to straighten, deepen, widen, and enclose the river in a concrete channel through

4235-534: The scale of the industry, labor unrest and struggles over wages affected the economy of the entire town. In 1893, nineteen manufacturers locked out 4000 union hatters. In 1902, the American Federation of Labor union called for a nationwide boycott of Dietrich Loewe, a Danbury non-union hat manufacturer. The manufacturer sued the union under the Sherman Antitrust Act for unlawfully restraining trade. In

4312-486: The season with two shootout games, winning one and losing the other. Despite earning three out of a possible four points, Gillis was unhappy with the team's performance. His concerns were later proved accurate as Danbury started the year with a 4–5–2 record. The Trashers hovered around the .500 mark going into December where they started the month with a six-game win streak that brought them within five points of first place in Eastern Division. They finished December without

4389-402: The second seed , they had lost both regular season match-ups with the Mallards. Danbury lost the first two games of the seven-game series at home and were facing Games 3–5 on the road. The Trashers won Games 3 and 4 to tie the series before losing game five. Facing elimination, Danbury won the final two games to win the series in seven games and advance to the second round. The second round was

4466-405: The team playing around .500 hockey . Then a quarter of the way through the 2004–05 season they went on a seven-game unbeaten streak that moved them into first place in the Eastern Division. The streak was part of nine consecutive games without a regulation loss. This lifted the Trashers into a tie for first place in the league. During the winning streak one of two brawls of the season occurred. In

4543-415: The team's home arena, Danbury Ice Arena , from a 750-seat facility to a 3,000-seat venue. In their first season, the Trashers quickly gained notoriety for their bullish, physical style of play, setting a league record for penalty minutes. The season witnessed two separate brawls and multiple player suspensions. Danbury finished second in its division and was eliminated in the playoffs by the Muskegon Fury ,

4620-410: The time and according to UHL commissioner Richard Brosal, some around the league thought it was an April Fools' Day joke. After graduating high school, Galante attended Manhattanville College while maintaining his organizational duties. The new team was named the Trashers, a reference to the elder Galante's main business, with the logo being designed by A.J.'s friends. The Trashers were to play in

4697-572: The town. This was developed as an airport, which is now Danbury Municipal Airport ( ICAO : KDXR ). Connecticut's largest lake, Candlewood Lake (of which the extreme southern part is in Danbury), was created as a hydroelectric power facility in 1928 by building a dam where Wood Creek and the Rocky River meet near the Housatonic River in New Milford . During World War II , Danbury's federal prison

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4774-609: The unemployment rate for the Danbury Labor Market Area was 3.0%, compared to 3.7% for the State and 4.6% nationally. The top employers in the city in 2020 were: The chief executive officer of Danbury is the Mayor, who serves a two-year term. The current mayor is Roberto L. Alves (D). The Mayor is the presiding officer of the City Council, which consists of 21 members, two from each of the seven city wards , and seven at-large. The City Council enacts ordinances and resolutions by

4851-585: The wrong shape due to the use of a miscalibrated testing device. The mistake was not discovered until after the telescope was in orbit and began to be used. The effects of the flaw were corrected during the telescope's first servicing mission in 1993. In the August 1988 issue of Money magazine , Danbury topped the magazine's list of the best U.S. cities to live in, mostly due to low crime, good schools, and location. A case that would make national headlines and play out for over four years began on September 19, 2006, when eleven day laborers, who came to be known as

4928-496: The year, respectively. The average annual precipitation is approximately 56.04 inches (1,420 mm), which is distributed fairly evenly throughout the year; snow averages 49.3 inches (125 cm) per season, although this total may vary considerably from year to year. Extremes in temperature range from 106 °F (41 °C) on July 22, 1926, and July 15, 1995 (the highest temperature recorded in Connecticut ) down to −18 °F (−28 °C) on February 9, 1934. It's estimated that

5005-451: Was 68.2% White , 25.0% Hispanic or Latino (of any race), 7.2% African American , 0.40% Native American , 6.8% Asian , less than 0.10% Pacific Islander , 7.6% from other races , and 4.5% from two or more races. 32% of the population was foreign born. Of particular note is a sizeable population of residents of Portuguese and Brazilian heritage. They are served by locally based Portuguese-language print and broadcast media. 6.7% of

5082-587: Was 86,518. It is the third-largest city in Western Connecticut , and the seventh-largest city in Connecticut . Located within the heart of the Housatonic Valley region , the city is a commercial hub of western Connecticut, an outer-ring commuter suburb of New York City, and an historic summer colony of the New York metropolitan area and New England . Danbury is nicknamed the "Hat City", because it

5159-525: Was also charged with wire fraud. He pleaded guilty and was given five years probation. Galante pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to violate the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), one count of conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service , and one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud. He was sentenced to 87 months of imprisonment and had to forfeit his ownership interests in 25 trash hauling companies,

5236-445: Was charged with misdemeanor assault and fined by the UHL for leaving the owner's box. The UHL stated that because of the disturbances on the ice they could not determine what actually happened. The linesman was suspended for five games for his part in the altercation. He later asked that the assault charges against Galante be dropped. After this request, prosecutors still intended to pursue the charges, but eventually dropped them citing

5313-550: Was dissolved and a new group started the Danbury Titans in the FHL to play the 2015–16 season. The Titans also ceased operations in 2017. In 2019, the Hall family , who had owned the arena for 18 years, sold the arena to Diamond Properties. The new management, with Herm Sorcher from the previous FHL organizations acting as managing director, brought in three new tenants for the 2019–20 season:

5390-597: Was held in 1821. In 1869, it became a yearly event; the last edition was in 1981. The fairgrounds were cleared to make room for the Danbury Fair Mall , which opened in autumn 1986. In 1835, the Connecticut Legislature granted a rail charter to the Fairfield County Railroad , but construction was delayed because of lack of investment. In 1850, the organization's plans were scaled back, and renamed

5467-597: Was made in 1693, and a formal town patent was granted in 1702. During the Revolutionary War , Danbury was an important military supply depot for the Continental Army . Sybil Ludington , 16-year-old daughter of American Colonel Henry Ludington , is said to have made a 40-mile ride in the early hours of the night on April 26, 1777, to warn the people of Danbury and her father's forces in Putnam County, New York , of

5544-719: Was named in his honor. In 1802, President Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association , a group expressing fear of persecution by the Congregationalists of that town, in which he used the expression " Separation of Church and State ". It is the first known instance of the expression in American legal or political writing. The letter is on display at the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Danbury. The first Danbury Fair

5621-545: Was once the center of the American hat industry , during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The mineral danburite is named after Danbury, while the city itself is named for Danbury in Essex , England. Danbury is home to Danbury Hospital , Western Connecticut State University , Danbury Fair Mall , and Danbury Municipal Airport . Danbury was settled by colonists in 1685, when eight families moved from what are now Norwalk and Stamford, Connecticut . The Danbury area

5698-499: Was one of many sites used for the incarceration of conscientious objectors . One in six inmates in the United States' federal prisons was a conscientious objector, and prisons like Danbury found themselves suddenly filled with large numbers of highly educated men skilled in social activism. Due to the activism of inmates within the prison, and local laborers protesting in solidarity with the conscientious objectors, Danbury became one of

5775-403: Was sentenced to 87 months in prison, and had to forfeit his ownership interests in 25 trash-hauling companies. During the same time, the Trashers disbanded, citing financial concerns including travel costs. The Danbury Trashers were founded as an expansion team in the United Hockey League (UHL) on April 1, 2004, by James Galante , a garbage disposal mogul, who paid a $ 500,000 franchise fee to

5852-510: Was the sixteenth time the league had suspended a Trashers player. Danbury again found success after the brawl going 8–3–0 in their next 11 games. On February 23, 2005, the Trashers again hosted the Adirondack Frostbite. World Wrestling Entertainment superstar John Cena was on hand for what resembled more of a WWE event than a hockey game. The teams combined for 106 penalty minutes in the first period and 6 game-misconducts were issued in

5929-568: Was then called Pahquioque by its namesake, the Algonquian-speaking Pahquioque Native Americans (they are believed to have been a band of the Paugusset people), who occupied lands along the Still River . Bands were often identified by such geographic designation but they were associated with the larger nation by culture and language). One of the original settlers in Danbury was Samuel Benedict, who bought land from

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