AR-News: (NY) Dog fightings 'Al Capone' Convicted

[Political Animal]

March 02, 2004

Dogfighting's 'Al Capone' convicted

   By Oliver Mackson
   Times Herald-Record
   omackson at th-record.com
   
   Goshen – A judge needed barely an hour yesterday to
convict a Westtown man reputed to be the biggest
promoter of dog fights east of the Mississippi.
   James Fricchione, 34, faces a maximum of 15¤ to 18
years in state prison when he's sentenced April 14 by
Orange County Court Judge Nicholas DeRosa. "To the
dogfighting world, this is like taking down Al
Capone," prosecutor David Hoovler said after court
yesterday.
   Fricchione not only trains dogs, he publishes
Sporting Dog Journal out of his house on County Route
1. The bimonthly magazine has about 6,000 subscribers
nationwide and is a veritable bible of dogfighting. It
draws advertising from kennels and correspondence from
dog owners who identify themselves with names like
"Sonny Mean Streets" and "McNasty."
   Fricchione's house was raided last year by the
state police. After he was indicted on a plethora of
felony and misdemeanor charges, he opted for a nonjury
trial.
   DeRosa convicted him of one count of animal
fighting, four counts of aggravated cruelty to
animals, and a single count of tampering with
evidence.
   Fricchione was also convicted of five misdemeanors
under state Agriculture and Markets Law.
   His eyes were damp and red after the verdict and he
was surrounded by family and friends as he left the
Orange County Courthouse. He declined to discuss the
verdict; his lawyer, Norman Shapiro, assured him that
there were ample grounds for an appeal. Fricchione
remained free on $10,000 cash bail yesterday.
   The verdict was greeted with relief by Samantha
Mullen of the Humane Society of the United States. She
took copious notes while watching the trial. "His
influence goes much further than this, because of the
Sporting Dog Journal," she said of Fricchione. "We're
very proud of the way the state police and the Orange
County district attorney's office addressed this
case."
   Mullen grew somber when she talked about why it
will be necessary to destroy the 18 pit bulls seized
from Fricchione's property last year. She said they're
getting better care now in shelters than they ever did
in his home; the trial was marked by gory
presentations of blood-spattered treadmills and photos
of scarred dogs.
   But their trainers have turned them into animals
that are simply too dangerous, Mullen said. "They can
never be trusted around other animals, and they tend
to do unpredictable things, such as attacking humans."


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