With the laundry list of motions to suppress evidence by the defense attorney in the Joe DaSilva manslaughter trial, I thought now would be a good time to go back and take a look at police warrant on the matter.

One look at the affadavit and you can understand why defense attorney Eugene Riccio is trying his best to keep the jury from hearing certain pieces of evidence in the case.

Originally post on 02.16.10


Today, the Danbury Superior Court unsealed Joe DaSilva's arrest warrant affidavit and it document gives new details regarding the events leading up to the death of Luis Encalada Bueno, which includes what seems to be an attempted cover-up by an employee of DaSilva.

According to court documents, Danbury PD interviewed several people who were with Encalada hours before the incident.

Here's a summary of what witness number one (CW-1) stated to police (portions of statement redacted):

"On November 5 2009, I met some friends who asked me to go drink with than at an apartment on Town Hill Ave…I stayed overnight with some of the guys. At some point Friday morning (November 6), XXXX had to be taken to the hospital because he drank too much. After he was taken away, some of the guys left and as I woke up, I saw a guy known to be DaSilva grabbing my friend (CW-2) by the neck and shirt yelling stuff in English. I do not understand lot of English but I understood DaSilvsa was saying "Get the fuck out of here!" […] I got out of the apartment before CW-2 was thrown by DaSilva; I was starting to go down the stairs when DaSilva was still yelling and he kicked me in the back, making me slip downtime stairs. […] He yelled something like "If I see you again I'll kill you!" […] CW-2 and I wan towards the courthouse and Walgreens on Main Street, and CW-2 said something to me about Luis still being in the apartment and we should check on him. […] As we were walking towards the apartment, we saw Luis lying on the ground near a dumpster.

In the testimony, witness one stated that he seen DaSilva before because his office building is next to the witness' place of employment

I know DaSilva from where I work. I worked at XXXX for about 3 years and DaSilva owns the building I work in and also has an office near there. I have seen DaSilva come into XXXXX and have seen him around a number of times,

The arrest warrant also states that witness one pointed out DaSilva in a police photograph lineup.

Witness two (CW-2) also gaves his account of what happened to the police. Here's a summary of the statement.

On Friday November 6th, I was with my friends on Town Hill Ave. […] Sometime in the morning, I saw this guy DaSilva come to the apartment. There was also a second guy but I don't know him. DaSilva owns the house and we were not supposed to be in there. Luis was lying on the couch when DaSilva came in, he (DaSilva) was very angry, he was yelling get the fuck out of here, this is private property, he grabbed me and tried to throw me down the stairs, he hit me in the back and as I was falling I was able to grab the rail and stop myself from falling down the stairs. I think he did the same thing to CW-1 who has behind me. […]When CW-1 and I left, Luis Encalada was still in the apartment sleeping on the couch, I did see DaSilva of back into the apartment that Luis was in as I was leaving. CW-1 and I walked around to Main St., by the Walgreens and the old court building. I then received a call on my cell phone from CW-3. CW-3 told me that he/she found Luis Encalada on the ground outside Town Hill Ave.

CW-2 also stated this to the police:

I was with Luis the night before this and most of that morning, I did not see him fall or fight anyone. He did not complain about his stomach or any other illness. In fact, he was even dancing the night before all of this.

CW-2 also pointed out DaSilva in a police photograph line-up.

After verifying that 58 Town Hill Ave is owned by DaSilva, On Nov 6th, detectives for the DPD interview the owner of the Palace Theatre at his home in New Milford CT.

According to court records, here's a summary of what transpired (portions in BOLD were done by yours truly for emphasis).

It was explained to DaSilva that detectives were investigating a complaint by two (2) men that he assaulted when while making them leave his property at 58 Town Hill Ave. DaSilva just smiled and shrugged and said, "What do you want me to say?" He was then asked if it was possible that these men got rough with him and maybe he was defending himself. DaSilva stated "No, I wasn't there at all." DaSilva stated that about a month prior he had forced several Hispanic males from the second floor apartment, but that was the last time he was there at 58 Town Hill Ave. DaSilva stated one or two of his employees may have been at 58 Town Hill Ave. today around lunch time. DaSilva stated that Rolando DaSilva (no relation) was there to turn on the boiler and that maybe Joe Rodrigues was there also, but he was not sure about the Rodrigues. Joseph DaSilva provided his cellular phone number as (XXX)XXX-XXXX, and stated he is the only person to use this phone.DaSilva was asked if he was made aware that there were persons illegally in the second floor apartment, he stated no he had not. DaSilva was asked if he was in phone contact with Rolando DaSilva at all around the time Rolando DaSilva was to be working at 58 Town Hill Ave. He stated "No".

After interviewing DaSilva, on Nov 6th, Danbury detectives interviewed Rolando DaSilva. Here's a summary of what transpired:

Rolando SaSilva was asked if he was at 58 Town Hill Ave., earlier in the day. Rolando DaSilva stated that he was, sometime around lunch time. Rolando DaSilva stated he was only there about 5 minutes and did not see anyone. He stated he parked his white company van out front, entered the building, went to the basement, turned the heating system on, and left. Roland DaSilva stated he did not go to tthe second floor and did not see any Hispanic males. Rolando DaSilva provided his cellular phone number as (XXX)-XXX-XXXX, and stated he alone uses this phone. Rolando DaSilva was asked if he saw Joseph DaSilva at 58 Town Hill Ave., he stated no. When asked if he spoke to him via cell phone just prior to being at 58 Town Hill Ave., while there, or just leaving, Rolando states no.

Detectives then interview Brian Ferguson, the only legal tenant at 58 Town Hill Ave. Here's a summary of what was reported in the warrant:

Ferguson stated that he had called DaSilva's office from his cell phone in the morning to report running water in the basement.

Also on Nov 6th, Danbury PD obtained a search and seizure warrant to conduct the crime scene at 58 Town Hill Ave.

Items were located and collected. These items include what appeared to be a blood stain on the wall of the hallway outside the second floor apartment, what appeared to be blood droplet on the stairs leading from the second floor apartment to the front entrance of 58 Town Hill Ave. Also located and photographed were several blood like stains on the ground outside 58 Town HIll Ave., that appear to on the path Encalada would have traveled from 58 Town Hill Ave., to where he was found 2 driveways away.

As the arrest warrant further states, that on Nov 9th, detectives interviewed Jose Rodrigues.

Rodrigues stated that he was not at 58 Town Hill Ave., at all on 06 November, but he was there earlier that today along with John Doyle and Fausto Costa to empty and clean out the second floor apartment. Rodrigues stated they were sent there by Joseph DaSilva. Rodrigues provided his cellular phone number as (XXX) XXX-XXXX, and stated he is the only one to use his phone.

Upon further investigation, Danbury PD conducted a voluntary second interview with Rolando DaSilva in which they pressed him on his previous statement:

It was explained to DaSilva that information he had told both detectives on 06 November 2009 was found not to be true, on that date DaSilva stated that he had been at 58 Town Hill Ave., around lunch time, that he was there only a short period of time, that he was alone and his boss Joe DaSilva was not present. Rolando DaSilva also stated that he had not seen any men in the second floor apartment and had not communicated by phone with Joe DaSilva around that time. Some evidence to show these facts not to be true was shown to Rolando DaSilva. He was then told that he could possibly face criminal charges if he continued to lie about this information.

[…]

Rolando DaSilva stated that he was afraid and also felt badly about what had happened. Rolando DaSilva then provided the following statement: On Friday Nov. 6, 2009 I went to work at about 7 AM. I work for Joe DaSilva at DaSilva Realty, 288 Main St., Danbury. I do the plumbing and heating for Joe's properties. Sometime before lunch I got a call on my cell phone from Denise Archiere, who is the office manager. She told me that there was water running in the basement of 58 Town Hill Ave. I knew that I also had to turn the heat on. I told Denise that if there was water running in the basement, there had to be someone on the second floor. I drove right over to 58 Town Hill. When I got to 58 Town Hill, Joe DaSilva had just gotten there. Joe said to me, "Do what you gotta do." Joe seemed pissed off. I know that he was pissed off about the guys upstairs. There have been drunk, wasted Mexicans illegally squatting in the 2nd floor apt. I assumed that Joe was going upstairs and I planned on staying in the basement. I didn't want any part of whatever was going to take place.

I went down into the basement to take care of the water and heat. While I was in the basement I heard a commotion on the stairs. I heard footsteps, loud voices, yelling. The footsteps were loud but not fast. I recognized the voice that was yelling. The only person I heard was Joe. He was yelling, "Get the fuck out of my house," and things like that. It sounded to me that Joe was throwing the guys out of the apt. I had the impression that Joe didn't even want me there, so I just stayed in the basement. I came out of the basement after it got quiet. This all took about 10 minutes. When I got outside, Joe was already gone. This statement was read by Rolando DaSilva and his wife Susan. Rolando DaSilva then swore to this statement and signed it as Susan DaSilva also signed this document as a witness. During this interview, Rolando DaSilva stated that Joe DaSilva's white Ford pick up truck was parked in front of his (Rolando's) van on Town Hill Ave.

Shortly after leaving Rolando DaSilva's residence, detectives were contacted via cell phone by Rolando DaSilva, who asked both detectives to return to his home as he had more information to provide.

That upon return to Rolando DaSilva's home, DaSilva stated that he had not been completely honest during the prior statement. DaSilva stated that he is in fear of being fired by Joe DaSilva for cooperating with the investigation. Rolando provided the following in a second statement:

After the detectives left my house, I felt bad because I had not been completely honest. I talked to my wife and told her about the things I hadn't told the police. I then called Det. Trompetta and asked him to come back to my house. Have felt bad about this whole incident and want to get it off my chest. Everything was correct in my first statement up to the point that I got to 58 Town Hill. Joe did get there right before me. He said to me, "Stay out of my way," and went upstairs. I didn't go to the basement. I followed Joe upstairs and I stayed in the hallway outside of the 2nd floor apt. I saw Joe go into the apt., and start throwing people out. Joe was yelling, "Get the fuck out, get out of my house." There were 3 guys in the apt., maybe 4. Joe was grabbing them and pushing them down the stairs. I didn't see him punch or hit anybody, just push them out and try to kick them down the stairs. The first or 2nd guy in the bunch was holding onto the railings and holding everyone up. Joe was trying to get them out of the apt. I just stayed out of the way. Once everyone was out of the apt., I went to the basement. When I came out I saw two guys walking south on Town Hill by # 54. I think they were 2 of the guys that were in the apt. I didn't see anybody lying on the ground out front. Joe had already left. I don't know where the 3rd guy was. This statement was also read by Rolando DaSilva and his wife Susan. DaSilva swore to the truth and then sign the statement, which was witnessed by his wife. Rolando DaSilva was asked about the portion of his statement where he stated he did not see Joe DaSilva punch or hit anyone while in the hallway, he was also asked if he had entered the apartment with Joe. He stated he had not and does not know what happened in the apartment.

After obtaining the revised statement from DaSilva, the Danbury PD obtained a court order instructing various cell phone companies to provide details records for several cell phone numbers provided by DaSilva and other individuals who were interviewed.

Here's a summary of their findings:

That a review of Ferguson's cellular phone (his only phone) records show that on 06 November 2009, Brian Ferguson called (XXX) XXX-XXXX, the office of DaSilva Realty. This was a 27 second call.

[…]

That a review of the cellular phone records for the phones of Rolando DaSilva and Joseph DaSilva show that on 06 November 2009, at approximately 11 :55:41 AM, Rolando DaSilva's. phone received an inbound call from DaSilva Realty, this call lasted 47 seconds. Also the records show that at approximately 11 :58:25 AM Rolando DaSilva's phone received an inbound "direct connect" call from Joseph DaSilva's cellular phone. This call lasted 72.2 seconds.

That a review of Rolando DaSilva's records for 07 November 2009 show an outbound call to the cellular phone of Joseph DaSilva's cellular phone at approximately 8:56:39 AM This call lasted 238 seconds. At approximately 9:14:37 AM Joseph DaSilva places an outbound call to (XXX) XXX-XXXX, the home phone of Attorney Joseph DaSilva. This call lasted 38 seconds. A second call lasting 50 seconds was placed to Attorney DaSilva at 10:41: 12 AM.

After obtaining this information, Danbury PD requested another interview with DaSilva in which he declined.

The warrant concluded with the following:

That the affiant believes based on the sworn statements of cooperating witness # 1, cooperating witness # 2, cooperating witness # 4, Rolando DaSilva as well as the cellular telephone records of Joseph DaSilva, Brian Ferguson and Rolando DaSilva that; during the late morning of 06 November 2009, Luis Encalada was in the second floor apartment of 58 Town Hill Ave., Danbury, Connecticut with CW-1 and CW-2, That Luis Encalada was sleeping on a couch. That at approximately 11: 25 AM, on 06 November 2009, Brian Ferguson, the resident of the first floor of 58 Town Hill Ave., called the office of Joseph DaSilva to report "running water" in the basement of 58 Town Hill Ave.

That at approximately 11 :25 AM on 06 November 2006, Denise Archieri, the office manager of Joseph DaSilva Realty, called Rolando DaSilva, the companies plumber, on his cellular phone dispatching him to 58 Town Hill Ave., to address the" running water" problem. That at approximately 11 :58 AM, Rolando DaSilva was contacted by Joseph DaSilva using the "direct connect" option of his cellular phone. That shortly after 12:00 PM, Rolando DaSilva arrived at 58 Town Hill Ave., observing that Joseph DaSilva had arrived at that location moments prior. That Joseph DaSilva being aware that persons were illegally in the second floor apartment went upstairs to the second floor of 58 Town Hill Ave., entered the apartment, and confronted CW-1 and CW-2. That Joseph DaSilva physically pulled CW-2 from the apartment into the hallway, then struck CW-2 in the back, causing CW-2 to fall down the stairs. CW-2 was able to grab the rail while falling to stop from falling to the bottom of the stairs. CW-1 ran from the apartment and was kicked in the back by Joseph DaSilva at the top of the stairs causing CW-1 to also fall into the stairwell. Joseph DaSilva was then observed by CW-2 to re enter the second floor apartment where Luis Encalada was sleeping. Joseph DaSilva was alone with Encalada for a short period of time',· then observed by Rolando DaSilva pulling a third male (Encalada) from the apartment and push him down the stairwell. That according to Danbury Hospital records Luis Encalada was extremely intoxicated. Encalada was most likely unable to stand, balance or defend himself, tumbled down the stairs. That CW-3, CW-4 along with Angel, while walking on Town Hill Ave.,towards number 58, observed Luis Encalada on the ground in the driveway of 66 Town Hill Ave. apparently injured. That CW-3 separated from CW-4 and Angel to find help. That at 12: 30 PM Angel, using Lu'is Encalada's cellular phone called CW-2 and informed CW-2 of how they found Encalada. That CW-4 asked Encalada what had happened to him and was told by Encalada "Silva hit me." That at 12:54 PM,· CW-1 and CW-2 arrived at 66 Town Hill Ave., and, using Encalada's cellular phone, called 911 for help.

That the affiant believes that on 06 November 2009 at 58 Town Hill Ave., Joseph DaSilva struck CW-1 in the back, pushed CW-1 down a flight of stairs, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes. That on 06 November 2009 Joseph DaSilva struck CW-2 in the back, pushed CW-2 down a flight of stairs in violation of Connecticut General Statutes. That on 06 November 2009 Joseph DaSilva pulled the extremely intoxicated Luis Encalada from a second floor apartment at 58 Town Hill Ave., Danbury and pushed him down a flight of stairs. That the reckless actions of Joseph DaSilva Jr., on 06 November 2009 at 58 Town Hill Ave., Danbury, Connecticut caused blunt force injury to the abdomen of Luis Encalada resulting in the death of Luis Encalada. And that these action are in violation of the Connecticut General Statutes.

Although one is presumed innocent until proven guilty, it will be interesting to hear DaSilva's defense for the alleged inaccuracies in his statement to the police.

---

UPDATE: John Pirro was able to obtain some comments from some of the parties involved in the case.

DaSilva's attorney, Eugene Riccio, said the documents tell only one side of the story.

"Information in arrest warrants is, by definition, accusatory," he said. "It usually does not include the entire circumstances of the incident."

Riccio declined to comment on why, according to the affadavit, his client apparently lied to police about being at the apartment.

[...]

Contacted by The News-Times on Tuesday, Rolando DaSilva declined comment "on the advice of my attorney," but said he is still employed by Joseph DaSilva.

DaSILVA ARREST WARRANT AFFIDAVIT (pdf):

During my time in the Hat City, I've been a participant of countless conversations with people who go out of their way to give their take on the political history of Danbury...and time and time again there's always a reasonable chance that the name Mary Ann Doran will be referenced.

Who is Mary Ann Doran?

For a new generation of post-Danbury Fair residents, few know the full history of one of city's most controversial political figures...

When I first heard the name Mary Ann Doran, I was a student at Western Connecticut State University in late 1980s during a time when the city made state headlines with allegations of corruption and wrongdoing at the mayor's office.

From her role in the revelation of a FBI investigation into political corruption in the city, the role she played in the now infamous late night altercation/encounter at City Hall that involved herself, the Danbury Police Department, then Mayor Jim Dyer, as well as other political notables (you gotta read about that episode), and a whole hosts of alleged unethical decisions that could make your head spin, whenever you opened a copy of the News-Times during the latter half of '87, Doran's name was in the headlines..and most of the time, it wasn't a good thing.

To put it short, many who had anything to say about Doran are still dismayed that the current Registrar of Voters was rewarded with an elected position given her checkered political past.

A few nights ago, I had a conversation with someone who wondered if Doran's past was ever examined by the media. Although twenty-five years ago is a lifetime in political terms, in the late 80s-early 90s, numerous journalism classes devoted to the media coverage of the Dyer controversy and one of the most amazing write-ups from the News-Times at that time centered on Doran's political resume.

In July 1987, the News-Times published a massive investigation article on the political history of Doran (reported by Gina Brisgone, Ruth Lockwood, Valerie Roth, and Steven G. Vegh and written by Steven G. Vegh in the News-Times, July 24, 1987), which was required reading for journalism students who followed the Dyer scandal as it unfolded.

Lets just say that those yearning for a history lesson regarding the current Republican Registrar of Voters (who by the way is still very active in local politics as many consider her to be the real party boss among Danbury Republicans), the following article is for you.

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DANBURY NEWS-TIMES: JULY 24 1987. (to download the article as it appeared in the News-Times, click here



DANBURY - Two months ago, Mary Ann Doran was chairman of the Democratic Town Committee, an aide in Mayor James Dyer's office and one of the city's most influential politicians.

Doran, 37, controlled virtually all appointments to city commissions, according to City Hall and Democratic sources.

"Mary Ann is wielding power through all the commissions," said one source who knows Doran and Dyer. "Who suggested all the names to the mayor for appointments? Mary Ann. All those people owe favors to Mary Ann."

She acquired her power because she was a top achiever in a party that unabashedly defends patronage. Her 21-year party career, which started before she graduated from Danbury High School in 1966, has excluded virtually all other interests. Democratic insiders say she has never held a full-time job.

Doran won influential Democratic patrons, such as Norman Buzaid, the town committee chairman in the early 1970s who later became a Superior Court judge; Joseph Burke, a long-time Democratic activist; and Dyer. Their interests were her interests; and they rewarded her with part-time jobs in the state Capitol, private business and City Hall.

Their aid to her was unflagging, saving her reputation and career more than once as she blurred the boundaries of financial and political propriety.

Doran's late-night resignation June 1 from her part-time post in the mayor's office and her announcement that the FBI was investigating corruption by Dyer was, therefore, an audacious step. The FBI confirmed a Danbury investigation, but has refused to specify what it is scrutinizing.

By revealing the FBI probe, Doran triggered a flood of rumors that continue to immerse the city and have complicated what had been Dyer's likely renomination. Dyer has a re-election committee and so is an official candidate under state law, but has not announced his plans.

Doran said that if, as party chairman, she didn't distance herself from Dyer by resigning, the result of the FBI investigation could embarrass Democratic candidates in the coming city election.

But sources interviewed during a seven week News-Times investigation said Doran herself has been a potential source of embarrassment for the party.

Almost all spoke on the condition that their names not be used. They cited fears that their businesses and jobs, or their standing in the Democratic party, could suffer if they angered Doran.

According to those sources, Doran shirked responsibility while a clerk at the state Capitol, mishandled funds while a deputy sheriff and campaigned against Roy Costa, the Democrats' mayoral candidate in 1977.

Doran also suggested and accepted a $200 cash campaign contribution from city Planning Director Leonard Sedney in 1983 that was never noted in finance reports filed by either the town committee or Dyer's campaign, as required by state law, sources said. Sedney refused to comment on the donation, which exceeded the legal $50 limit on cash contributions.

Doran offered to be interviewed for this article last Friday, but agreed to postpone the meeting until this week, However, she canceled an interview set for yesterday and said she would be unavailable until next week.

Doran also questioned the importance of events a decade old, and suggested that the current FBI probe centers on authentic, important illegalities.

Doran questioned Dyer's perception of her, as well.

"All I can say is, why did he hire me if I was a bad person? Why did he keep me there if I had done so many bad things?" she asked.

Many people in and outside the party say they strongly doubt that Dyer was ignorant of anything Doran did politically before or after she joined his City Hall staff in 1980. A nit-picking, hands-on mayor, Dyer was Doran's close political partner.

But Dyer said he knew nothing about Doran's tarnished past until Sedney told him in April about the 1983 contribution. Other acquaintances told him what they knew only after he and Doran broke relations following the June 1 debacle, Dyer said. He said they never told him anything about Doran earlier because they assumed he already knew.

"I can't believe what's happening. Everything coming out now about her," Dyer said. "It's like I was blind. Nobody ever told me. When she became the town committee chair, I should have told her she couldn't work for me. I should have recognized the potential for the conflict, and I didn't."

The Democratic Town Committee elected Doran chairman in 1982. Frank Klecha and Theodore Goldstein, her two predecessors, said DOran earned the post by working hard and making friends in the party, not through any political power-broker.

Dyer agreed, saying Doran alone was responsible for her rise to chairman.

"I don't know if I thought it was a good idea, but I certainly didn't discourage it, and that's the mistake I made," he said.

Doran was still a student at Danbury High School when she began working for the Democratic Party in the 1960s. A devoted worker, she became the protege of Buzaid, who in turn, acted as her political godfather, even after she joined the town committee in 1974.

The relationship paid tangle benefits in 1975 when Buzaid successfully pressed stat Sen. Wayne Baker, a Danbury Democrat, to give Doran a job as clerk on the state legislature's Public Personnel and Military Affairs committee, of which Baker was chairman.

State records show that Doran worked part-time fore four months during the 1975 legislative session averaging 25 hours a week and earning somewhat less than the standard $4,000 salary for clerks.

As the committee clerk, Doran should have been the lead employee among the committee's clerical staff. Yet "nine times out of 10, Mary Ann didn't show up" for her clerking duties, said a long-time acquaintance of Doran.

Several former committee members said they can't recall Doran having any role.

"I don't remember Mary Ann, to tell the truth," said John J. Tiffany II, who was the ranking state representative on the committee.

Alan J. Mazzola, another committee member, couldn't remember Doran either. But he agreed with several former committee members who said a secretary, Pauline Larson, was their staff keystone.

"I was doing most of the work, I will grant you," Larson said. "Mary Ann probably could have put a little more time."

Baker refused to comment on Doran's legislative role. Other Democrats, however, said hat thy 1976, Baker and Nicholas Motto, a state representative who co-chaired the committee, were so angry with Doran's truancy that they promoted Larson to clerk. Doran was dropped to secretary, where she continued as a no-show, the long-time acquaintance said.

Before Doran landed her legislative post, she campaigned for Gloria Rice Clarke, a Greenwich lawyer who was elected Fairfield County sheriff in November 1974.

Seven months later, Clarke favored Doran by appointing her as a deputy sheriff. Deputies generally act as intermediaries between legal opponents by serving legal papers, auctioning foreclosed properties and collecting money won by plaintiffs in lawsuits. Doran started working July 1, 1975, and left on Dec. 31, 1976.

It was the money collections that brought Doran, and the local Democratic Party, to the verge of scandal, according to Burke and Harold Rosen, a Democratic stalwart whose wife, JOyce, was an assistant Democratic registrar of voters int he Third Ward in the 1970s.

Rosen said he began hearing complaints in 1975 or 1976 from creditors who said Doran owed them nearly $7,000 she had collected from auctions and foreclosures.

"Collections were a big problem, disbursement of funds: how it was disbursed, how fast it was disbursed," Rosen said. "That was the only thing Mary Ann was guilty of, slowness in disbursing. A thousand things could have happened between the closing and the time it (the money) was disbursed."

Several sources said the creditors who were owned money held by Doran were ready to file formal complaints against her about the time Burke moved to rescue her.

"Mary Ann never cam to me," he said. "It was other people who told me."

Alarmed at the reports, Burke said he first sought aid from a well-connected lawyer who called Sheriff Clarke. But Burke said he was told that Doran would have to solve the problem herself.

So he turned to Buzaid. "I went to Norman about it, and Norman was about to go on the bench (as judge)," he said. Buzaid wrote out a check for $1,200. The check was made out to me, and he and I went to CityTrust and cashed it. … (The problem) got sward off," Burke said.

The check was drawn on Buzaid's personal funds and made out by Jimetta Sanaha, Buzaid's legal secretary, who now is the assistant city clerk, Burke said.

Burke said he exchanged the cash for a ban check made available to Doran. He gave the check directly to Doran.

Her response? "She wasn't grateful, and she was pissed off at Norman for sticking his nose in it," Burke said.

Burke was active for decades in Democratic politics and campaigned actively for the late Gov. Ella Grasso and the late U.S. Sen. Thomas Dodd, as wells for U.S. Rep. Wilbur Mills, D-Ark., in his brief candidacy for president in 1972.

"He was very active in Connecticut and Massachusetts. I always found him to be very honorable in all his dealing with me," Mills said of Burke from his Washington, D.C., law office.

Burke, a former Newtown resident who now lives in Florida, said eh became good friends with both Doran and Dyer in the 1970s through the state Young Democrats organization. He said he aided Doran and Dyer in setting up a Young Democrats branch in Newtown.

Both Burke and Rosen said they were willing to speak about Doran's past because they are no longer active in local politics and they were dismayed that Doran accused Dyer of being the target of an FBI probe into corruption.

Buzaid and Samaha refused to comment on the incident.

Clarke denied knowledge of any impropriety and said she suggested that Doran resign from the sheriff's office because Doran was not thrilled with he post and should leave to open the job to someone with more enthusiasm.

Danbury Superior Court documents show the personal financial problems plagued Doran in the next couple of years.

In August 1978, the Connecticut National Bank sued her because she had never made good on $2,150 worth of bad checks she had deposited into her account at the bank.

Records show that Doran wrote three bad checks between December 1977 and February 1978, and that the bank filed suit six months later because she still had not paid them off.

In December 1979, Superior Court Judge Joseph Chernauskas agreed with the bank and ordered DOran to pay the $2,150, plus $41.80 in court costs.

Six months later, Doran was sued by the Danbury Savings & Loan Association for failing to pay a $1,205.46 loan she had taken out in March 1978.

Doran decided to represent herself in the suit, and in September 1980, Superior Court Judge Howard J. Moraghan ordered her to pay $1,435.11, including interest, in monthly installments of $100. He also said Doran would have to pay $55.40 in court costs.

When Doran left the sheriff's department, Burke, then a real estate agent and mortgage broker, hired her to work in his office on Danbury-Newtown Road.

Burke said his offer was attractive to Doran because she could do political work while on the job. That work focused on promoting George Massoud as the Democrats' 1977 mayoral candidate.

When Roy Costa, a Democratic Common Council member, upset Massoud by winning the party's candidacy in a primary election, Doran and developer Nicholas Attick devoted themselves to Costa's downfall in the general election, Burke said.

Boughton, a Republican, was elected mayor in 1977.

"She and Nick and I worked together on that fiasco," he said. "Whatever he (Attick) did, she had a hand in, too, because I was helping them too." Burke said they aided Boughton's campaign to snuff out any impetus held by Costa's supporters, who came from outside the town committee.

Anonymous letters circulated during the campaign suggested that Costa was a womanizer, and Costa was investigated by a private detective. Burke said he did not know the source of the letters.

Attick later pleaded no contest to violating state election law during that campaign and paid a $200 fine.

The Democrats not only lost the mayorship but 17 out of the council's 21 seats in that election.

In the aftermath, Democratic Town Committee members charged Doran with working for Republican candidates and disloyalty to the party. A panel was scheduled to review the charges and consider dumping Doran from the party.

Doran acknowledged that she campaigned for Kathy Sofia, a Republican candidate who won a Common Council seat, but denied working against Costa.

The loyalty hearing was canceled and never rescheduled soon after The News-Times reported that several women in the party said their lives were being threatened if they testified against Doran. One of the women said at the time that an unknown phone caller said she wouldn't be safe in her car is she spoke against Doran.

Public advices for keeping Doran on the town committee included Dyer, then representative for the state's 110th House District. Dyer said last month that he defended Doran because few Democrats were blameless in the Republicans' sweeping win and because forgetting the past was crucial to Democratic unity.

Led by a union of Doran and Dyer, Democrats regained all the top elective posts and most Common Council seats in the 1979 election. Dyer, as the new mayor, rewarded Doran in early 1980 with a part-time job in his office, where she remained until last month.

Doran had no academic degrees or experience working in city government, and her job was variously described as conference coordinator, constituent liaison or mayoral aide. Dyer said she was valuable to him in several ways.

"By having her here, I at least thought I'd know what she was up to" he said. "It would also give me direct linkage to the party. I'm still a Democrat and I still have to go through the nominating process and, eventually, the electorate.

She also "was a hard worker," Dyer said. Doran dealt with complaints from city residents, "and constituent work isn't the easiest," he said.

But as Dyer's aide, Doran had more than prestige - she also controlled all appointments to city boards and commissions, according to City Hall and Democratic sources.

Dyer agree that Doran handled appointments to the city's 161 commission seats. "That was part of her job - to find people to serve, including Republicans," he said.

But he denied giving her carte blanche to pick whomever she wanted, and said he always talked with Doran about appointments.

"I still was the appointing authority. There were people she wanted that I didn't appoint because I wanted my own people," he said.

Other sources, however, said Doran wielded commission appointments as favors or rewards to Democrats who pleased her. Appointees who didn't do what she wanted - support her choices for party nominations, contribute to party campaigns - were threatened with losing their seats, those sources said.

A Democrat who is a former commission chairman said Doran boasted to her that she controlled all appointments.

"In almost any commission that has any influence, that has any power, you'll find the same group involved; loyal Democrats who, shall I say, take orders," the ex-commission chairman added.

Often, she said, there is an unspoken understanding with appointees.

"All these people, to a certain extent, are required to be in fundraisers, selling raffle tickets. … Nobody says you have to, but you understand when the letters (correspondence from Dyer) stop coming in and your appointment stops at the end of the year," she said.

Fourteen of the 22 current members of the Planning Commission, Zoning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals contributed a total of $3,345 to the Democrats in the municipal campaigns of 1983 and 1985 and in the first six months of 1987. Of that total, $320 went to Dyer's campaign committees and $3,025 went to Democratic Town Committee coffers.

Zoning Commission member John Leopold said he felt committee pressure to conform after state Rep. Lynn Taborsak was not renominated by the party last year. She forces a primary and won to become the Democratic candidate in the state's 109th House District.

Leopold, who is the chairman of the Western Connecticut State University History Department, and he told a Third Ward town committee member last summer that he supported Taborsak. The member reacted with surprise, and "sarcastically wished me good luck," Leopold said.

"It's a matter of how you read the person's statement," Leopold said. "I read it as a threat, without a doubt, a veiled threat: 'You don't play ball with us, we don't play ball with you.' "

Leopold said he does not yet know if he will be renominated to the Zoning Commission.

Among the papers Doran left in her former mayoral office was a stack of correspondence from people indicating that she solicited contributions for the party. Dyer said he was surprised to discover those papers, as well town committee files.

"She had far more political material here than she should have," Dyer said. He said he had instructed Doran to limit her politicking from City Hall to "the barest minimum."

But sources said Doran's lobbying extended to trying to influence directly the recommendations of city planners and votes of commission members on zoning requests from specific businessmen.

They said Doran lobbied Wayne Skelly numerous times when he was chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals in 1982 and 1983 to look favorably on zoning variances requested by the Kovacs family.

The 1983 case involved land near exit 8 on Interstate 84 that Rober and Paul Kovacs proposed for a gas station. The 1983 case involved side yard setback for Frank Kovacs' office on Newtown Road, and ex-ZBA member said.

Skelly opposed both proposal, but before the ZBA took action on the requests, Doran tried to change his mind. "Give this guy (Kovacs) a hand, he's been loyal to the party," Doran told Skelly, according to the former ZBA member.

The Exit 8 proposal was withdrawn after the ZBA referred the Kovacs brothers to the Zoning Commission. The Newtown Road request first was denied by the ZBA, then approved with restrictions.

Dyer said he sometimes lobbies commissions when projects, such as a Toys 'R' Us store proposed for Backus Avenue, could cause problems for the city. He said such lobbying is part of his job as Danbury's top elected leader. Doran, he said, had no standing to do with same.

"She abused her position and did it under my name. I'd told Mary Ann to stay out of it," Dyer said.

Dyer said ZBA members Sally Estefan and Phyllis Garavel suggested that Doran lobbied the board members to support an appeal by Attick. Attick wanted to overturn a zoning permit granted to Edward Lashins for land next to lakefront property Attick owned and planned to develop.

Dyer said he confronted Doran. "She said she felt Nick was getting unfair treatment," he said. "I told her she shouldn't be interfering in such matters."

The ZBA members, including Garavel and Estafan, denied or said they could not remember being called by Doran prior to their vote on the appeal.

Dixon: CT Post:

The governor's Two Storm Panel adopted a list of 82 recommendations Monday morning aimed at preparing the state for the next big storm.
The top suggestion calls for "reasonable performance standards" for utility recovery and restoration.

The recommendations, in eight chapters, also call for revisions to state engineering standards to anticipate higher sea levels due to climate changes.

The report "strongly" recommends better communications between utility workers and management.
Also suggested: Better standards for backup power requirements and communication infrastructure.

Gov. Malloy released the following statement:

“We’ve been working on some ideas since the days immediately after Tropical Storm Irene, and we’ve been watching the work of the Two Storm Panel every step of the way,” said Governor Malloy. “During that time, we’ve been working to develop a set of proposals to address how the state, its municipalities, and its utilities can better respond in situations like the two we witnessed in August and October. These 82 recommendations are welcomed because they will help us make what we’ve been getting ready to propose an even better product.”

[...]

“We did many things right in the wake of these two storms, but when the margin of error is zero – like it was for these two storms – we have to do better,” said Governor Malloy. “In my time as Mayor of Stamford, we were constantly examining and updating our policies and procedures as they pertained to the preparedness of the City to aid and protect its residents in crisis situations. And that’s what we’ve been doing at the state level since I became Governor. I want to thank the Two Storm Panel for their hard work, and for helping us to ensure that the actions we take will have a meaningful impact on the safety of our residents.”

You can read the 82 recommendations from the panel below...will residents be willing to fork over the millions in cash necessary to address the recommendations?