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'Real Tony Soprano' Had The Rock And Triple H Turn Up For Son's Birthday

'Real Tony Soprano' Had The Rock And Triple H Turn Up For Son's Birthday

A.J. Galante recalled the time the WWE superstars came to his 11th birthday and how Triple H later broke his heart

Simon Catling

Simon Catling

A.J. Galante, part of the infamous mob-affiliated Galante family, has revealed he once had WWE superstars The Rock and Triple H turn up to his house for his 11th birthday.

Galante was talking on The Pat McAfee show while on the campaign trail for new Netflix sports documentary Untold: Crime And Penalties - which explores his ownership of minor league hockey team Danbury Trashers, having been gifted it by his father when he was just 17 years old.

One of the best stories that came out of the chat though was his anecdote that Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson - now of course one of the highest paid actors in the world - as well as multiple-time WWE champion and now-Executive Vice President HHH dropped in for his birthday.

Eventual Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels and the pioneering Chyna were among the other attendees.

Social media were stunned at this. One user wrote: "Y'all seen this Untold: Crime and Penalties? This mobster's kid had The Rock, Triple H, and Chyna at his bday party at wrestling's peak, now that's ballin."

A.J.'s father was Jimmy Galante, who ran a garbage removal empire and had links with local mafia families.

In 2008, he was sentenced to seven years in prison for racketeering, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and defrauding the IRS.

Fictional mob boss Tony Soprano was reportedly modelled on Jimmy.

Another added: "Watching Untold: Crime and Penalties on @netflix wondering if @TheRock and @TripleH still do birthday parties. Fee might be a little higher these days though."

Netflix

Galante said he wasn't sure how it was organised - although he suspected his father's connection with veteran wrestler Lou Albano might have had something to do with it - but he and his friends were stunned when the wrestlers showed up.

He said: "This was when Triple H was Hunter Hearst Helmsley, The Rock was Rocky Maivia, they weren't there yet, they were like mid-card guys.

"There was a big show in Connecticut the day of my birthday party. I don't know how it was arranged but they came to the pool and it was insane and then we went to the show in New Haven later that night. It was crazy."

Galante remembered Johnson as 'a sweet guy, but very quiet' to the point where he was getting ribbed by Triple H.

He said: "Triple H was breaking his balls, he was like 'Rocky you going to talk to the birthday boy? Say something!'"

He also remembered being fixated by Chyna eating 'nine hamburgers in an hour'. However, it was Triple H who'd break his heart later at the show itself.

Netflix

He said: "Triple H is at the birthday party taking pictures, talking, funny, breaking balls. We go to the show. We're sitting front row... Triple H at the time's a bad guy.

"All the other guys who were at the birthday party had their matches and they're slapping us five, they're all baby faces so I'm like 'I'm the guy'.

"Triple H comes out with Chyna and they're heels and I'm like, 'yeah Triple H! Come here!' He comes over and gets dead in front of me, gets close to me, 'you sit your a** down you already had your pictures. Sit your ass down and shut your mouth.'"

As an 11-year-old he was stunned, but his dad explained to him that Triple H was playing heel - and ultimately it made Galante respect him more.

He said: "He broke my heart and I'll never forget it, but he actually made me love bad guys. From that point on I always cheered for the heels."

Featured Image Credit: Netflix

Topics: TV and Film, The Rock, Wrestling, Netflix