Officials deny hiring company

The former mayor said he doesn't know how his signature got on the contract.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
and DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- The man who leases Avalon South Golf Course says he had no involvement in hiring the construction company that demolished the course clubhouse.
Tony Joy, operator of the city-owned golf course since 1989, said not only did he not hire the company, he only learned last year that South Main Sand and Gravel was the company that did the demolition.
"When I was talking to an FBI agent, I showed them pictures of the demolition and they told me who the people were," Joy said. "I had no idea. The city hired the company. I had nothing to do with it."
The father and son who owned the now-defunct Warren construction company are accused in a federal bill of information of paying an unidentified city official $70,000 to obtain more than $770,000 in contracts.
Dante Massacci Jr., 33, of Shadowood Lane, Howland, and Dante Massacci Sr., 79, of Central Parkway Avenue S.E., Warren, are charged with one count each of conspiracy to interfere with commerce.
The charge carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The eight-page information, which was filed in federal court Thursday, says the Massaccis obtained six public and private contracts, including construction of the Avalon South clubhouse.
Contract with T & amp;J
Federal officials say the city entered into a contract with T & amp;J Construction but the Massaccis did the work.
Once the contract was signed, the Massaccis demolished the building and were paid $4,000 to $5,000. They then paid a city official $2,000, the government says.
The FBI has not identified the city official.
Joy said he was surprised by the allegations.
He said he does not know what city official the Massaccis paid.
"In 1994 I had decided that I wanted to remodel the clubhouse, and Dave Robison from the city told me I could build one for about the same price as remodeling," Joy recalled in an exclusive interview with The Vindicator.
Joy contends construction of the clubhouse was orchestrated by city officials, who deny that.
City records obtained by The Vindicator show that in November 1994, before Joy's deciding if he was going to build a new clubhouse, Robison received a letter from a local architect giving officials an estimate for a new clubhouse.
The letter indicates Robison requested the information. Robinson is the city's director of engineering, planning and building and director of community development.
City letter
A Jan. 3, 1995, letter from Robison informs city officials a clubhouse will be built and the city will bid all proposed work in accordance with state law.
State law requires that all contracts over $15,000 be put out for formal bid.
Joy and his attorney, Richard Schwartz, noted Joy did not apply for the loan for the new clubhouse until Jan. 12.
Joy said even though he applied for the loan, he felt the clubhouse was the city's.
A copy of the contract shows it was signed in March 1995 by Dan Sferra, then mayor, and Jim Nicolaus of T & amp;J Construction.
Sferra, now state representative for the 66th District, says he doesn't recall the contract.
"Tony Joy went to council because he wanted the city to co-sign the loan," Sferra said. "He spends tens of thousands of dollars out there for fertilizer."
Sferra didn't offer an explanation of how his signature got on the contract.
"I don't have a clue," he said. "It was never bid through the city."
Law director Greg Hicks says he had no knowledge of the contract.
Under state law, all city contracts must have a signature from the auditor, saying that there are sufficient funds to pay for it, and from the law director, saying it's correct and legal, Hicks said.
Without those, it's not valid, he said. The clubhouse contract has neither.
sinkovich@vindy.com
dick@vindy.com