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Thanks for the reply Ron
Yes your right about being a good boy and perhaps biting your tongue a little and maybe getting the job you do best back. I know its hard to do that at times but right now its time to time to go with the flow. Because after all a pat on the back never paid the rent. You have looked after many others in the past and its now time for you to put Mr Lipton first.
Cheers Ron
Ron,
Do you believe in staying close fighters to weed out any foul tactics?
What's your method of attending to elbows, low blows, or head butts -- accidental or not?
Have you made some calls that (retrospectively) you would attend to differently?
Finally, as a Referee, what do you site as the biggest problem/flaw with refereeing two highly charged individuals?
Appreciated.
Thank you for writing gentleman.
I have recently done a tv interview and an intricate boxing interview for a young writer, where we touch on these things. In NY and NJ such polite, loyal, and respectful efforts had been made on my behalf to the Commission for 8 years without so much as a courteous reply. It is beyond courtesy and respect and madates a Federal Civil Rights suit as the only remedy to get justice for both places.
"Ron,
Do you believe in staying close fighters to weed out any foul tactics?
What's your method of attending to elbows, low blows, or head butts -- accidental or not?
Answer: I believe in staying very close without getting clocked, which I have, and shook it off and kept on ticking, and I have gratefully been complimented for staying so close, without impeding the judges views.
The best compliment on the air I got was from Al Bernstein and Dave Bontempo, two classy guys, during the Sosa V Williams fight I, which ended in a double tko, techinical Draw.
Art Mercante Senior was told me to stay very far away, never be seen on camera and only come in when there is a problem. He never was a fighter despite his claims to the contrary, with all resepect, and I told him I disagree, and one would miss everything imaginable staying so far away.
Have you made some calls that (retrospectively) you would attend to differently? Yes, I might have deducted points from Holyfield if I had a different angle on him when he clipped Ray Mercer on the deck. It looked at the time from behind him, that it was a punch in motion and I threw him off.
In hindsight seeing the tape, I would have deducted one point.
Finally, as a Referee, what do you site as the biggest problem/flaw with refereeing two highly charged individuals?
Answer: The panacea for this kind of problem is taking care of it in the dressing room in a manner which you have to see me do in person. I do it respectfully, but so thoroughly that there is not even a thought in either fighter's head to dare attempt an intentional foul or a cornerman to start playing the crazy man. I have never had a problem like this because it is taken care of before it starts.
The other part of this answer would be, to be in very good shape, very fast, no pot belly and know your business in that ring. Intelligent, precise, sharp and loud commands, with no gutteral undertones to it, and know how to push the right buttons in the individual fighter. My strongest point as a referee is knowing how to talk to boxing people on an individual basis, give them respect, get it back, and make THEM not want to screw up rather than just obey me. I am a professor at it and it is a gift from a lifetime of taking to people the right way at the right time, despite my Ralph Kramden big mouth.
Appreciated.
I just wanted to thank with all my heart, Marc Ratner, for trying so hard to get me the referee assignment for DeLahoya V Mayorga.
He emailed and called me at home and had met personally with the new heads of the Nevada Commission in telling them that I would handle the fight very well and that I was a very good referee who deserved some boxing justice in getting the assignment. They went with Jay Nady.
When Marc called me back several days ago to let me know what happened, that they would not bring in an out of state referee, I thanked him for all his efforts, as we had hoped I could do his last fight there with him.
Thank you Marc and I was lucky enough to work with you next to me in the Sosa V Williams I fight when you were a guest in Atlantic City.
He did not have to try as hard as he did for me, but he did.
The bosses wanted only a Nevada ref.
thanks with all my heart Marc and best of luck to you always,
Ron Lipton
No shame in losing out to Nady.
The ref is going to have his hands full of Mayorga in a high profile fight, so I can see the reason they want to go with an "in house" ref. Maybe your name insertion will have broken the lock and future assignments will follow. Hope springs eternal and perhaps Nevada will beckon.
Ron,
Sorry to hear you didn't get the job but, as Robert said, hopefully something else will come up soon since you were seriously considered for this job.
Mr Lipton.
I also just wanted to say that I hope some referee work comes your way soon, like others have said now that your name has been 'floated around' it may open a few door for you.
Good luck.
P.S. The other night I was watching Roy Jones Jr vs Bryant Brannon from 1996 a fight you of course refereed. I was womdering how did Jones's speed compare to other fighters you have worked with?
Cheers.
thank you gentleman for your kind thoughts.
The more they deliberately keep me from refereeing the more the newcomers to a Commission forget about you, or do not know who you are.
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When I refereed the Roy Jones fight v Bryant Brannon, the Brannon people made it a point to keep asking at the rules meeting before the fight to absolutely not stop the fight if Roy turned up the handspeed as Bryant was in good shape, and could weather the storm.
When Roy goes for the fast combos, sometimes he sacrifices a bit of power because he is concentrating on hand speed alone, whereas Sugar Ray Robinson in his lightning fast ko over Carl "Bobo" Olson, who had gone 15 with Ray before and 15 with Randy Turpin in beating the big middleweight,
maintained power and speed at all times.
Threre is no doubt Brannon was wobbled and had been down by getting clipped, yet there is one sequence on the ropes where Roy is flurrying on him but missing by 1/2" a lot of shots. He finallly finished up and a short hooked again clipped the powerful Brannon and dropped him.
On the other side of the ring they could not tell if he was landing or not in the sequence that preceeded the finish, I was right next to him and saw what the commentators and fans missed. That being he was missing shots by a half inch or so but missing and hitting gloves, shoulders etc, until he finally nailed him the finisher.
At 168 his handspeed was awesome and it is still hard for me to believe he beat Toney and Merqui Sosa so easily at that point in time. Then when we all saw the IBF letter where he tested positive for steroids, that revelation plus my own knowledge of how he looked through the years confirmed that for sure and gave him an unfair advantage as much as Barry Bonds had.
With the blackballing of me still going on and a recent film of the NYSAC at ringside in March 2006 with the St.Patrick Day fights, with me still seeing the same guys at ringside next to Ron Scott Stevens, I put this again on the site so you will know how they did this to me, why, and how far they went.
These are only a couple of questions I responded to by a boxing writer, simple questions, with long answers by me. My comments which are my own have not been posted anywhere else.
I read a lot of information about yourself and I am trying to figure out when did it start to go down hill for you as a referee?
RL: To me the bad things started to happen behind the scenes when I was doing really well, handling fights well and getting a fair share of assignments. This very fact initiated terrible things going on behind the scenes to try to take any assignment away from me that was given to me by Floyd Patterson. One example was the Oscar De La Hoya vs. Jesse James Leija fight. Floyd was a great champion and believed in using referees that had fight experience. There were people behind the scenes that were very territorial about any other referee getting plumb assignments. There was a father-son combination…
[Cutting In] Arthur Mercante Sr. and Arthur Mercante Jr.?
RL: I will not confirm or deny that at this time. Yet everybody knows what happened. These people along with their friends and one member on the Commission at the time that tried to usurp Patterson’s authority behind his back did some very unethical things bordering on the illegal to get them the assignment once it was given to me. Despite all they had they wanted this and with the help of a former Commissioner who was ousted they went to the promoter and to the corner of Leija to start trouble and have it taken away.
I woke up one morning and I looked at the back page of my local newspaper The Times Herald Record. There was a big colored photo off me and it read “Lipton on the ropes”. I said to myself what the hell this is; the news paper went on to say that Jesse James Leija’s manager Lester Bedford objected to me being the referee, after he was “Approached” by several people telling him to get it for someone else. The Leija camp was approached by a group of buddies that represented several referees and their friends that wanted them to referee the fight and not myself.
Boxing was on a big hiatus from Madison Square and this fight was billed as “The Return to the Mecca”. It was a great opportunity and they wanted it. It is not my way to criticize anybody or hurt any one’s feelings, but if someone comes after me then it is incumbent on me to speak out. They went on a deliberate smear campaign to take an assignment away for them. This was the catalyst that started it all!
While I was a member of any team I am a loyal team player. If a problem arises I would like to first work it out with the people that are causing it. This was despicable conduct and they were being helped by a former Commissioner who wanted to still pull the strings. . Floyd Patterson stuck to his guns and I ended up refereeing the fight.
2 However, I didn’t know how far these people had truly gone behind the scenes to get the fight for them. In the corner for Jesse James Leija was Richie Giachetti and Jesse James’ manager Lester Bedford, who were approached and were told that I should not do the fight because I was inexperienced and that as a favor to these people the Leija corner should deliberately and publicly protest me. They mentioned a few people who “They wanted” to do the fight; they asked for Mercante Jr. or Tony Perez.
Some reporters there mentioned my background and that I was a very experienced boxing man, and the guys they wanted were screw ups, so why are you doing this the reporters asked? Do you fully understand the boxing background of Ron Lipton and do you realize that he is in shape, very quick and a former fighter, when they mentioned that also, the camp of Leija were at a loss for words.
They held a press conference and eviscerated me behind my back using a weasel who the FBI tore a new ass for a couple of years ago. This press conference happened without even inviting me to speak up for myself. I did not know at the time what was going on or why. Afterwards some of the people were talking about Mercante Jr. and how some of the fights that he did ended up so badly and that he was very amateurish in the pro ranks and made horrific mistakes in the ring, the reporters thought that it was a very bizarre choice to ask for and the timing of it was very unprofessional, cruel and vindictive.
Later The Ring magazine voted Mercante Jr the “Fifth worst referee in the world. “
His later involvement in the HBO telecast of Whitiker V Huertado, where he almost let Huertado get killed, was eclipsed by his handling of Charles Murray V Reggie Green on TV, where Green was knocked down several times and hurt, and Junior did not even call it a knockdown, add to that the way he later let Lennox Lewis hold and hit Michael Grant scoring a KO while doing it, and finally the Beathoven Scotland death where Max Kellerman was screaming for the fight to be stopped and it makes for a powerful case of being a dangerously inept referee.
I knew he had ridden his Daddy’s coattails into any assignment and he only had about 4 fights as an amateur at sub novice and decided he had had enough of that. He was used so much by the former Commissioner Randy Gordon who grew up with him and was his close friend, there was no end to it. He was Gordon’s creation and he wanted Junior to get it all. When they got rid of Randy, he went off the deep end behind the scenes and along with some others wanted two of his friends to get the main assignments under Patterson. I met with Gordon in Vegas and heard it all. I always liked him and was grateful to him for helping me out, but when it came to the constant use of Junior and another friend of his, he just would not stop no matter what happened in that ring.
I have him on film praising my work over and over again on TV, and telling me he used films of my fights as a referee to teach the other referees, yet he still would not stop with the Mercante Junior thing.
3
It was like a halo effect. No matter how bad he screwed up, they used him again and again until he was finally involved in a ring death. They still use him, so strong is the political ties behind the family and friendship with the present and past Commission. A similar thing goes on in NJ with another referee.
It was obvious these people would to do anything behind the scene to get this fight for him or another one of their pals. Months after the fight I had called Richard Giachetti as I had known him off and on through boxing and I asked him what the hell happened here and that I was very disappointed in him being a part of this because I had always thought he was a stand up guy.
I asked him why was there this vicious thing done to attempt to black ball me like that. At that time he said that, “We were approached by a bunch of people and they wanted the Mercante kid or Tony Perez to get the fight.” Then I said to him why would you go through with something like that, he said that it wasn’t all him, that these friends of the referees had talked the whole corner into doing this, along with another person they brought with them. They deliberately tried to take away an assignment already given by Floyd Patterson to me. It was definitely a pre planned smear campaign and they asked a sportswriter friend of theirs who had worked for the Daily News to help them as a favor and he did. I have that on tape also. No one cared what this did to my family. I did not see or hear of anyone doing this when Arthur Mercante Sr got his first big breaks, but the combination of a new good referee in town was too much for them and they stopped at nothing. I have all this on tape and gave it to the NY DA’s office when the Commission refused to do anything about it. The way they refused is another story and worse than all of it combined. The guy who refused was the one who fixed the Gamache V Gatti weigh in. and got the job of the fired Exec Director.
After it was all over we realized that poor Jesse James Leija didn’t want anything too do with it, after the fight Richard Giachetti while on HBO in the interview said that he had no problem with the stoppage and Jesse James praised me as a referee. Giachetti also mentioned that to me while I was on the phone with him and he told me about the people who approached him. It was very upsetting to me with that article on the back of my hometown paper and the favor their guy did for them misusing his job as a reporter for the Daily News. It is beneath comtempt that they would go that far to get something. The better that I did in that ring the more the frequent the attacks were behind the scenes to take away the assignments from me. The public has no idea the length these guys would go to take assignments away from me.
I was very upset by it and I reported it to the commission and at the time the one who really stood up for me was Floyd Patterson, but it left a clear message on how far they would go with cowardly acts behind the scenes with the alphabet boys and their connections. The person who was involved with this was fired within a few days after the fight and he was one of the people that wanted to get it for his friends, along with a former Commissioner.
4
In essence they tried to fix the officials and the corner was approached to take the assignment away from me.
The guy who got the job after the other clown was fired became the Executive Director. He had been Patterson’s chauffer and his best buddy today sits next to Ron Scott Stevens at the fights as late as March 2006. Jack Newfeld and Wally Matthews exposed them and the other NYSAC officials in a 3 Part Expose on the NYSAC which appeared in the NY Post.
Yet these people are still there, they still use Junior, and got away with in essence of murdering a fighter, and causing another one to be brain damaged by their gutless and selfish use of the worst officials based solely on friendship. The guy calling the shots is a former promoters with conflicts of interest and with his friends who are heavy political contributors of cash with no boxing background at all. It is comical if it wasn’t so dangerous and embarrassing.
After the DeLahoya V Leija fight in 95, I later brought the new Executive Director the tape of the cornerman admitting all this, and reminded him that they tried to commit a crime by approaching the cornermen for a favor and influencing a prize fight unfairly and unethically.
He refused to do anything about it, and as I said he was latter the guy who fixed the Gatti-Gamache weigh in. He was exposed by Jack Newfield in that three part expose which revealed how the New York State Athletic commission got their jobs, how they contributed money to get them so undeservedly and how inexperienced in boxing they were. They are still there as is their friends but it is much worse now, and use their influence in NJ to blackball me there too.
This new guy would talk for poor Floyd because he was really sick at the time. When I played the tape, this guy says to me, “I don’t care, I don’t want to rock the boat now, I just got the job and these guys don’t like you because they don’t want to see you work etc.” I told him the cornerman admitted it was the referees and their friends, so why are they not suspended for this? He said he could do nothing about it and he was making friends with them and other promoters and making “deals” for himself behind the scenes.
I almost puked. Patterson’s wife told me she was worried that this guy was making deals. All of it came true. He made connections with this referee team and the alphabet groups and promoters and later sold old poor Joey Gamache and nearly got him killed.
It was then I knew how crooked they were and decided to tape it to protect myself. Floyd’s family admitted to me they were worried this guy, their lifelong friend was “Making Deals for himself” and the job went to his head. He later as I said, got Joey Gamache almost killed and they finally got rid of this guy. Yet his pals are still there on video tape sitting with Ron Scott Stevens. Now you know partly why I am blackballed.
It is a State Agency run like a social club for rich political hacks who want to be on TV.
5
All anyone has to do is look at the films of the referees they are using in the big fights in NY and NJ, take a good look at that and then watch mine and you wonder how this dynasty of officials would get these fights, over and over again.
The people whose referee performance that is proven better on films do not get the big fight.. It is all friendship and favors given to grossly out of shape persons.
I had written letters to the commission stating that if you keep using these officials than someone is going to get seriously hurt or get killed, certain fights were cited by me and they didn’t care. People who are there today are the same people who are connected to the same horrible fiascos and to the people responsible for the deal being made to fix the weigh in, and as I said before these same people are sitting next to Ron Scott Stevens; you can see them at the fights together. They went out of there way to threaten me.
RL: They had one guy pick a fight with me on or about July of 1997. He was a big bodybuilder, and did his roadwork locally. He used to contribute money to the local police and his best social pal was an Inspector on the NYSAC Commission. He passed on a threat to me and I reported it to the local police. I asked for a car to show up to prevent a fight. My request was actually recorded. They refused whilelaughing telling me they did not care. We produced that recording in court. They were told it would be reported to the AG’s office. One of them a Sgt. told a local Editor who was doing a story on DWI’s while riding in a police car with them, that they would make sure I would never referee again, and this was repeated again to the Editor’s husand, who was a publisher who told me. Think about it, they had the help of their friends to make sure I would never referee again, with the NYSAC’s Exec Director’s police friends telling the reporters they would get me.
Now after the cops hear I am going to the AG they send a car. The guy shows up and attacks me by running full blast at me in a Rambo camaflouge suit, the local cop, his friend, stands there stunned, and does nothing. This guy is 6’1” in his 30’s, 215lbs in shape. I am 5’8” 160lbs. This pal of the Commission reaches out at full run to choke me and I hit him a right hand on the jaw. He goes back 61 feet and falls unconscious. They measured it with a police tape.
They have to drag him by his armpits into a sitting position and cannot bring him around for 20 minutes and I am really scared I hurt him badly. They help him sign a complaint 5 days later and when it finally goes to trial and the judge, Jeffrey Werner who heard the trial, and the tape and the witnesses, dismisses the complaint. This guy also brought another pal with him who was 6’5” at least and when he saw his stronger buddy get laid out in self defense, he wanted no part of it, there or in court.
6
The Executive Director who fixed the Gamache v Gatti weigh in and was later fired, has all his best pals at the NYSAC right now in 2006. He used to work as head of Security in the Newburgh Mall in Orange County NY. He had several local police who dealt with him every day as his friends. When this attack did not work they pulled out all stops to make good their threat that I would never referee again and have me set up and attacked again.
It was during 1996 that Larry Hazzard told me while he was the NJSACB Commissioner that, “The NY boys are planning to get rid of me, not use me much at all, and then totally get rid of me. This was on my answering machine tape. I confronted the NYSAC with this and wanted to get this out into the open as men.
Side Note: (Hazzard told me he wanted no trouble with the NY boys, but I asked him to stand up for me and not permit this. He is another story and it is heartbreaking for me to know what he allowed to be done behind the scenes. He was just pissed off that I told them he told me. He did not care at all about the injustice of it, just that I involved him. He has refused to answer any letters, phone calls, or faxes in request for a license for 8 years.)
I politely asked the NYSAC Commission about this and complained that I was attacked by a friend of the member of the Commission. The guy who later fixed the Gamache v Gatti weigh in was doing things to me behind the scenes with the other Commission members and their local police friends that was beyond what I could believe could happen in America.
It was also reported that this same Executive Director, had been convicted of a Federal Kidnapping in the Armand Hammer case years before, and supposedly did some jail time, yet was still given the job and told me Governor Pataki knew about it. I would like to know to this day if it is true and the Governor’s office allowed this. They have refused to intervene and do not answer any letters about this injustice with my license.
Within two months of the first attack, another man who I later learned in court used to visit the first guy who attacked me, and was at his home, hunts me down in a Ferrari with two of his friends in a truck accompanying them. It is Oct 1997 and I am in an old 1988 Ford Escort running on 3 cylinders. They run me off the road holding me, and attack me. I throw one punch again in self defense not knowing who they are or why they are doing this, and the guy in the Ferrari with a coke spoon on a chain, goes out hard from the punch. They were holding me to be beaten and I broke free and threw one punch. One of the men was over 250lbs and was this guy’s cousin. The Ferrari guy was high and had coke on his face and a gun in his car, as he had yelled to shoot me. My punch crushed his face and he went out like a light and the others backed off.
7
Within seconds of them doing this, a female cop who turns out to be one of the people who is connected deeply to the NYSAC Exec Director at the time, saying they will make sure I will never referee again shows up out of the blue and arrests me for defending myself. The Ferrari driver is allowed to take off and leave the scene. Two hours later, they show up at the police station. This was allowed because the Ferrari boy was high.
If he went to the hospital they would have noted that and the cop did not want that. I asked their vehicles be searched at the scene for weapons and drugs and they were let go without any search.
Their story in their statements was that the old 1988 Escort proved to be running on only 3 cylinders hadchased down the Ferrari and ran the Ferrari off the road. Yet I had never seen them before. I asked that a blood test be done on my attacker, and yelled to the cop that they had a gun in their car, yet as I said they all were let go without being searched, stopped or questioned.
Now the NYSAC and their friends do NOT want the Judge who dismissed the other case to hear the trial, so they get the Director of Boxing’s best friend Judge Tim Tamsen who I used to see cooking in the kitchen with the Director of Boxing at his restaurant, to hear this case locally. Tamsen was also seen by reporters often in the company of the NYSAC’s Director of Boxing.
The problem is Tamsen who is later disbarred for theft and dishonesty has domestic abuse complaints made against him by his girlfriend in the past, and the police swept that under the rug. He was in an auto accident with a convicted drug dealer named Gregory Chrylser who later was convicted of murder. This man is in his car with him while he cracks his car up while high and drunk. These same police let him go. He has a metal halo wired into his skull from those injuries and is asked to hear this case coming out of his sick bed as a favor to these people and is best friends with the Director of Boxing and the female cop. He owes them big.
He comes out of a sick bed to hear this case, high on medication and is acused in open court and on the record of having been in the company of the drug dealer while involved in his accident and let go by the police as a favor.
He is asked to recuse himself because of this and refuses. He commits one horrendous impropriety after another, the worst of which he will not let me tell the 6 people on this misdemeanor jury about anything that was said to me by my attackers. They write it up in the Times Herald Record that he shut me down yet permitted anything to be done to me in court but prevented me from saying anything about what actually happened, and the reporter Heather Yakin, specifically writes that the Judge prevented all the defense testimony, and he is later disbarred and loses his law license and can never be a lawyer or judge again. It was the most crooked thing I ever saw in my life. Now the Commission is really mad and never wants to give me a license as another one of their pals goes down.
8
After I report this to Judicial Conduct, the same female police officer and her friend who promised long before to make sure I never referee again, the two of them knew the Executive Director and were writing to him. They knew him when he worked at the local Mall, they now come after my girlfriend at that time, telling her I was cheating on her and breaking her down to sign a false domestic complaint. They put KKK notices in my mailbox, I reported them to the Justice Department and the FBI. One cop is forbidden by her employers from ever going contacting me again. All principals in all these cases had a connection and were pals of the NYSAC. They used their friends to create and pursue this after I reported their conduct in refusing to take action in the past.
The Judge being disbarred, me winning the lawsuits are not enough. I want my license back and my share of the fights. I earned it the hard way. NY and NJ both went along with this blackballing and unheard of harassment, while continually giving their friends the assignments despite injury, scandal and death to the fighters I was always respectful and polite in person and in all my written communications. Nothing works with them.
All of the plans of the NYSAC crew to terrorize me blew up in their face, I had all their friend’s phony charges dismissed, and won two Federal Civil Rights suits with another one still pending from the phony arrests they participated in.
The one low misdemeanor assault charge illegally obtained is under appeal, but even with a misdemeanor conviction , a police officer can still keep his job in NY State. A County Judge restored all my rights and privileges as a retired police officer. What was I supposed to do, let 3 men kill me?
Everyone up here knows what happened and the press were allover them.
They had to get a crooked judge to put the fix in.. All their lies, their threats, the recordings, the witnesses helped win those lawsuits and also got their phony cases dismissed.
Yet every one of them goes right back to the Commission and their pals. It is insidious.
They are all still there using revenge and harassment to prevent me from getting a license.
It is Ron Scott Stevens and Hugo Spindola, and their friends who had a strong connection to the former executive director who fixed the Gamache Weigh in with Gatti.
Here is a statement I prepared that I want printed with the story to show the public how unjust the NYSAC is and how they did this.
The Gatti thing happened after this but the whole thing started with me trying to stop people fixing the officials, trying them to stop to use the worst method of contacting cornermen, using the Alpabet groups to blackball referees. Remember some of these referees have connections to get fights with the alphabet groups who have been exposed by all boxing writers long ago, with indictments, bribes etc.
9
John Scully is writing a book on how they are using the worst officials, the referee may have 50-100 title fights but my question is how did he get those title fights, who gave them to him.
__________________________________________________ ______________________
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Additional notes: To be copied and pasted above if needed.
If your negligence contributed to killing a man in the ring , how can he referee time and time again? There was a fight on HBO, Huertado vs. Pernell Whitiker, the HBO staff said that it was one of the worse refereed fight since Griffith and Benny Kid Paret, and Paret ended up dying in that fight. The referee let Griffith hit Paret 21 unanswered times. In the Whitiker V Huertado fight Mercante Jr. just froze in the ring and Huertado almost got killed. Yet you still see him getting rewarded with bigger and more prestigious fights, despite that and a ring death. Ron Scott Stevens, whose real name is Ron Rabinowitz, defies the public and the welfare of the boxers by using him.
I wrote a letter to the NYSAC office saying some day he is going to be in a fight where somebody is going to die. Their response was pretty much shut up, mind your own business and sure enough it finally happened.
He is in the ring with George Jones and Beathoven Scotland. Max Kellerman was screaming for the fight to be stopped. In addition if you look at the other films of the fights that this guy did, for instance Reggie Green VCharles Murray, you see Green getting knocked down over and over again, yet Mercante Junior does not call it a knockdown but is again rewarded with more fights by his friends in charge.
In Dec 1995when this group led by a fired former Commissioner and a fired Executive Director went to the Leija camp, according to Rich Giachetti who was in Leija’s corner, they specifically asked for Junior and Tony Perez. I know Tony and he is a very nice guy and I am not trying to criticize Toney because I am not going to criticize anyone that did not try to hurt me first.
If you remember Tony refereed the fight between Ali-Wepner and Wepner was hitting Ali with 50 rabbit punches a round and no points were being taken away. There was the fight with Tommy Morrison and Ray Mercer, Morrison was getting killed by Mercer and the ref is coming in too late. Than there was the fight with Cooney and Norton, Cooney was teeing off on Norton with his hands down and Tony was doing nothing about it.
10
When they asked these two referees to replace me a lot of people in boxing were saying that something strange is happening. When you are rewarded with more work by doing terrible work then something is terribly wrong and it is all political. It is certainly not for the benefit of the fighters.
That is what John Ice Man Scully a former top ten Lightheavyweight contender is writing about. When you have a referee who never put a glove on he should not be allowed to referee. When you are a referee in the amateurs, sometimes they don’t make the adjustment to the pros very well, sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t. Mercante Junior did not and you know it.
The commission that exists now is black balling me. When I was there I was always polite and courteous. When I started getting a couple of fights these guys went behind the scenes. I tried to be a gentlemen about it and handle it within the family, then the people who were in charge did nothing about it. When Floyd stepped down due to illness some of these people were proven to be making deals for themselves, and then they fixed the weigh in and almost killed a fighter. Then they use the same political oriented referee and they finally kill a fighter
Look at my statement at the end of this article. I applied for my license again and Stevens asked me will you be loyal to us, and I replied I will be loyal to anyone who I work with. He said will you talk to the press if you see anything wrong, I said I wont talk to anyone I just want to be back in the ring with the fighters because I am the best at what I do.
Harold Lederman called him and told him that he feels that Ronnie deserves his license back and he thought that bad things happened to him. Between him, Ron Scott Stevens and his boss Hugo Spindola who is not a boxing man, he is a young attorney calling the political shots behind the scenes and Stevens jumps for him. They have the same guys with them who were involved when Jack Newfield and Wally Matthews exposed them all.
Is the tail wagging the dog or is the dog wagging the tail They just kept lying and lying to me and what I want to do is file a Federal Civil Rights suit and I am going to do that. I am going to bring in tapes and bring in records of the guys that have been involved in getting someone killed or injured and how they get rewarded with bigger fights. We are going to bring that up to them and let the jury decide. I have been punished because they violated my rights to free speech, telling the truth about them.
11
JA: How much compensation are you looking to get?
RL: I just want justice. They can pick 12 of there friends and put them on the jury and I will still win. We will show the jury the paper trail on this, what started it, how I was blackballed and why, and the films of the fights they allow and who they use and why.
It will be with their balls back to the wall under oath, and brother will it be admissible no matter what they try and there will be coverage so people will know how they got their jobs, who they choose, and people sitting next to them at ringside will be subpoened.
They can try to butcher the exclusionary rule as much as they want but it will get in.
We will show who they are using, why they are using them and that nothing, not even death, nor injury matter to them. How they could let a guy like Mercante Jr. referee EVER again after he contributed to a death because of negligence. Nothing matters to this commission.
We are going to get it out in the open like Jack Newfield and Wally Matthews did. I didn’t want a problem with anybody, all I wanted was a fair chance and now they hire these new referees and this guy Ron Scott Rabinowitz Stevens says he has too many guys.
They are all a bunch of political hacks, who punished me for my honesty, they used a State Agency like a private social club . I told them that if you would give me a hearing we would bring in many boxers, past and present to say that I am one of the best and I certainly deserve to be back.
I am going to get those 8 years that they took away from me and we are going to do it in Federal court.
We are going to ask the Judge to let the jury listen to the evidence and I want them to ask themselves, would you want this to happen to you? I asked Larry Hazzard for justice on this for 8 years in NJ and he just went along with what they did, not answering one letter in 8 years helping them prevent me from working, as long as his guys can work in NY with Stevens. I waited and waited for some justice from Larry and after all these years of deliberately ducking me, asking decent people to speak to him, he did nothing to stand up to this injustice.
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Have you filed the lawsuit?
Not yet, I want to get the right boxing lawyer and we are asking now for someone to step forward and take this on a contingency basis.
Time table for when you will be filing it?
RL: Whatever unethical and illegal conduct they have committed against me, there is then a three year period for filing. They have denied me my license last year and will do so this year. So we have within 3 years from that to file the suit. Then by law we can show the court the history of this. Please see my statement as to what they did and how they did it.
They are going to be exposed for everything and they will be connected to it forever, it was their choice. They are being sued by others for the death of Beethovan Scottland, they are being sued by Joey Gamache and they sold him out, these are the same people who got there jobs through the worst political way and their best pal is sitting next to Mr. Ron Scott Stevens Rabinowitz at ringside
How can a promoter like Ron Scott Stevens be the chairman if he was a promoter, that is such a conflict of interest. They do whatever they want, it is State Agency and they run it like a private social club.
Have you spoken with senators, the Attorney General or congressman about this matter?
Yes, and that will come out too, as it will in the race for Governor.
Too many people know about this now. There is a member of the AG’s office who went out socially with Tim Tamsen, and a file on this was provided to the boss himself in person. Someone has got to step in from the Governor’s Office or the AG’s Office instead of letting them do this on and on, or it will come out in court too. In America, when you are being discriminated against illegally by a State Agency, and no one does anything about it, it has to be made public to the people who can get elected and change this. It is to the point now it should be a campaign issue.
RL:I have never lost a court case that I have filed. I never filed a law suit that I felt that I did not believe was just and was on solid legal ground to file it. Their worst Achilles’ heal is the amount of injuries that occurred and how they received their jobs and the films of the fights they ruined. Their history is now a tainted connection to various scandals and avoidable injuries that went on.
13
All I asked for was a fair shake. When I got my chance in 1995 getting some bigger fights, this dynasty of political official started getting territorial and wanted to take it away. They got caught and the commission did nothing about it. The NJ thing is going to turn out just as bad if and when this all comes out.
I did not want it like this, but no one on earth would take what was done to me. It is unjust and cowardly without one person standing up to stop it within the two Commissions in the NYSAC, as it is the same people really.
All I ask is to read my statement.
STATEMENT ON NEXT PAGE:
Here is the statement:
By Ronald G. Lipton
1. I am a professional boxing referee who has been involved in boxing most of my life as a former NJ Golden Glove finalist fighter who scored a record setting televised knockout of 6 seconds on July 5, 1966 on Channel 47 televised live from Symphony Hall in Newark NJ, sparring partner of many great boxing champions like Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Emile Griffith, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter and many other champions and contenders. I am mentioned as such in Hurricane Carter’s Book “The Sixteenth Round,” and in the book, “Dick Tiger, The Life and Times of a Boxing Immortal,” by Adeyinka Makinde, about the former undisputed middleweight and light heavyweight champion of the world. I was one of his sparring partners who helped him prepare for a world title fight against Joey Giardello.
2. I was a licensed professional boxing referee with the NYSAC from 1990 until 1998, licensed each and every year with each application, while also licensed in NJ, Pennsylvania, Maine, and Missouri. In addition, I was licensed in Vermont up until July 31, 2004. I refereed the main event at a professional boxing show in Rutland Vermont in 2002. I have refereed championship boxing matches in Ireland and Italy and have refereed World title fights in most all the major weight classes in professional boxing on HBO, Pay per view, ESPN, USA and MSG channels, and have refereed main events at Madison Square Garden on HBO.
3. I am a winner of a Lifetime Civil Rights Achievement Award presented to me in Poughkeepsie NY by the Mayor on February 26, 2000 which was televised. I have also won the Black Prestige Community Service Award for my service to Boxing. I am presently employed as a teacher of a credited boxing course in physical education at Marist College in Poughkeepsie NY where I have taught for the last 4 years. I am also a retired police officer who worked as an Investigator for the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office in NJ and various NY and NJ police departments and am credited as the police officer who freed Rubin Hurricane Carter by Carter himself in a National televised interview on Newsport Talk on March 25, 1997.
4. In addition to the above, I am a published boxing historian and boxing writer in Ring Magazine, Boxing Illustrated, World Boxing, International Boxing, Ulster Magazine and staff member and boxing historian for Cyberboxingzone and was a member of the Boxing Writer’s Association of America. I have received an on screen credit as the “Senior Boxing Consultant” for the film “Muhammad Ali, the Whole Story,” which was aired on the TNT network and is available in video stores on DVD. I am also a boxing choreographer whose work was publicized in all the NY papers as winning the Audelco Award best choreography award for the New York Play, “Ali,” in 1992. My pupil Geoffrey Ewing won the Obie for best Actor, the same night.
5. In 1995, Mel Crystal, the then Chairman of the Irish Boxing Commission asked for me to officiate the World Super middleweight Championship between Middleweight Champion Steve Collins and the English Champion, Super Middleweight Champion of the World Chris Eubank on March 15, 1995 held in Millstreet Ireland. It was televised throughout the World on Sky TV. The Irish Boxing Commissioner said, ‘I was the most honest American referee who they wanted’. I refereed the fight despite attempts to fix the fight, by outside sources in an attempt to coerce the officials. I reported this misconduct immediately and testified as such in High Court in Dublin Ireland in 1997 in a subsequent case. Steven Collins, the champion has supplied the NYSAC with a letter of recommendation as to my abilities as a referee and as an honest official who stood up to corruption.
6. I had been chosen in May 1995 to referee the Pay Per View Event of the long awaited return of Evander Holyfield to the ring. It was billed as “The Return of the Warrior” and held in Atlantic City NJ on Pay Per View TV. The bout with Evander Holyfield vs. Ray Mercer the former Olympic Heavyweight Gold medal winner was refereed by me. I also was the referee for the Main Event of a Triple Header in Madison Square Garden in 1996 in which Holyfield fought Bobby Czyz on HBO and I not only officiated the main event but prevented a scandal by my decisive and professional handling of the in-the-ring action.
7. I refereed the I.B.F. Super Middleweight Championship of the World fight on HBO in Madison Square Garden with Roy Jones Jr. vs. Bryant Brannon, which is shown in the Al Pacino movie, “The Devil’s Advocate,” and the Mel Gibson movie, “Payback.”
8. I was chosen by Floyd Patterson himself to referee the return of boxing to New York City after an almost 3 year absence of Boxing from Madison Square Garden. I refereed the Oscar DeLahoya vs. James Leija Lightweight Championship of the World on HBO that was billed as the “Return to the Mecca,” and held in Madison Square Garden before a sellout crowd and televised live on H.B.O.
9. I have boxes of video tapes where my work and performance as a referee is complimented continuously by the TV color commentators such as Al Bernstein, HBO’s Boxing Judge Harold Ledderman, Dave Bontempo and Brian Kenny the host of ESPN boxing who is seen constantly on ESPN network and pay per view events. As recent as May of this year, Brian Kenny mentioned me on the air as one of the top professional boxing referees in the world.
10. I have appeared as a boxing expert and historian in the documentary, Cinderella Man: Jim Braddock-The Real Story with George Foreman. I was given an on screen credit as a top referee, former fighter and boxing historian and gave a background analysis on the life of former heavyweight boxing champion James J. Braddock. The documentary is available on DVD.
11. **In November 2003 the HBO famous boxing Judge Harold Ledderman, contacted the Chairman of the NYSAC Ron Scott Stevens and told him I was one the best referees in NY state and one of the finest in the business and that I should be licensed. Hugo Spindola, the NYSAC Attorney, acknowledged to me he was aware of these calls and claims he was present when they took place.
12. I refereed the IBC Heavyweight championship between Tommy “The Duke” Morrison and Razor Ruddock, who twice fought Mike Tyson. It was held on pay per view where I also refereed Roberto Duran the former 6 division champion of the world. The fight was held in Kansas City, Missouri.
13. I have refereed many other exciting professional boxing matches involving the best athletes in the sport and have done title fights and bouts involving top contenders and champions in Ledyard, Connecticut at Foxwoods Casinos. One title fight there was a live national telecast on channel 5 between Yori Boy Campos and Randy Stephens for the IBF Junior Middleweight Title. I refereed the Tracy Patterson vs. Hector Acero Sanchez for the WBC Junior Featherweight Championship of the World on ESPN in Atlantic City, and the NABF Light Heavyweight Championship between Merqui Sosa and Prince Charles Williams which resulted in a record setting double TKO. This was televised live where both boxers health was saved by my performance as the referee and my performance was continuously complimented on the air by the boxing experts at ringside.
14. I have refereed the Super Bantam weight title fight in Calgari Italy between Harold Grey and Vicenzo Belcastro and the Welterweight Championship of the World between Eamon Loughran and Allesandro Duran in Belfast Ireland. In each place I referee I have newspaper articles and films of the fights in which the boxing writers and commentators said I did a great job. I have refereed the WBC World Welterweight Championship fight between Pernell Whitiker voted the pound per pound greatest fighter of that time and Gary Jacobs of Scotland live on HBO.
15. I have been active with former Heavyweight Canadian Champion George Chuvalo in his anti-drug program in arranging personal appearances and lectures with George Chuvalo where we have both appeared on television and in the newspapers as helping the youth of our country fight drug abuse. I have provided all my updated community service background to the NYSAC.
16. **My performance as a referee is documented on film and in print with interviews with boxing hall of fame greats and boxing experts like Angelo Dundee, Joe Frazier, Muhammad Ali, Hall of Fame Director Ed Brophy, Harold Ledderman, George Chuvalo, ESPN’s Brian Kenny and Al Bernstein, Carlos Ortiz and many others.
17. **My character is exemplary as a winner of a Lifetime Civil Rights Achievement Award, Community Service Awards, I am a teacher at Marist College, I have won an Award from the Black Prestige Group for my Service to Boxing.
18. I have one sole low misdemeanor conviction, in a self defense case, in which I was attacked by 3 men, that self defense assault is the only conviction in my entire life, and the very lawyer who represented me during that trial was found guilty of professional misconduct in not representing me properly and failing to bring up the connection between the NYSAC’s former member Anthony Russo’s friend who participated in tampering with the jury.
**That very judge was disbarred for dishonesty and theft and that remains as the only conviction for a “Crime” in my life, for throwing one punch against three men who attacked me. The connection to NYSAC members in these cases is written in stone, they do not dare to use that reason for the denial of my license, nor have they ever.
This alone precludes the NYSAC from falsely claiming I am denied a license because of a sole misdemeanor conviction in a self-defense case against 3 men. I was to be denied a license because the tapes show I was to be blackballed BEFORE any false charges arranged, created by a police friend of the former Executive Director.
The only other conviction is for a non crime a violation for yelling at a former girlfriend of 8 1/2 years, in my own home. She was schooled to file false charges in a domestic case, by friends of Russo.
All charges were dismissed and resulted in my winning of two lawsuits. A violation is not a crime in NY or anywhere else. In both cases the friends of Russo were heavily involved. Russo used to be in charge of the Newburgh Mall Security and knew both female officers who were involved in creating both cases and contacting the Commission.
The Commission dare not use this either as a reason for denial as the charges were DISMISSED, and a denial would make a mockery of due process.
19. **I helped Hall of Fame Boxer Joey Giardello who sued the makers of the movie, “The Hurricane.” In the year 2000, I testified for Joey Giardello in Philadelphia. I had refused to choreograph the boxing movie “The Hurricane” in a manner which would have defamed the former middleweight champion by showing him in an inaccurate historical depiction of his 1964 fight with Hurricane Carter. I was Carter’s sparring partner for the fight and I produced records which established my written refusal to the producers to create boxing choreography which was not historically accurate. This position of integrity cost me the high paying job of boxing choreographer for the film. After my testimony the movie company immediately settled the case for Joey Giardello for $350,000.
20. In various conversations with famous HBO Boxing Judge Harold Ledderman it was revealed to me that Mr. Ledderman spoke to Ron Scott Stevens on November 3, 2003 and November 10, 2003 on my behalf but to no avail in trying to get some justice for me and fair play to have my license renewed after years of blackballing and harassment by the NYSAC. In the summer of 2004 at a fight card held in Middletown NY, Mr. Ledderman told me in person that they have “So many letters of reference, so much boxing background on me, they do not even care how good a job you do, don’t even send them any more, it doesn’t help, just be polite to Ron Scott Stevens and everything should be okay.”
21. In those conversations in November of 2003, Mr. Ledderman also told them that the referees they are using are not as good as me and it is public knowledge that they have caused ring deaths and injuries, yet the commission uses them again based on political favors and personal friendships rather than ability.
22. I pointed out to Mr. Ledderman that it was inexplicable that Chairman Stevens could justify using his close friend Arthur Mercante Junior in main events at Madison Square Garden and elsewhere where it was written up by various boxing writers that he was responsible for the death of fighter Beathoven Scotland in the ring against George Jones in Manhattan in June of 2001, by letting him take a vicious head beating throughout the fight culminating in many solid and unanswered punches in the ring until he collapsed and died.
It was during this live telecast on ESPN that the commentators like Max Kellerman were screaming for the fight to be stopped and the follow up news coverage of the death laid much of the blame on Mercante Junior’s negligence, yet he is continually forgiven and used in NY State by Ron Scott Stevens.
He was often used as a referee by Ron Scott Stevens despite additionally having caused other fighters to be injured in televised bouts of which we have the films. Mercante Jr. was voted the 5th worst referee in the world by Ring magazine yet is still not only licensed but used in main events and title fights in NY State because of his father’s political connections and Mercante Jr.’s friendship with Chairman Ron Scott Stevens and a former NY Commissioner, Randy Gordon
23. Furthermore I had written the NYSAC that Mercante Jr. had also been vilified by the entire boxing community as being an inept and dangerous referee who had almost literally caused another ring death through his negligence in the Pernell Whitiker vs. Huertado fight televised live on HBO. The HBO commentators like Larry Merchant and Jim Lamply said it was the worst referee performance since Emile Griffith killed Benny Kid Paret in 1962, yet Mercante Jr. was allowed to be licensed and used in fights again and again until he allowed Scotland to be killed in the ring resulting in a tremendous public outcry and lawsuit.
Some of the fights he was allowed to referee despite his continuous inept performances were the main event involving Lennox Lewis V Michael Grant televised live on HBO in which Lennox Lewis was permitted to violate the NYSAC rules of holding and hitting when he held Michael Grant with one hand and knocked him out while flagrantly violating the rules without being penalized by Mercante Junior.
The NYSAC was made aware of the film that existed on the Whitiker vs. Huertado fight and the Charles Murray vs. Reggie Green fight in which Mercante Jr. let Reggie Green be knocked down several times without coming to the fighter’s aid with an 8 count. The negligence shown is beyond belief yet because of political considerations Mercante Jr. is still used by the present NYSAC despite him causing a ring death.
He was used in a title fight in MSG in May of 2005 and many more times before by Ron Scott Stevens’ appointments. Furthermore, his negligence almost got Mike Dokes killed in the MSG fight against Razor Ruddock. While Dokes was helpless, Mercante Jr. allowed him to be struck again without coming to his aid.
24. I have consistently been punished by the withholding of my referee license for telling the truth about the rampant corruption and use of the worst officials which have placed fighter’s lives in jeopardy.
25. On July 28, 2004 in Middletown, NY, I spoke with Hugo Spindola in person at the fight card held there and asked him if I could apply again for my referee license. He told me yes and that the main problem was that they did not want me ever speaking out against the Commission to the press again.
I told him I would not and I just wanted my license back and have been respectful and polite in all my correspondence to the NYSAC. I have never complained publicly while licensed and was always a team player.
26. I called him the next day July 29, 2004 and told him I would be obtaining my medicals which are a great expense and the EKG the commission requires. He said to wait until Aug 31, 2004 and then get the medicals done and send in $50 once again. I did so and had my attorney sent in the fee and mailed my application. The Commission waited until October 7, 2004, six days before the mandated seminar to tell me that in the “Interests of Boxing I am denied.”
27. Despite all of this and my lifelong work in professional boxing the various members of the NYSAC have seen fit to prevent me from working the main events and now being licensed at all in the most illegal and nefarious way imaginable to punish me for speaking out against their biased conduct which has endangered fighter’s lives and has been exposed in the press and Manhattan District Attorney’s office.
28. These same Commission members Jerome Becker, Marc Cornstein, and former Commission Executive Director Tony Russo, whose friends are still at the Commission had been previously exposed by Pulitzer prize winning author Jack Newfeld and former NY Post columnist Wally Matthews in a three part expose in the NY Post, as being totally inept, crooked and biased political appointees who have ruined boxing in NY State and they themselves have no knowledge of professional boxing.
These people and their friends are still actively responsible for blackballing me and have participated in preventing me from getting a license from 1998-2006 and attending the referee seminars. I attended the Sept 2003 Seminar and was prevented from attending any others since. This after a meeting with Ron Scott Stevens and Hugo Spindola in which I cooperated with them, was polite and was asked if I would be “Loyal” if brought back. I agreed and they still blackballed me.
29. I have been denied a renewal of my professional boxing referee license by the above individuals who are presently in control of the New York State Athletic Commission. Despite my above referenced credentials, the refusal is couched in a phrase by Hugo Spindola that “For the Good of Boxing” I am denied my license application in its entirety. It is my contention that under the color of law the above Commission has acted without any accountability as a State Agency while in the control of the above persons and has denied my license for the most nefarious of reasons which I am prepared to expose in a court of law holding the Commission and each member responsible for their actions and damages caused me with such a preponderance of irrefutable evidence that any jury would be hard pressed to ignore it.
30. The Commission had held a referee seminar on October 13, 2004. Attendance was mandated yearly by the commission for any referee wanting to be actively assigned to officiate at professional boxing matches held for the remainder of 2004 and 2005.
31. My application was submitted in timely fashion with the most respectfully submitted letters and was denied at the 11th hour in a letter dated October 7, 2004 signed by Hugo Spindola. Mr. Spindola spoke to my attorney Mike DeLisa on October 7, 2004 and gave him no indication whatsoever that I would be denied a license and Hugo Spindola was told that we would both be attending the seminar. I then received the NYSAC letter at my Hyde Park NY address on Saturda,y October 9, 2004.
32. *******My application was previously denied last year by the Chairman Ron Scott Stevens telling me in a phone conversation on November 23, 2003 that the “Only reason my application was denied was because we have too many guys, and that is my decision alone, no one else was asked.”
33. The way this suspicious decision was arrived at and rendered unto me impacts on the credibility of that decision in 2003 and the fraudulence of the decision in 2004, couched in every conceivable violation of my rights. Nothing has occurred from 2003-2004 that would necessitate the change from “We have too many guys,” to the fraudulent claim, “For the good of boxing.”
34. As soon as this was stated to me, I called the Commission Attorney Hugo Spindola on November 24, 2003 who stated to me, that Ron Scott Stevens asked the other Commissioners, Jerome Becker and Marc Cornstein if they “Wanted” me back. Furthermore I was told that others at the Commission were asked and they did not want me to be given my license renewal.
35. He was told this information was in direct conflict to what the Chairman just told me as it being his own decision with no one else being involved. When Spindola was told by me the Chairman Ron Scott Stevens is on record telling me my license was ONLY denied because he had too many referees, as opposed to what the Commission Attorney was saying to me, Spindola became tongue tied and stated he would instruct Ron Scott Stevens not to speak to me again and that he the Commission attorney would only do the talking.
36. Spindola setting a precedent never heard of, had in essence taken over the role of Executive Director of the Commission and was seen in Middletown New York at the Orange County Fairgrounds in May 2004, taking over the role of Inspector, Executive Director and basically running the NYSAC overruling the Chairman’s position while acting as the Commission attorney. Spindola’s friendship with Ralph Petrillo, who was made Director of Boxing as a political reward, was upgraded to that position from being in charge of collecting and processing urine samples from the fighter’s for drug testing.
37. It is beyond belief if this is confirmed that his hiring was permitted yet he was still hired and appointed as the NYSAC’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, his friends and close associates still employed there and are still instrumental in denying me a license for telling the truth about their scandals, fighter injuries and ring deaths. Ron Scott Stevens, the present chairman is taking direction from these people, as the evidence will show in a jury trial.
38. **In 2003 after being told my license was to be denied I then asked for a hearing which was granted by the Commission attorney. He was told witnesses would be brought in to testify for me including boxing champions and evidence shown on film that they were using the most inept and unprofessional referees and that my record was better in the ring. Furthermore that former Commission members had harassed me for speaking out about the various scandals and finally that their use of their friends like Arthur Mercante Junior resulted in a ring death which I predicted in writing years before.
39. Furthermore I had written the Commission in 1997 telling them that I was told I would be blackballed for speaking out against the corruption in their choice of ring officials which involved their former Executive Director Tony Russo, whose friends as stated above are still active in the present Commission. The evidence which we have and are prepared to present in a court of law shows that once Russo’s conduct complete with taped recordings was given to the Manhattan D.A.’s office and made public, I was threatened by Russo that his friends would see to it that I would never referee again in NY and NJ.
40. I also have evidence from the Chairman of the NJSACB, who had called my home prior to me refereeing the Roy Jones Jr V Bryant Brannon fight I refereed on HBO in 1997, telling me that the NYSAC was not going to use me anymore and that NJ would have to cooperate with NY. The officials for the fights in NY were obviously chosen more by friendship based on political contribution not ability.
This alone precludes the NYSAC from falsely claiming I am denied a license because of a sole misdemeanor conviction in a self-defense case against 3 men. I was to be denied a license because the tapes show I was to be blackballed before any false charges arranged, created by a police friend of the former Executive Director. The only other conviction is for a non crime a violation for yelling at a former girlfriend of 8 years, in my own home. She was schooled to file false charges in a domestic case, by friends of Russo. All charges were dismissed and resulted in my winning of two lawsuits. A violation is not a crime in NY or anywhere else. In both cases the friends of Russo were heavily involved. Russo used to be in charge of the Newburgh Mall Security and knew both female officers who were involved in creating both cases and contacting the Commission.
41. Police friends and associates of Russo’s orchestrated three false separate cases in which all charges were dismissed (See Attorney Smith letter), except one self-defense charge of simple misdemeanor assault which was the result of one punch thrown in self defense by me against 3 younger and much heavier men who hunted me down and attacked me because of a legal dispute with their friend. Their family had a history of going out socially with a Commission member. Even a police officer can keep his job in NY State convicted of any misdemeanor, let alone a self defense situation.
42. That friend was a close associate of an inspector with the NYSAC. The Judge Tim Tamsen who presided over this falsely obtained misdemeanor conviction was disbarred for theft and dishonesty and lost his law license for life, after I grieved him with the Ethics Committee for his conduct during the self defense case. He deliberately did not preserve the stenographic record for appeal.
The Judge was seen by investigative reporters often in the company of the NYSAC’s director of Boxing, Ralph Petrillo, Russo’s close friend. Petrillo owns a restaurant near where I used to live and the former Town of Newburgh local court Judge Tim Tamsen who was disbarred and kicked off the bench was seen in his kitchen helping him cook. He can never be a judge again in New York State as per the Judicial Conduct Commission.
My own lawyer during this case was found guilty of professional misconduct for lying to his client so tainted was the sole misdemeanor conviction obtained through the collective machinations behind the scene which Tamsen allowed to obtain a false conviction. (See articles Times Herald Record as to the Judges disbarment.)
40. Gerald Stern the head of the Judicial Conduct commission acknowledged to me they had many complaints of misconduct against Tim Tamsen, and my file against him regarding the handling of my case impacted on their view of him as a jurist. The behind the scenes query of “Other” Commission member as to whether I “should be” licensed again is diabolical in it’s reasoning as it has nothing to do with my character, performance or anything but harassment, FOR FILING GRIEVANCES AGAINST THE DIRECTOR OF BOXING, RALPH PETRILLO’S FRIEND, TIM TAMSEN, THE EXPOSE OF ART MERCANTE JR, FOR HIS IN THE RING NEGLIGENCE RESULTING IN INJURIES AND DEATH OF FIGHTERS.
42. ADDITIONALLY THE CONNECTION TO THE FIRED TONY RUSSO IS EVIDENT AND BEING USED TO DENY ME A LICENSE. THE POLITICAL DONATIONS MADE BY THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE, CORNSTEIN, BECKER ET AL WAS EXPOSED IN THE NY POST. THESE PEOPLE ARE PLAYING GAMES WITH THE LIVES OF FIGHTERS AND ARE USING THE WORST OFFICIALS WHILE DENYING ME A LICENSE.
43. WE ASK FOR THE CHANCE TO SHOW THE FILMS OF THE REFEREES BEING USED, THEIR PHYSICAL CONDITION, THEIR BACKGROUND, AND THE HISTORY OF ART MERCANTE JUNIOR AND THE EXPOSES DONE ON JEROME BECKER, MARC CORNSTEIN, AND THE CONFLICT OF INTERESTS WHICH EXISTS WITH THE PROMOTIONAL BACKGROUND OF RON SCOTT STEVENS WHICH PREVENTS ANY FAIR JOB EVER BEING POSSIBLY DONE WITH HIS CONNECTION TO OTHER PROMOTERS WHILE CHOOSING REFEREES BASED ON POLITICS, WHICH WE ARE PREPARED TO PROVE IN COURT.
44. The former Deputy Commissioner Mike Pascale, Russo’s lifelong friend and companion can be seen sitting next to Ron Scott Stevens on 12/16/03, in a special reserved section for officials only, in Madison Square Garden during the Vladamir Klitchco V Kirk Johnson fight, also on November 13, 2004 working the John Ruiz V Andrew Golota fight in MSG.
45. *******DESPITE Stevens telling me that Russo’s friends were all gone from the Commission. It is clearly evident that my license denial in 2003 was not because “They had too many referees”, some of which were appointed after the commission refused to answer my numerous letters from 1998-2003 to get my license back.
46. It cannot be for the fact that I have but one misdemeanor conviction for self defense in which the appeal is still pending, as police officers in New York State are allowed not only to keep their jobs and pistol permits with ANY misdemeanor conviction.
47. Nor can the reason be that I have but one “Violation” offense for yelling in protest at anti-Semitic phone calls coming into my home, in which police friends of Russo and Petrillo had placed vicious anti-Semitic literature into my mailbox at my former home in Newburgh NY, which was promptly reported by me to the Department of Justice. The false charges their friends help orchestrate against me by a former girlfriend were DISMISSED!
48. The threat to blackball me as a referee in NY State which is binding on other commissions based on NY’s action, was reported to attorneys and the press prior to any false charges being filed against me and this evidence will be presented in a court of law.
50. The continuation of this harassment at the hands of Ron Scott Stevens whose position as Chairman is and will always be questioned by the press as a conflict of interests as Stevens is a boxing promoter and has strong ties and friendships to other promoters. This is consistent with his ties to former administration members whose conduct in using Arthur Mercante Jr. and other referees whose performances ruined not only fighter’s health but their lives too, as in the death of Beathoven Scotland, and the brain damaged Joey Gamache.
54. The damage to my reputation by this ongoing course of illegal conduct by the NYSAC under the color of law, has caused great anguish, embarrassment and damages to me as a teacher in Poughkeepsie, where in the very place I was awarded a lifetime Civil Rights Achievement Award and where I teach boxing, I have no explanation to give to my students, friends and family why I cannot referee a boxing show where I work and live.
I will actively seek damages for the almost 9 years I have been blackballed with no legitimate explanation given to me for taking my life’s work away from me under the most nefarious of circumstances and scandals the NYSAC has been involved in.
57. There are always misinformed fans who criticize referees for stopping fights too early and too late and I have always used the films of the fights I have refereed to show the reason which justified my actions, which is always the safety of the fighter.
No fighter has ever been injured severely with me as the referee. I have always kept an open mind and was always willing to help others and pass on my knowledge and take direction from classes attended. The films we have of Mercante Jr and the other referees the Commission uses are beyond belief and are available to show a jury.
60. On November 14, 2003 I faxed Commissioners Jerome Becker and left phone messages to inform him that I wanted them both to see the file I sent to the Commission on my behalf. I did the same to Commissioner Marc Cornstein. Both men were vilified in the NY Post as having no boxing knowledge and obtaining their jobs only through political cash donations. Both Commissioners failed to respond in writing or view the material sent separately to them, or respond in anyway to me before the Commission attorney told anyone not to speak with me.
61. When the Chairman was called by me to ask if they all viewed the tapes of my fights I sent them to evaluate my performances and read my background, Ron Scott Stevens stated to me on the phone on October 23, 2003, that they “Lost my file”, and the package I sent containing my background, fight films, $75 money order, another $50 money order, police certificates, newspaper articles etc,
After receiving it and acknowledging receipt of it on October 15, 2003.
62. On November 17, 2003, I received a letter from Hugo Spindola informing me that he “Made a mistake in telling me I could have a fair hearing.” No hearing was allowed for me to legally plead for my license because, he stated again at the 11th hour that “Only people with a license could have a hearing.” The viciousness of this ploy and the callous ruse it exudes makes a mockery of the NYSAC being a State Agency, as it has taken its noble legacy and digressed into a bias social club.
63. The following was also pointed out to Chairman Stevens and Hugo Spindola in writing and in person as well as the other commissioners. That the former Executive Director Tony Russo who was fired from his position is mentioned extensively in the various scandals at the Commission, notably the falsification of the weigh in for Arturo Gatti versus Joey Gamache fight at Madison Square Garden. Gatti was permitted by Russo as a favor to Gatti’s promoter to weigh in 20 pounds over the agreed weight. Russo faked the weigh in and was caught, yet let the farce proceed. Gamache was almost killed by the heavier fighter and received brain damage and had to retire from boxing and filed a lawsuit V the NYSAC.
64. It is deliberately and illegally orchestrated under the color of law that I not be allowed to attend the mandated seminar so that if I win a court order for my license to be restored, that I be prevented from working in 2005 because I did not attend the seminar.
65. The NYSAC, as it exists now and is classified as such in all the exhibits we are prepared to put into evidence by the press, has digressed into a biased social club for the sole purpose of punishing anyone who exercises their first amendment rights to speak out against the blatant favoritism and corruption therein, which has resulted in fighter’s deaths and massive ring injuries. Not once while I was licensed did I ever complain publicly to any outside agency while licensed. I took direction and was a loyal team player.
66. I have been singled out and denied my license for personal reasons couched in revenge. I had uncovered an unethical attempt to take away my assignment as the referee of the Oscar DeLahoya V Jesse James Leija fight held in December of 1995 as the main event in the HBO telecast. The corner man of Jesse James Leija Richard Giachetti admitted on tape which was provided to the Manhattan District Attorney that this plumb assignment was attempted to be taken away from me by having the friends of Arthur Mercante Jr approach him and the other corner man Lester Bedford to stage a false protest against me as the referee in order to give the assignment to “Mercante’s kid.”(Mercante Jr.)
67. The then Executive Director Howard Albert a lifelong friend of the Mercante’s was fired the following week. Tony Russo was given the tape recordings of this attempt to fix the officials in the most unethical preplanned smear campaign. He refused (also on tape) to do anything about it, while the wife of Floyd Patterson admitted and complained that he was making “Deals” for himself. This was also obtained by the District Attorney.
68. Russo’s scandals are now a matter of record, but his friends Ralph Petrillo, the present NYSAC Director of Boxing, and Mike Pascale the former Deputy Commissioner who sat next to Ron Scott Stevens as mentioned above in a reserved for officials section, appear to be influential among others for preventing my license renewal. Also, Marc Cornstein and Jerome Becker, both of whom were seen by me personally, are associated closely with Russo. Ron Scott Stevens either has no power in the Commission whatsoever or is according to him responsible for denying me a license in 2003 while stating they have too many guys. Now it is for the “Good of boxing”, while using a State Agency under the color of law to prevent me from continuing as a main event referee.
69. We ask these people whose background in boxing has been widely criticized as non existent to show cause why my license has been denied “For the good of boxing,” and I have been prevented from working main events and even being licensed while they use people who have killed fighters in the ring through their negligence, referee in grossly out of shape condition, and are political friends of the Chairman.
72. They have ignored my correspondence for years, have told me they had too many guys while hiring other people and ignoring my requests, and have taken away my life’s work and accomplishments in boxing by preventing my career from continuing because I spoke out against them and their friends while licensing and assigning referees with the most questionable records and underpinnings in boxing.
73. Finally, while attending the referee seminar in 2003, at the NYSAC offices, I was called into the Chairman’s office with Ron Scott Stevens, Hugo Spindola and Robert Limrick present. In a meeting documented by me, I was asked if I would be loyal to the Commission which I said I would, I was told by Stevens that I was “Only a sparring partner for great fighters, not a pro with Stevens himself never even having been a fighter, I took the abuse and remained polite, I told him I was a winning fighter with a much publicized knockout record as opposed to one former pro he had on the staff who had 2 fights and lost them both. Then I was told that there were other people there at the Commission who did not want me back, and they would have to approve.
I told him it was a State Agency and not a social club and that violated my rights of due process and the right to work.
74. The whole meeting was designed to humiliate me and test me out as a ruse.
Hugo Spindola incredibly said, “If you punched those men who attacked you, maybe we would be afraid you would hit someone in the ring if they hit you.” Everyone laughed at the absurdity of his remark and the ridiculous and incredible ploy of comparing that situation. They later denied my license in a documented phone conversation as previously described in which the Chairman said they had “Too many guys and lost my file they had signed for.”
_________________
RONALD LIPTON
Ron
Thank you so much for taking the time to write the above post. I sure wish that we here could do something to help you get the job your best at doing once again my friend.
It appears NYSAC Chairman Ron Scott Stevens has denied Ron his ref license for personal reasons. He probably hopes that Ron lacks the necessary financial resources to battle back. Stevens hopes that over time people will forget what a quality referee Ron Lipton is! I’ve written to both Brian Kenny and Stephen A. Smith, by priority mail, on Ron’s behalf. Kenny has responded to Ron and hopefully Smith will respond as well. Stephen A. Smith just received the materials I sent him this week, so only time will tell. Hopefully, somebody in the public eye will take up Ron’s cause. If members of the cyberboxingzone were to activity contact media personalities this would keep the issue alive. Let’s not let NYSAC Chairman Ron Scott Stevens wish that time will bury the story become a reality!
Austin
God bless you Austin,
thaks pal,
Ron
I am a little perplexed as to why this matter has dragged on for this length of time. The law can be used adeptly by those seeking to prevaricate and obfuscate in order to deny those who are worthy of recieving justice. It seems to me publicity is the key. If major publications start running stories on Ron Lipton's predicament and important figures within the boxing world take up the case then those cabalistic administrators in NY would be at least be publicly embarassed if they choose to remain silent and still be embarassed if media scrutiny forced them to respond to Ron Lipton's serious allegations.
It was suggested some time ago that Senator McCain be informed via e-mail & other messages. What ever became of that?
There are several reasons and more as to why boxing is in a malaise at the moment and one of them centers on maladministration.
Giving Ron Lipton's case a higher profile and getting him the justice he deserves would be one step in putting boxing's house in order.
I am a little perplexed as to why this matter has dragged on for this length of time. The law can be used adeptly by those seeking to prevaricate and obfuscate in order to deny those who are worthy of recieving justice. It seems to me publicity is the key. If major publications start running stories on Ron Lipton's predicament and important figures within the boxing world take up the case then those cabalistic administrators in NY would be at least be publicly embarassed if they choose to remain silent and still be embarassed if media scrutiny forced them to respond to Ron Lipton's serious allegations.
It was suggested some time ago that Senator McCain be informed via e-mail & other messages. What ever became of that?
There are several reasons and more as to why boxing is in a malaise at the moment and one of them centers on maladministration.
Giving Ron Lipton's case a higher profile and getting him the justice he deserves would be one step in putting boxing's house in order.
Thank you Ade for caring enough to post that.
For several reasons we could not get it into court in time. I looking for two hearings an article 78 hearing within 90 days of their next denial, and a Federal Suit V specific Commission members individually for misusing their office with the motivation couched in very personal reasons.
The more they let certain referees keep working, the better it is for the law suit with what we know.
I have told Ronnie many times that I believed that the proper way to get justice in this case for himself and therefore for the fighters themselves, would be for a high profile person in the media to take up the issue. Austin has the right idea and God bless him for taking the time to write those people. Great great idea and one that wont miss. Any spotlight at all in this issue will get Ronnie his just dues as he is right in everything he says. He has no shame under the light of the public media yet of course Mr. Stevens will look just incompetent.
Thank you Rock,
As you well know, if the people in charge were any kind of men, they would have responded to my respectful and polite correspondences over the years.
Respect, politeness, and truth mean nothing to these monsters.
When Floyd Patterson was the Commissioner, as a former champion and tough warrior, he still gave work to the referees who maligned him so badly behind his back and their nexus to the former Commissioner , their pal, who also maligned him so badly publicly such was his sense of fair play.
I did NOTHING to these people first, NOTHING.
The chaueffer for him who became Executive Director and whose best friend sits next to Ron Scott Stevens at all the present shows, almost killed Joey Gamache, in a fixed weighin. Steven's Director of Boxing is connected to all my out of the ring woes, and everyman sitting next to him at ringside has the most insidious political cash for a job underpinings it is impossible to get justice from such impotent scrags such as these.
I think my statement says it all. The tapes say it all. Like Al Frankin titled his book, "The Lies and the Lying Liars who tell them." You should see these guys sitting ringside, check out the films. You see Hugo Spindola the Johnny come lately Commision Attorney who never had any physical contact with anyone in his life, sitting there all pie eyed at being on TV, glorifying in his bought position of temporary power watching "strong" men fight, looking up at them in prebuscent awe while blackballing me at the behest of political hacks,
Ron Scott "Rabinowitz" Stevens, another total non physical person, a shill, an announcer and a promoter, making money off other men's physical daring, giving assignments to men who are found guilty by Judicial Conduct in NJ from EVER having the intergrity to be in a court, to another political hack ref, who killed a man in the ring and has a historyof injuring many through incompetence and political connection.
Jerome Becker, a former family court Judge who was exposed by Jack Newfeld as having bought his job, along with Marc Cornstein another child whose Daddy contributed hundreds of thousands to Pataki, for his job.
Death, injury, embarrassment, with writers on their payroll to cover their tracks. They are the cancer on boxing.
It is only the lack of funds which I suffer from at present that ispreventing this being from being FULLY exposed. The financial help I got had to be used to stop evictions, electric shutoffs and lack of food for a family of disabled people with me.
My day will come in court in the light and I will show how they caused my out of the ring problems, using phony judges who were disbarred, crooked cops all linked to them and joined at the hip. It will come to light.
It is sad I could not pay Mike DeLisa the filing fees last time. This will not happen again, and they will be exposed and pay for the almost 9 years of my boxing life they took.
Other websites have shown this, some boxing sites are scared. but we at the CyberboxingZone know what they did and the truth is the truth.
I know who is helping them and their name will be changed from accomplice tto DEFENDANT soon enough.
REMEMBER, I HAVE IT ON TAPE, ALL THE LIES, THE ORIGINAL COMMENT THAT I WOULD BE BLACKBALLED BEFORE THEY CAME OUT WITH PHONY CHARGES I BEAT IN COURT, THEN STEVENS IS ON TAPE TELLING ME, THE "ONLY REASON I AM NOT HAVING MY LICENSE RENEWED IS THEY HAVE TOO MANY GUYS." THEN SPINDOLA ON TAPE TELLING ME, "WE ASKED THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION AND THEY DO NOT WANT YOU BACK."
TOTALLY CONTRADICTING HIS BOSS WHO TOLD ME THE OPPOSITE THE DAY BEFORE. THAT IT WAS HIS DECISION ALONE.
THEN LATER THEY CHANGED IT, "FOR THE GOOD OF BOXING." YET STILL USING MERCANTE, SMOGER, AND OTHER FRIENDS, AFTER THE WORST SCANDALS IN NYSAC HISTORY INCLUDING DEATH AND BRAIN INJURY LAW SUITS.
best,
Ron
Mr. Lipton:
As a casual observer of boxing, I've watched some of the fights you've refereed. I can't think of a time where I saw you make a mistake that was so significant that you would lose your license. Morrison - Ruddock, Jones - Brannon, Holyfield - Mercer, Holyfield - Czyz, and Williams - Sosa 1 (what a fight!) are some of the fights I've noticed you as a referee.
I have two questions:
Why did you lose your license?
What grounds were there to keep you from doing what you obviously love to do?
I'm just not understanding why all this has occurred.
In my opinion, one referee who should never be allowed to referee fights is a guy from Texas. I think his last name is Cole. He doesn't seem to know what he's doing in there. He looks uncomfortable and unsure of himself. In a dangerous sport like boxing he seems to be a big risk. Why don't boxing people do something about him?
Hi Nixon.
look at the next to last page on this thread where you posted and you will see the full horror of what this Social Club disguised as the NYSAC did, why they did it and how.
Lawrence Cole's father is Dickie Cole who has run Texas boxing for decades and was a poweful ally of the WBC's sister organization the NABF. His son Larry who sells insurance always got the best assignments for all WBC/NABF title fights and any main event on tv. The situation is the same as Arthur Mercante SR and how Junior rode his coatails into one horror show after another resulting in injury, mistakes, and death.
It is a situation that is plain and simple, they love to be on tv and every string in the boxing book is pulled to get them there.
CORRECTION: TO NIXON,
it is on this page! Please read it all.
Mr. Lipton:Originally Posted by Ron Lipton
I just went through everything. I understand and fully grasp the political issues. I guess that stuff doesn't come as a huge surprise in boxing.
What I was missing was how you actually lost your license. In reading through everything it appears as though refs are required to apply or re-apply on an annual basis? In other words, refs don't have a license like a medical license or even an insurance license. Those licenses go on for years unless disciplinary action occurs. If that is correct, then it appears as though the commission has the right to decline or accept the application, and it can be for arbitrary and unknown reasons.
Is that correct?
Delete. This posted twice. Slow connection. Sorry
You have to forgive me as I do not know your first name, only "Nixon."
Nixon the former President had a sign in the Oval Office which was framed.
It read, "When you have them by the balls, their minds and hearts will follow."
I would have hoped that after reading everything, the outrage that you would feel would be enough rather than what they can and cannot do while hiding under the "Color of law."
My license "Renewal" was denied with capricious and lying responses as well documented in what I have written on these pages.
Their Illustrious Generalissimos, Spindola and his puppet Rabinowitz-Stevens, have lied and misused their office tremendously. Their history is so embarrassing, the men who hold office there, so embarassing that the lawsuits and scandals that are their legacy are written in stone.
The writers on their payroll, who write for other websites can never hide the truth of what they have done. It can only be exposed in a Federal Court.
There, a jury can clearly see that no matter what spin they put on the issues, with their bland assertions of official rectitude, it will not fly as common sense shows it is a blackball job and much worse. End of Story!
Based on everything I read it seems to me that a real good New York attorney could do a big time job on the New York commission. It does not appear that they have concrete accountability or a real objective way to judge who is a good ref and who isn't a good ref. It would take time to get past the politics and get to the heart of the matter, but I think it would blow a hole through the boxing world.
I agree that going through the mainstream media would be very beneficial, but I think there is an attorney up in New York who has represented boxers. I think he represented Lennox Lewis a few years ago. Like other lawyers who have won massive settlements, I'm sure he's been well compensated in the past and I would hope he would be willing to do pro bono work for the good of the sport. People don't like to watch boxing today because they see it not so much as a seedy sport, but as a seedy business.
Thank you for your thoughts and comments on this issue, I believe any good boxing attorney who committed himself to the Federal Suit based on a First Ammendment issue, which this truly is, would be able to prove very easily that after I spoke out about the tampering with fights, all the trouble started, and the nexus to the present NYSAC is solid.
It is a very strong case, and they have done much damage to many with this. Any committed attorney would win this in a jury trial and I would finally see some justice done.
thank you,
Ron
No problem.
Boxing requires a lot. Courage, stamina, quickness, intelligence, ability to learn and change, and to protect yourself at all times.
It's weird because today it seems like the first thing someone needs when they get into boxing is a good lawyer. If you are a fighter you have to be wary and smart so you don't get taken advantage of my promoters and managers. I never thought I'd hear that a ref needed a lawyer, but this case is proof. Boxing is getting more strange by the second. It seems to have it's own set of standards. A ref can be in a position where he has been good at upholding his duties, but can't get his license back. It's crazy. Members of Congress don't seem to be held to any standards:
"WASHINGTON - Capitol Hill police cited Rep. Patrick Kennedy for unreasonable speed and two other traffic infractions after he crashed his car near the Capitol, according to citation documents obtained by NBC affiliate WRC-TV.
The other infractions are “failure to keep in proper lane” and “failure to give full time and attention.”
Kennedy earlier denied being drunk, as officers at the scene indicated, and said his behavior was a result of medication he had taken.
Kennedy’s office on Friday acknowledged a police report was filed but said the Rhode Island Democrat was not charged in the incident.
“We have no knowledge of any citations,” said Kennedy spokeswoman Robin Costello.
Kennedy aides received the accident report Friday morning at his congressional office, said Costello, who is Kennedy’s spokeswoman in Rhode Island. They were reviewing it, she said.
Capitol Police had no comment Friday beyond a statement posted on their Web site, said spokeswoman Sgt. Kimberly Schneider. That statement said, “The United States Capitol Police are continuing to investigate.”
Kennedy was planning to return to Rhode Island on Friday in hopes of defusing the controversy surrounding the Thursday morning crash, including allegations he got special treatment from police who did not administer field sobriety tests. Kennedy has denied any favorable police treatment.
In a statement released Thursday night, Kennedy said he crashed his green Ford Mustang into a security barrier at 1st and C streets, near his Capitol Hill office, a few blocks away from the Capitol.
Medication blamed
He said that he’d gone home Wednesday evening after work and took “the prescribed amount” of Phenergan, a prescription anti-nausea drug that can cause drowsiness, and Ambien, a sleep medication. But he said he consumed no alcohol before the crash.
The attending physician for Congress had prescribed Phenergan to treat Kennedy’s gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach and intestines. According to the drug’s label, Phenergan can increase the effects of sleep medicines such as Ambien.
Ambien comes with a warning to patients that it can cause confusion, strange behavior and hallucinations. Also, it is to be taken only when patients have time for a full eight hours of sleep, allowing its effects to wear off, according to its Food and Drug Administration-approved label.
Louis Cannon, president of the Washington chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, who was not on the scene, said the congressman had appeared intoxicated when he crashed his car.
Cannon said the officers involved in the accident were instructed by an official “above the rank of patrolman” to take Kennedy home and no sobriety tests were conducted at the scene.
Kennedy says no alcohol
In his statement, Kennedy said he was apparently disoriented from the drugs when he got up a little before 3 a.m. Thursday and drove to the Capitol thinking he needed to be present for a vote.
“At no time before the incident did I consume any alcohol,” he said.
A letter written by a Capitol Police officer to Acting Chief Christopher McGaffin said Kennedy appeared to be staggering when he left the vehicle after the crash about 3 a.m. The letter was first reported by Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper.
Kennedy reportedly told the police he was late for a vote, but the final vote of the night had taken place some six hours earlier.
Kennedy spent time at a drug rehabilitation clinic before he went to Providence College. He has been open about mental health issues, including being diagnosed with bipolar disorder."
Last edited by Nixon; 05-05-2006 at 12:29 PM.
That's the chip off of ol' Teddy's block. He lost a leg to cancer as a teen. Could be presidential timber!
On May 13, next Saturday, Emile Griffith is coming to my house to visit me.
We are going for a two mile walk in a park near my home, and it will bring back memories of jogging with him so many early mornings in Central Park NY
I will try to talk with him about some of his fights although I know Emile's memory has faded after that tragic incident of the mugging in NY which left him severely hurt for so long.
I watched the Griffith v Rodriguez 15 round battle in L.A. at home here on DVD, the night Luis took the title and Davey Moore was fatallly injured by Sugar Ramos. Then I watched the 3rd fight in which Emile took the title back in MSG.
Luis Rodriguez was some fighter and body puncher, just amazing really, his elusiveness, hand speed, chin, and ring generalship. Amazing stamina for both Emile and him to fight at that pace for 15 rounds and not even be breathing hard.
We will watch both his fights on DVD, which will be a kick for me.
best,
Ron
ron,
the first time i ever saw emile he was in LA and had trained back down to welter to fight napoles. i walked into the gym and could not believe the body on the guy. i was still in my teens then and coming up with money to see a championshp fight was not something i could always afford so i missed his effort against napoles.
a few years later he came back to town and i was able to see his victories over ernie lopez and the then up and coming armando muniz. at the time muniz fought emile armando had fewer pro fights that griffith had title fights so the outcome with emile winning every round was not hard to predict.
please tell emile that it was a pleasure to be able to see such a great and finely tuned athlete. a real credit to the sport and a wonderful gentleman.
greg
I promise I will Greg and I always keep my promises.
I hope you saw the pictures that Juan Ayllon posted that I sent him in the past that I took of Napoles and Emile together with me at the Sahara Hotel in Dec 93 Vegas, and what I wrote about their meeting.
Emile really weakened himself for that fight and at his peak I really feel he would have beaten Jose thoroughly as he was so much stronger at his peak.
I remember his fights with Indian Red and Muniz. I always liked Muniz and thought he was a super gentleman and sportsman to all. Real class guy to me.
I still am going to do the story on Chegui Torres but since I spoke to him last in Jan 2006, he just disappeared, he went to Puerto Rico, came back, and his phone has no answer.
I cannot describe the feeling of having a great champion sitting there with you watching his fights on film and giving me the commentary to boot.
My kind of Valhalla.
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