
The North End Christmas Parade will take a year off in 2017 as a leader of the organizing group, North End Athletic Association (NEAA), was named in reports for the misuse of state resources. Longtime NEAA volunteer Robert “Teddy” Tomasone, is retiring as clerk magistrate from Somerville District Court amid the accusations, according to a court spokesperson.
NEAA officials said there was not enough time for someone else to take over this year’s North End Christmas Parade, but they are hopeful that the 46-year-old tradition will return next year.
The NEAA was one of two organizations named in reports that Tomasone allegedly worked on with his secretary during court time, resulting in a suspension and investigation. The other group named was the Committee for Better Government.
Tomasone’s charity work in the North End is well-known and he has received several awards for his years of community service. The NEAA organizes little league baseball and soccer programs for hundreds of local youths.
Santa arriving by helicopter is the highlight of the North End Christmas Parade, drawing thousands to the event that usually takes place in early December as part of local holiday festivities.
So b/cause of his whatever, nobody else can carry this on?? Shameful all I can say.. Tell your little ones oh Santa cancelled the North End Parade, yeah right
Going to be tough explaining to grandkids
Now he has to fight to save his pension which would be over 75 g
Growing up in the North End the Christmas Parade was all we had as kids, It started as far back as I can remember w/Uncle Fred Carangelo God Rest his soul after his passing the baton was passed to Teddy who if NOT for Teddy us North End kids would have nothing, he raised funds to the best of his ability to give us sports, a place to gather (NBSIB,Bath House ect..)and to have what other surrounding neighborhoods equally shared a community. It is alleged that one of his own (North Ender) gave him up, how else would this story end a sorry a** individual. In ending I thank you Teddy for giving us kids a chance to succeed.
Dear Original North Ender……..I myself am a Female North Ender…….never played sports but TOTALLY AGREE WITH EACH AND EVERY WORD YOU POSTED!!!!! Teddy was ALWAYS there for everyone in need!!!! We all make mistakes in life!!! I am more than SURE that he DID NOT KILL ANYONE!!!!! So be it for this year and look at ALL THE PREVIOUS YEARS and the ENJOYMENT WE ALL HAD……….FROM TEDDY!!!!!
Why does it matter who reported this?
If true, having government staff while paid by taxpayers work on non profit business is not allowed or legal. We should all look out for fraud and abuse, whether it’s by someone we know or not.
Thankful for all the work of the NEAA, but if this is how some things are done, leadership team needs some new blood.
Frank, I agree with you 100 percent.
Find it hard to believe it can’t happen! Teddy is 1 person and not a reflection of the NEAA and the NE community. His actions shouldn’t result in the children being denied a 40+ yr tradition. How can we Save this Parade???
Unlike many others Teddy never forgot where he came from and always gave back.
The time and money that it took to find a qualified and thoughtful man presumed guilty of this is ludicrous !!!!
There are many generous people here in the North End that donate their own time and money just for the sake of making their community happy with some enjoyment !!! Now do they have to be punished for this ?? Jealousy !!!! Small minded people!!! SHAMEFUL !!!
Teddy ALWAYS went above and beyond ~~~ON HIS OWN TIME!!!! And AGAIN the North End looses out !!!!!!
Not to mention this man’s reputation and trust has gone down the tubes ???
Not with us, Teddy~~~you deserve every award you have received~~~AND MORE !!!
Served on a Board with Teddy. He always gave his very best and his volunteering was endless. He dedicated so much time for the youth of the NE? I really appreciate all he did . Everyone makes mistakes. No need to throw stones! How quickly we forget.
Amen to that.
Teddy is a. great guy! Thank you for all the wonderful years.
In the 70s teddy was very good to all the teenagers getting jobs after school and summer jobs that if we didnt get the jobs kids from other parts of the city would of gotten,, teddy always took care of the kids the adults and involved himself in helpuing people,, so some jeoulas person who didnt get the job he wanted decided to rat teddy out? He is nno better ,,teddy never stole money mkilled anybody or hurt anybody,, as he was passed the baton from fred carangelo s ok me one take the baton from him to dk t th e psrade and all the charitable work hes done,, teddy has always been a great guy and. I for onecwill alwats be grateful to h Ikea m for knowing him ,,thank you teddy
I didn’t realize my tablet messed up my typing sorry about my tablet messed up my typing I should of looked George hitting send please exude the mistakes but you got the message
In April 2014 I was in Somerville District Court on Red Sox opening day and happen to get on a conversation with Ted Tomasone about baseball, turned out we were both big fans. Me because my two young sons both played and loved the game so he brought me in his office to show me some of his memorabilia. He is such a nice guy and easy to talk to that i began to tell him about what was happening to me.
Three years earlier I found out my husband of over twenty years was having an affair with a woman 20 years younger than him and had developed a major cocaine and alcohol problem. In order to support his new lifestyle he had embezzled thousands of dollars from the successful business we had owned for fifteen year which we subsequently lost. He became physically and emotionally abusive to me but I was broke and heavily in debt because of the failed business. He refused to leave the apartment we shared and since his family owned the house we lived in they sided with him. Even thought they lived downstairs from us and knew what he’d done and the way he treated me but didn’t matter, and he assured if I went to the police to get a restraining order to make him leave they would evict me. I could leave but I couldn’t afford to get a place for me and my sons and I wasn’t leaving them behind with them so I was a prisoner in my own home.
One night he came home very drunk and high. He took my laptop and smashed it into the flat screen TV, then he grabbed me in a choke hold and forced me down on the couch pressing his chest against my my nose and moth as he was choking me. I was nearly unconscious when I suddenly felt his weight off me and saw someone had thrown him down on the coach next to me. I expected it to be my father-in-law or sister-in-law but it was my fifteen year old son. He ran from the house in shame that our son saw him do this, he never hurt the boys and usually only hurt me when they weren’t around, so they wouldn’t know what a monster he had become. I knew at things had gone too far, he could have killed me and then he’d be in prison and I’d be dead and our sons would be orphans. The next day hen he was sober I thought I could reason with him but he wouldn’t listen so I took out the restraining order ad four days later I got an eviction notice. My in-laws had witnessed him violently assaulting me just a few weeks before this incident but I could not sway them. I even had proof he was still seeing other women but it didn’t matter they were determined to put not just but my children, their own blood, on the street with no money and no place to go.
Just five years earlier I was a happily married middle-class mom, who was vice-president of the PTA, coached Little League and now I was a destitute, abused woman with two children and about to become homeless. I called and emailed every legal aid I could find several times and never got a response. I was terrified and I had no idea who to turn to for help. I was at the court that day regarding a traffic incident not my eviction so I didn’t tell Mr. Tomasone my story because I was asking for help, he was such a nice guy and I was in a fragile state at the time that if anyone was nice to me it all just came pouring out, but he did help me. He helped my find a lawyer to take my case so I was able to file an extreme emotional duress suit against my in-laws, which was well warranted. As a result of the settlement I was able to start my life over with my boys, away from those hateful people, and we are all doing very well now. Mr. Tomasone never asked me for a anything and I never even saw him again, he just listened to my story then offered to help, which was a miracle because you’d be amazed how many “friends” stop answering your calls, emails and texts when your life goes south like this.
Asking his longtime secretary to help him with a worthy fundraiser hardly seems sinister and maybe even my story can be construed by some cynical people as misusing his position, he was at work when I told him about the nightmare of my life and likely knew the lawyer through the courthouse, but he kept a woman he didn’t know,and her two children from being further abused and exploited from the very people who were supposed to be protecting them, their own family. He didn’t do this for personal gain or for any other reason than he is a good man and a decent human being.
I only met Mr. Tomasone that one time, yet he saved mine and my sons lives without expecting anything in return, and there are few people who would do that anymore. Thank you Mr. Tomasone for saving my family, I’m sorry petty people have done this to you because you sir are truly one of the good guys! God bless you.