Boomer & Carton

cheekydave

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As a long time listener of WFAN, ever since I moved here from Boston in 1997, this bums me out. Never got the hate for Carton. Dude has Tourettes, ADHD, and a multitude of other maladies, yet is really upfront and straightforward about it. Mike is a Cheeto loving, bloviating, pompass ass, who is nasty to his callers, and moves the goalposts whenever you get him in an argument. It is an easy call for me who to listen to.

Having said that, Carton seems like a all in gambler, who loves the action, can I see him having done this eg selling fake tickets and committing fraud? Sure.

Now they can arrest Eli Manning for his multi millionm dollar fraud amirite?
 

bankshot1

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Boomer just mentioned it.

I liked Carton, even if he was obnoxious, he made me laugh.

How fucking dumb to blow what looked like a great gig with this scam.

Cashman probably ratted him out
 

Ralphwiggum

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I'm not a white collar defense attorney but have had some dealings with Federal investigations involving "white collar" crimes. In my experience by the time you are being arrested by Federal agents for federal crimes like this things are not going to turn out well for you.
 

Buck Showalter

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As a long time listener of WFAN, ever since I moved here from Boston in 1997, this bums me out. Never got the hate for Carton. Dude has Tourettes, ADHD, and a multitude of other maladies, yet is really upfront and straightforward about it. Mike is a Cheeto loving, bloviating, pompass ass, who is nasty to his callers, and moves the goalposts whenever you get him in an argument. It is an easy call for me who to listen to.

Having said that, Carton seems like a all in gambler, who loves the action, can I see him having done this eg selling fake tickets and committing fraud? Sure.

Now they can arrest Eli Manning for his multi millionm dollar fraud amirite?
And I feel exactly the opposite.

Been down here since '92, and although I agree that Fatcesa can certainly be pompous - he (along with Mad Dog) and Imus built (!!!) that station.

And despite his arrogance - he has "never" attacked or ridiculed a fellow host on the air in a nasty manner.

Carton on the other hand entered the fray like the proverbial 'bull in a china shop' and highlighted everyone's shortcomings.

Honestly, I have a bowl of snacks at the ready and will be watching this with glee.

I can't stand the loudmouth know-nothing morning host.
 

Buck Showalter

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Boomer just mentioned it.

I liked Carton, even if he was obnoxious, he made me laugh.

How fucking dumb to blow what looked like a great gig with this scam.

Cashman probably ratted him out
Must be gambling debts.

That and drugs (captain obvious here) are often the root of these fraudulent acts.

So basically - he's Syd Part 2.

Spectacular!!!
 

jtn46

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I can't stand the loudmouth know-nothing morning host.
I can never tell if this is a character, though. Carton has a great sense of humor, so sometimes I thought he just put himself in an extreme position so Boomer could express their actual thoughts with some contrast.

This is really shocking and unfortunate. He really had it made with that show and seemed very well-connected and set for better things. That he'd blow it to rip people off is just awful.
 

bankshot1

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Must be gambling debts.

That and drugs (captain obvious here) are often the root of these fraudulent acts.

So basically - he's Syd Part 2.

Spectacular!!!

Gambling debts with some Madoff thrown in.

NY Post has a story

http://nypost.com/2017/09/06/wfan-host-craig-carton-arrested-by-fbi/

“Boomer and Carton” co-host Craig Carton was arrested by feds Wednesday morning on charges he ripped off millions of dollars from investors by peddling bogus concert tickets in order to cover his own gambling debts, according to court papers.

Carton, 48, and business partner Joseph Meli are accused of running a Ponzi scheme in which they used funds from new investors to repay earlier investors and other debts, according to the complaint filed by the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Together, Carton and Meli, 43, ripped off at least $3.6 million from two investors, while on his own, Carton misappropriated another $2 million from one of the same two investors.
 

Buck Showalter

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Carton, 48, and business partner Joseph Meli are accused of running a Ponzi scheme in which they used funds from new investors to repay earlier investors and other debts, according to the complaint filed by the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Together, Carton and Meli, 43, ripped off at least $3.6 million from two investors, while on his own, Carton misappropriated another $2 million from one of the same two investors.
This Joseph Meli?

http://ampthemag.com/the-real/joe-melis-mom-named-co-defendant-ticket-ponzi-scheme/
 

Buck Showalter

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So here are a few questions....

Does this event hurt the WFAN brand?

Does it hurt Boomer's brand?

Both parties had to know that Carton had an issue(s) and was hanging with characters that were less than savory.....no?
 

johnmd20

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Carton is a jerk. One of the first hot takez artists to hit the airwaves. He's all sizzle and flash, all edge, and all BS. Seeing this happen doesn't make me smile, but it certainly doesn't make me frown.
 

24JoshuaPoint

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Shocking and not shocking i guess. i had no idea he had issues with gambling. I figured he was doing pretty well since the show has been on for a while now.

Are they still trying to fill Mike's spot and now this is another gaping hole to fill?
 

Average Reds

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So here are a few questions....

Does this event hurt the WFAN brand?

Does it hurt Boomer's brand?

Both parties had to know that Carton had an issue(s) and was hanging with characters that were less than savory.....no?
An interesting question.

I don't think it will hurt either brand unless it can be shown that WFAN or Wsiason himself somehow enabled Carton's fraud.

From a pure business standpoint, I don't see this hurting Esiason. (He just has too much going on in too many places.) And it may not hurt WFAN if they can pair Boomer with another host that has similar chemistry.

But the reality is that "Boomer and Carton" built a following over years, and it's going to take years for Esiason to find another partner that can rebuild the show.
 

bankshot1

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I would think that losing Francesa in the afternoon and possibly losing Carton (whether you like him or not B&C have strong AM franchise in metro NYC radio) will hurt WFAN ratings.
 

Winger 03

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Maybe a nice landing spot for Kim Jones - she is pretty even handed though maybe they might want some bombast with the mind mannered Boomer. Either way, this will be interesting to see how it all shakes out.
 

Vinho Tinto

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Losing their morning and afternoon drive hosts by the end of the year will lead to some sort of really expensive panic move.
 

Rook05

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Toucher and Rich's Monday morning interview with Boomer should be fun. Fred might actually roll in early for that one!
 

bankshot1

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Kim Jones is a solid reporter who seems well prepared, but she lacks heat.

Maybe Boomer does his buddy Phil a solid, and gives his kid Chris (who I think sucks) a shot.
 

edmunddantes

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Kim Jones is a solid reporter who seems well prepared, but she lacks heat.

Maybe Boomer does his buddy Phil a solid, and gives his kid Chris (who I think sucks) a shot.
Chris seems to be doing well on the Florio show. Not sure he'd want to jump to the morning commute and have to talk more than football.
 

cheekydave

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Jeeze a huge NO on that asshole Simms kid. I hear him, I turn the station, to me he's like Kelly Anne Conjob and her ilk, an immediate station turn, Might be when he said Brady isn't a top five QB when he lost me. Smarmy smart ass kid.

I get the dislike for Carton, guess I identify with him as a really fucked up person., who is pretty open about being fucked up, as compared to Mike who will fight till the last breath of air to never be wrong. Mike with Mad dog was excellent, he needed the Dog to tone him down.

That Carton was a degenerate gambler was pretty obvious, and degenerate gamblers, even when they are very good, always lose. Boomer will come out unscathed, and I fully expect him to stand by his FRIEND while not approving of his behaivors. BUTBoomer by himself is not enough he needs an edgy partner. Jerry Recco is actually doing ok this morning, maybe he will fill in for a week or two, while the station scrambles with deciding how to deal with this.

I see Carton getting treatment for his gambling addicitons, owning it fully, apologizing, doing jail time, then coming back to the air. They let that moron Sid go off the wagon and reservation about a billion times before they canned him. This is Cartons first offense, and yes it is a criminal offense, but if he fully owns it and seeks help and doe his time, he will be back IMO.

And Yes Kim Jones is fabulous, she is a superstar, she can even make Mike listenable, she is truly the goat in the horses barn, but by herself, as someone stated above, she might not bring enough heat.
 

Rusty13

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I see Carton getting treatment for his gambling addicitons, owning it fully, apologizing, doing jail time, then coming back to the air. They let that moron Sid go off the wagon and reservation about a billion times before they canned him. This is Cartons first offense, and yes it is a criminal offense, but if he fully owns it and seeks help and doe his time, he will be back IMO.
He might do a LONG time though based on the alleged amount in this ponzi scheme. The federal sentencing guidelines are brutal in this regard.
 

Vinho Tinto

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They will not hold his seat for too long. They have to sell a show to advertisers. A temporary generic co-host paired with Boomer while they wait out Carton's fate doesn't sound enticing.

Francesa is a stubborn fat big mouth. He also overcame a lot of personal tragedy and has never been accused of being a thief. Carton's personal problems are not an excuse.
 

54thMA

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Had a customer from New York busting my balls this morning over the alleged Red Sox stealing signs story, his comment was "Must be something in the water in Boston when it comes to these sorts of things."

Wonder if he sent the text before or after this story broke.

Filed under "whoops"...................or, karma is a bitch now isn't it.
 

Average Reds

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I see Carton getting treatment for his gambling addicitons, owning it fully, apologizing, doing jail time, then coming back to the air. They let that moron Sid go off the wagon and reservation about a billion times before they canned him. This is Cartons first offense, and yes it is a criminal offense, but if he fully owns it and seeks help and doe his time, he will be back IMO.
The guy is going away for years. He may be back, but his show will have moved on.
 

uncannymanny

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I guess I don't get the hate for Carton. He isn't a hot takez guy. Being a loudmouth does not equate to hot taking and he is always dismissing the spygate and deflategate nonsense and ball washing BB and the Pats organization. He drops the act quite often, for instance when he interviewed Jackie Robinson's widow last year or any time he's discussing one of the many charity events that he both supports and has started.

That said, this was stupid and it's usually what happens when you get into high stakes gambling.

I love Kim Jones and agree with the takes above. She is smart, well spoken, does her homework and knows what she's talking about. Does that sound like many morning drive hosts out there?
 

Winger 03

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Not to derail..... But there has to be a smart well spoken well prepared AM drive person out there, isn't there? I only know T&R by reputation but are they Takez!!11! guys or something better? That being said, I'll go back to my original point that Boomer and Jones might be a little too reasoned and measured for AM drive.


I love Kim Jones and agree with the takes above. She is smart, well spoken, does her homework and knows what she's talking about. Does that sound like many morning drive hosts out there?
 

dcmissle

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This is sad. I can't even imagine having a gambling problem of this magnitude. Every day of your life must be lived in desperation.
 

cheekydave

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This is sad. I can't even imagine having a gambling problem of this magnitude. Every day of your life must be lived in desperation.
AND damn I feel badly for his kids, at least 2 of them have Tourettes like he does, and he is VERY involved with his sons.
 

cheekydave

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Here comes the stories....

http://nypost.com/2017/09/06/craig-carton-ran-absurd-gambling-den-as-a-child/?utm_campaign=applenews&utm_medium=inline&utm_source=applenews

Carton, the shock-jock half of “Boomer and Carton,” has been a big-time gambling fan since his high school years in New Rochelle.

“I had run my own gambling den from my parents’ living room when I was in junior high school,” Carton wrote in “Loudmouth: Tales (and Fantasies) of Sports, Sex, and Salvation from Behind the Microphone,” his 2016 autobiography, as unearthed by The Ringer’s Bryan Curtis.

“After much nagging on my part, they bought me a video game console called Intellivision. It came loaded with a casino game, and I began playing roulette, craps, and blackjack. Soon I figured out that gambling was not only fun, but could also be an easy way to make money. I was a latchkey kid, so I started having my friends come over and play with me, betting with baseball cards, gum, anything on hand.”

MORE ON:
CRAIG CARTON
Shaken Boomer Esiason tells listeners of Carton's arrest on air

WFAN's Craig Carton arrested in concert ticket Ponzi scheme

Boomer Esiason adds twist to Francesa-Carton feud

Reckless cries of racism come at the cost of common sense
The operation kept getting bigger.

“[K]ids I’d never even met started showing up at my house to gamble,” he wrote. “I ran the casino for almost a full year. I was making serious money for a kid, and acquiring more sporting goods than I knew what to do with. When kids couldn’t pay me in cash, they paid in tangible goods. I could have started my own shop.”

The enterprise got shut down when Mom and Dad found out.
 

soxfan121

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WFAN should back up the Brinks truck for Katie Nolan and have her solve their afternoon drive time problem. Her hostage situation, I mean contract, at Fox Sports can't last forever. Most of Francesa'a audience would hate-listen to the show and she'd bring in new listeners from younger demos.

And then pair Boomer with Kirk Minihane. That is a comfortable transition for Esaison (from one bombastic assface to another) and keeps him from the "work" of hosting. And it removes a boil from Boston's ass. He'd do it because he's an ambitious jerk who would make the phones ring and Stern-i-fy their audience: "the ones who hate him listen longer, to see what he'll say next."

That's a huge bail. He is looking at serious, serious time.
Yep. That's mobster money.
 

JohntheBaptist

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Good riddance. Will Chris Christie now apply for this open position?
Nothing has been funnier to me over the last year than those clips of Christie on WFAN cosplaying as Francesa, right down to the dramatic pauses and strategies-for-dealing-with-a-caller-that-has-you-by-the-balls. This would be sublime.

And yeah, to echo said above, what a life. I get stressed out when I run out of coffee, waking up and having to manage something like that, with those sorts of debts hanging over your head, must be a prison of its own.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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WFAN should back up the Brinks truck for Katie Nolan and have her solve their afternoon drive time problem. Her hostage situation, I mean contract, at Fox Sports can't last forever. Most of Francesa'a audience would hate-listen to the show and she'd bring in new listeners from younger demos.

And then pair Boomer with Kirk Minihane. That is a comfortable transition for Esaison (from one bombastic assface to another) and keeps him from the "work" of hosting. And it removes a boil from Boston's ass. He'd do it because he's an ambitious jerk who would make the phones ring and Stern-i-fy their audience: "the ones who hate him listen longer, to see what he'll say next."
I'm sure hiring two Boston-centric personalities would go over gangbusters with the listeners and be ratings gold for New York's top sports radio station. Maybe if they can't get Nolan, they can persuade Bill Simmons to take over Francesa's show.

As much as I'm with you on wanting to see Nolan get away from Fox and have a more regular gig, it seems her absence from the airwaves hasn't been entirely wasted, at least if the trailer for the upcoming season of NFL Films Presents is any indication. It's just too bad Fox doesn't promote the show at all.

 

RedOctober3829

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deep inside Guido territory
The hedge fund allegedly defrauded of $4.6 million by WFAN morning-show host Craig Carton and a co-conspirator is New York-based Brigade Capital Management, SI has learned. The firm’s general counsel, Aaron Daniels, declined to comment.

In 2016, Carton and co-conspirator Joseph Meli enticed Brigade and an unnamed individual investor by explaining that they had options to purchase millions of dollars of sought-after concert tickets at face value, which they could then resell for a hefty profit, alleges a civil complaint today from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The artists Carton and Meli touted to investors included Adele, Justin Bieber, Barbra Streisand, Katy Perry, Roger Waters, and Metallica. According to the SEC, though, no such agreements ever existed, and Carton used Brigade’s money to pay off extensive personal gambling debts and an earlier investor. (Meli was accused earlier this year of orchestrating a larger, similar fraud involving tickets to Hamilton and other shows; his trial is set for November.)

Back in March, Brigade won firm of the year at the Absolute Return Awards, which recognize the investment world’s best-performing hedge funds. A Bloomberg report from January said that the firm’s main fund returned almost 23% in 2016 and that Brigade has more than $18 billion in total assets under management. The firm describes itself on its website as “specializing in credit investment strategies.”

Last December, according to the complaints, Brigade agreed to wire $2 million to an unnamed sports and entertainment venue company as a payment for future tickets, even though the company had never been contacted to confirm its supposed business relationship with Carton. Allegedly, Carton falsely told Brigade that the fund’s employees wouldn’t be able to speak with the venue company before making the deposit because its executives were tied up in meetings. Carton then called the unnamed company and told them to expect an errant $2 million wire from Brigade which would need to be rerouted to Tier One Tickets, a company he owned. The venue company sent the money to Carton, and all told none of it was used to purchase tickets.

https://www.si.com/tech-media/2017/09/06/craig-carton-fraud-wfan-new-york-brigade-capital-management-sports-radio
 

soxfan121

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I'm sure hiring two Boston-centric personalities would go over gangbusters with the listeners and be ratings gold for New York's top sports radio station. Maybe if they can't get Nolan, they can persuade Bill Simmons to take over Francesa's show.
Well, one Boston-centric (though tempered by national exposure) in Nolan. The other one is just asshole-centric, and that plays as well in NY as it does in Boston. I have no doubt KM would burn every bridge and cut every tie in an effort to piss off everyone.

Plus, we can disown him if you think that'll help. ;-)