Hockey dads’ beef to land pair in court

REVERE – A Winthrop hockey dad involved in an alleged assault with the father of a Revere High School player at a Newburyport skating rink said Tuesday that the incident was very unfortunate.Joseph Scarfo, 47, of Lincoln Street in Winthrop and Richard Mastropietro, 42, of Graves Road, Revere will both be summonsed to court for assault and battery as a result of the incident. They were not arrested.”It’s an unfortunate incident for everyone involved,” Scarfo said.After the second period of the hockey game ended at the Henry Graf Skating Rink Monday night, a fight started between the men, police said.”At the end of the second period, there was an altercation between the two of them,” Police Sgt. Stephen Chaisson said. “Police responded and both men are being summonsed for assault and battery.”Police did not provide further details of the incident, but said it was the second assault involving a parent during a hockey game at the Graf Rink in the past couple of weeks.About two weeks ago, the parent of a Gloucester High School hockey player was charged with assault and battery and disturbing the peace after he allegedly slapped a 14-year-old boy across the face.”Police officers have been hired (to be stationed at the rink) for the remainder of the tournament,” Chaisson said. “And the rink is considering policy changes on high school games to have police on duty at all times.”When reached for comment Tuesday, Scarfo said he went to the ice when he noticed a physical confrontation brewing between other people. Someone then hit him for no apparent reason, he said.”I was caught in the middle of the whole thing,” Scarfo said. “Some guy grabbed me by the throat.”Mastropietro could not be reached for comment.Jordan Waldman of Swampscott grabbed an 8-year-old boy by the shirt collar, shook him three times and shouted “Keep your (expletive) hands off my son” following a Dec. 26, 2004 Swampscott Mites hockey game in Peabody. Waldman, who was 50 years old at the time of the incident, later admitted his guilt in court.Thomas Junta of Reading was convicted of beating to death Michael Costin of Lynnfield following an argument at their sons’ hockey game at a Reading skating rink in 2001.