It’s “The Sopranos” meets “Slap Shot”
It’s about so much more than hockey.
But it’s so awesome that it makes my cut in my Best Hockey Documentaries list (20 docs and counting!).
Trailer for “Untold: Crime & Penalties”
Watch “Untold: Crime & Penalties”
Stream “Untold: Crime & Penalties” on Netflix at https://www.netflix.com/title/81026438.
Ratings:
- My Rating: 96/100
- IMDB Rating: 7.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: none
My Review of “Untold: Crime & Penalties”
“Untold: Crime & Penalties” is pro wrestling meets “The Mighty Ducks” meets “Sopranos”
This doc has more mob ties than a Sopranos family reunion.
Picture this: 17-year-old AJ Galante, son of a reputed mob boss (Jimmy Galante), takes over a minor league team. Not exactly your Bobby Orr in the making, AJ, but hey, who am I to judge?
Not to get too Sopranos-ish on you, but some think that Jimmy Galante was the real-life inspiration for Tony Soprano. Both are involved in the waste disposal business and both have sons named “AJ.”
I love rumors like that.
The team? The Danbury Trashers. Trashers by name, trashy by nature.
Brawls on the ice, fights in the stands, you name it, they did it.
In the first five seconds of the Danbury Trashers’ inaugural game, a player drops his gloves to fight, instantly establishing the team’s aggressive and combative style.
AJ’s on-ice “talent” was, uh, questionable, but off the ice?
AJ was living a Scarface fantasy.
Strippers in the locker room, shady business deals, and enough testosterone to fuel a monster truck rally.
Interviews with AJ, players, even the UHL commissioner paint a picture of a team teetering on the edge of chaos.
But AJ knew his way around talent:
Capitalizing on NHL lockout of 2005, AJ seizes the opportunity to recruit star talent, including Mike Rapp from the New Jersey Devils, enhancing the team’s competitive edge.
And AJ paid well, including $10,000 cash bonuses for scoring a game-winning goal!
There’s humor, sure, watching AJ fumble on the ice is comedic gold, but there’s darkness too.
This is a real family ripped apart.
The mob stuff isn’t romanticized, it’s real, and it hangs over the whole story like a bad penalty call.
It’s got my favorite qualities: the underdog wins, crime, locker room drama, the FBI.
Just don’t expect a feel-good story about triumph over adversity. This is about hockey, sure, but it’s also about ambition, family legacy, and the fine line between winning and living dangerously.
Final verdict? “Untold: Crime & Penalties” is a wild, messy, and surprisingly compelling watch.
Thanks for reading!
Rob Kelly, Chief Maniac, Daily Doc