Bennett Salvatore

Bennett Salvatore (born January 9, 1950 in Stamford, Connecticut)[1] is a former professional basketball referee in the National Basketball Association (NBA). At his retirement after the 2014-15 NBA season, Salvatore had officiated 1,520 regular season games.[2]

Bennett Salvatore

Early life

Salvatore has lived his entire life in Stamford, Connecticut. He was a two sport athlete in high school, playing baseball and football.[1] He earned All-American and All-State honors as a quarterback in 1967 playing at C.W. Post.[1]

NBA Referee

Salvatore became infamous with NBA fans for a key call against Dirk Nowitzki in Game 5 of the 2006 NBA Finals, after which Dallas owner Mark Cuban held one of the angriest press conferences in NBA history, laying blame on Salvatore for his team's loss.[3]

Owner

Salvatore was the principal owner of Bennett's, a steakhouse in Stamford, Connecticut.[4] One of his most intense athletic rivals in Stamford, and a lifelong friend, is former MLB manager Bobby Valentine. Valentine owns a competing restaurant in Stamford.

On October 8, 2010, Salvatore closed the doors on Bennett's, choosing to retire from his career as a restaurant owner.[5]

Income tax fraud

In 2000, he was sentenced to a year of probation, 150 hours of community service and a fine of $500 for his role in airline ticket fraud. He pleaded guilty in a New Haven federal court on July 26, 2000 to filing a false tax return with the Internal Revenue Service for the tax year 1993.[6]

References
  1. "Bennett Salvatore #15". National Basketball Referees Association. 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-04-25. Retrieved 2008-05-12.
  2. Simmons, Bill. "sports.espn.go.com". ESPN. Retrieved 2008-05-12.
  3. "sports.espn.go.com". ESPN. 13 November 2007.
  4. When Steak Is What the Party Wants, March 31, 2006
  5. "Landmark Stamford steakhouse hangs up its chops". 8 October 2010.
  6. PLUS: PRO BASKETBALL; REF SENTENCED, October 17, 2000
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