ARTICLE FROM THE APRIL 5 EDITION OF THE BROOKLYN DAILY EAGLE
John Dalli (right) and Joe Carola (center) organized a New York City versus Long Island bar association hockey match with Hon. Alan Scheinkman (left) that raised money for the Fisher House Foundation. Eagle photo by Rob Abruzzese
Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division, Second Department skates too
After the New York Islanders clinched a playoff spot by beating the Sabres at the Nassau Coliseum on Saturday, lawyers from New York City and Long Island faced off against each other and raised more than $10,000 in a charity hockey match.
Brooklyn attorney John Dalli, a member of the Columbian Lawyers Association and Catholic Lawyers Guild, helped to organize the event that was the idea of Queens attorney Joe Carola. Hon. Alan Scheinkman, presiding justice of the Appellate Division, Second Department, skated for the New York City team.
Hon. Angela Iannacci and Hon. Anthony Cannataro. Eagle photo by Rob Abruzzese
“Joe Carola called me and told me that he was looking to put a charity hockey game together,” Dalli said. “The Coliseum agreed to let us have it here after an Islanders game if we sold a certain amount of tickets. We decided to make it New York City bar attorneys versus Long Island bar attorneys and we got a tremendous response. We ended up having a waiting list of players.”
Dalli and Carola managed to sell 250 tickets. The Islanders donated a portion of the price of each ticket to the Fisher House Foundation, and Dalli and Carola also raised donations from players. Lexitas, formerly Deitz and Barrister Court Reporting, donated money and jerseys for the players to wear. In total, Dalli said, approximately $10,000 was raised.
From left: Brian Stoddard, Jim Baydar, Hon. Angela Iannacci and Annamarie Bondi-Stoddard. Eagle photo by Rob Abruzzese
Mark Horowitz, from Lexitas, Hon. Anthony Cannataro and John Dalli. Eagle photo by Rob Abruzzese
The Long Island team managed to beat the New York City team, but Dalli explained that he was so encouraged by the money raised and the response from the players that he wants to host the event again next year. He said he was thrilled to get such a strong response and was especially happy to have Justice Scheinkman on the ice with him.
“When Justice Angela Iannacci called me and suggested I invite Justice Scheinkman, I thought she meant get him a ticket to the [Islanders] game,” Dalli said. “When she told me he played, I called him right away and he didn’t hesitate to accept.
Players wait for the zamboni to finish cleaning the ice before they start skating. Eagle photo by Rob Abruzzese
Mark Horowitz dropped the puck before the game. Eagle photo by Rob Abruzzese
“Justice Scheinkman and I did have a fight over the No. 7,” Dalli admitted. “We both idolize Rod Gilbert, but he lost that fight. Since I organized it, I was able to give myself the number.”
Justice Scheinkman grew up playing pond hockey and club hockey in New Rochelle. He explained that playing hockey has become an important part of his routine since he’s become presiding justice.
Not something you see the average Appellate Division presiding justice doing. Eagle photo by Rob Abruzzese
“For a couple of years, I was on two teams and played pickup on Saturdays,” said Scheinkman, who has a partial-season ticket package to watch the Rangers. “When I ran for judge in 2006, I stopped for a while because campaigning took up so much of my time.
“When I got the job as presiding judge, I started putting on weight, and I put on more weight than I should have,” Scheinkman said. “I had suits that I couldn’t even wear. When I realized that, I really made a concerted effort to lose weight. Now I try to play once a week. I don’t know how much longer I can do it, but I love the sport. I enjoy the camaraderie with the other players. I love just being out on the ice and I love going to games.”
The judge’s strategy for keeping up with the attorneys? “Stay alive,” he joked.
John Dalli handling the puck. Eagle photo by Rob Abruzzese
Justice Alan Scheinkman likes to clog the front of the net. Eagle photo by Rob Abruzzese
The hockey match was organized by Dalli and Carola, but Dalli explained that Lisa M. Baldi was instrumental in putting everything together and called her the backbone of the event for coordinating everything with the Islanders and the charity.
The Fisher House Foundation is a charity that provides housing to members of the military and veterans and their families while they are receiving treatment at VA hospitals.
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