LUTHMANN NOTE: Let’s stop pretending this is random. Frank Lieto is a cousin of State Marshal Tricia Bucci, based in Bridgeport (on a Stamford case). Her father is Thomas Bucci, a former Mayor of Bridgeport and longtime legal power broker with statewide reach. The Bucci name intersects with the Testa orbit. Mario Testa is no gadfly backbencher. He has been described for decades as “The Boss” of Bridgeport politics. Judges know the name. Party officials fear the name. Dick Blumenthal and Ned Lamont take his calls, using “please,” “thank you,” and “yes, sir.”
Now look at the sequence. Influential New Canaan luxury home builders Carlos and Zoali Alvarez file. The ex parte order moves fast. The marshal stamp appears. The courtroom narrows cross-examination. The docket shifts. An “arrest” exists on paper without cuffs. New Canaan Police Chief John DiFederico oversees these unexplained irregularities, while at the same time, he owes his ascent to the same party machine. Weigel’s camp says the Alvarezes “bought protection.” There is no document that proves a payoff. Not yet. But when political family networks, courthouse insiders, and law enforcement align against a single critic, people will ask the question out loud: Is this justice — or is this the modern-day Connecticut version of La Cosa Nostra in suits and robes? That is not a conviction. That is a challenge. And it is one that Connecticut’s political class now owns. This piece is “Weigel Confronts Connecticut Lawfare Machine,” first available at TheFamilyCourtCircus.com.
CLARIFICATION: Mario Testo is connected to Testo’s Pizzeria in Fairfield, Connecticut, and is in no way connected to Testo’s Restaurant in Monroe, Connecticut, where the locals say the food is excellent and the people are even better! We hear the Fairfield joint serves “Chicken alla John Gotti,” a salty bird face-down in shallow gravy.
By Dick LaFontaine and Richard Luthmann
New Tape, Phantom Arrests, and the Stamford Fix
(CONNECTICUT STATE) – Last week, Stamford Superior Court did not host a quiet hearing. It hosted what court watchers from the Family Court Fraud Warrior Project now call a controlled demolition. Nearly forty observers packed the courtroom, expecting a credibility battle. They expected cross-examination. They expected proof. They expected a judge to test the story.
Instead, they walked out saying the ending felt scripted. They say the result came before the questions. They say the court leaned on untested allegations and bogus paperwork rather than real scrutiny.
Now, enhanced audio has surfaced, and it tends to validate those complaints. The recording captures the sworn testimony, the denials, and the judge’s reliance on “records” over tested evidence. Supporters argue that the tape shows the cross-examination was narrowed and that credibility was left unchallenged.
At the same time, the court file reveals the web around the case: Carlos and Zoali Alvarez, prominent New Canaan luxury builders; their lawyer, Frank Lieto; and overlapping political names tied to the Connecticut State legal, judicial, and political power brokers, and the Democrat Party machine.
Weigel’s camp calls it a pipeline of access. They point to Attorney Lieto’s courthouse disappearance into an ex parte communication with the Judge in a back hallway under the cover of “another case in another courtroom” that never existed.
They point to the marshal stamp by Lieto’s cousin, Tricia Bucci, in the rapid ex parte order. The point to the Bucci family, which is also the family of statewide powerbroker Mario Testa, long described as the “Boss” of Bridgeport, politically speaking.
They point to the shifting arrest entries and phantom arrests that could not have physically occurred other than through manipulation by the New Canaan Police Department.
“It’s demonstrable fraud under the watch of the New Canaan Police Chief, John DiFederico, whose ascension was secured by the same Democratic machine, and unsurprising,” said a Connecticut political source.
To Weigel and his Family Court Fraud Warriors, none of this is a coincidence. It is fraud dressed up as process, and the tentacles reach to the highest levels of Connecticut politics and the judiciary.
Weigel Confronts Connecticut Lawfare Machine: The Courtroom Tape That Blows the Doors Off
Last week, Stamford Superior Court did not host a quiet hearing. It hosted a controlled demolition. Nearly forty supporters packed the courtroom, expecting a credibility fight. They left, saying the ending felt scripted. The court record shows a clear connection between the Alvarezes (New Canaan luxury builders), their lawyer, Frank Lieto, and the Connecticut law enforcement, judiciary, and political machine, revealing fraud and corruption in this case.
The tape captures Judge John F. Kavanewsky Jr.’s voice. The judge has been a “party man” his entire career.
The tape also captures Zoali Alvarez clearly contradicting herself under oath. It captures David Weigel demanding proof, and Judge Kavanewsky ignoring Weigel, the evidence, and the Bill of Rights. Observers were perplexed.
“Maybe he was listening to Mr. Green,” said one court watcher.
Zoali tells the court she felt threatened, claiming harassment. She claims a January 15 assault, when she barged into the New Canaan home where Wiegel’s children live. The contact? Wigel tried to close the front door, and she barged her way through like an entitled, maniacal “Desperate Housewife of Connecticut.”
Zoali says Weigel pushed her and kicked her, strangled and assaulted her. She says that her husband, luxury builder Carlos Alvarez, was there, along with their 16-year-old male son. Her testimony is that they – the construction guy and her own child – took no action to stop the altercation and save their beloved wife and mother from harm.
Well, actually, Carlos Alvarez did. He called the police, according to the testimony. He didn’t video the incident or take a selfie, but he made the call, having entered the residence after Zoali barged in. I guess that counts for something.
Zoali testified she was seriously injured. She says police photographed these injuries. Judge Kavanewsky also said in open court that he’d “seen the evidence.” Sources say, under political pressure, Connecticut State Attorneys are reviewing the “evidence.”
Astonishingly, no evidence of serious injuries was present at the scene when the police arrived. If there were, police observation and training would have justified an arrest. No one was arrested by the New Canaan Police that day.
Attorney Francis Lieto walks her through the story step by step, detail by detail.
Then, the devil went a step too far. Zoali made the admission that froze the room, and should have ended the proceeding had the result not already been pre-determined.
Zoali confirms she chose to knock on Weigel’s door, and not Carlos, because her husband would look “more threatening.”
That is not fear. That is stage management. Zoali broke out into tears and said the police arrested Weigel that day.
Then, Zoali says Weigel texted her afterward (magically from a lockup witha hidden cell phone?). She says he sent texts at 4:53 p.m. She says he used slurs about her son.
Weigel had his chance to speak. He identifies himself for the record, calls himself a 501(c)(3) recognized family court fraud watchdog, and a public person. He denies the entire text message claim.
“I don’t have this woman’s telephone. I’ve never texted her,” Weigel said. “There is not a text message.”
The Wall Street veteran and top 1% fiduciary asset manager denies touching her. He says she forced entry into his home, and the door struck him. Weigel says the only injuries “happened to me.”
Judge Kavanewsky had already been told. The “records” show an arrest. “I’ve seen the evidence,” said the crusty old bench boss. (No “evidence” was introduced.)
Weigel answers with something ostensibly foreign to the Connecticut courts (in addition to evidence and the Bill of Rights). Weigel invoked blunt logic.
“If I did damages to that woman, I would’ve been arrested,” he said.
But logic will never prevail in the Connecticut courts, particularly when the fix is in. Judge Kavanewsky gaveled down and levied a one-year civil restraining order against Weigel, then abruptly left the bench.
Supporters say that the exchange exposes the rot. They say the judge blocked meaningful cross-examination. They say credibility was never tested. They say the court leaned on “records,” not proof.
Weigel says the full tape includes references to evidence the judge had “seen,” but never admitted into the record. In a credibility case, that is everything.
Weigel Confronts Connecticut Lawfare Machine: The Docket That Can’t Keep Its Story Straight
If the audio rattles confidence, the docket shatters it. The Connecticut Judicial Branch “Pending Case Detail” page lists David William Weigel as the defendant. It shows docket number S01S-CR26-0261203-S. It lists “LOCAL POLICE NEW CANAAN” as the arresting agency.
It lists an arrest date of January 15, 2026 – Bond amount: $0. Bond type: Promise to Appear. Miscellaneous: Released From Custody.
That reads like an arrest without handcuffs. It’s more like an arrest without reality.
The page lists two charges: Assault 3rd Degree under 53a-61 and Disorderly Conduct under 53a-182. Both are tied to January 15. Next court date: March 26, 2026, 9:00 a.m.
But earlier snapshots show a different date. January 29 at 9:00 a.m. The dates shift. The timeline flexes.
Then comes the entry that lit up the watchdog crowd.
A court events listing shows “Violation Notice Arrested” on January 20, 2026. Stamford courthouse. Hoyt Street. Weigel’s fraud warrior camp calls that a phantom arrest marker. They say no officer took him into custody. They say no one served a desk appearance ticket on January 20.
Why? Because Weigel was not even in Connecticut on that date, he points to a United Airlines receipt in the file. The same receipt shows a late-January return through Cincinnati.
Supporters argue that geography matters. Cincinnati’s airport serves Northern Kentucky. They say the timeline places Weigel out of state.
An arrest date drives everything. It drives probable cause. It drives credibility. It drives the narrative. If that date moves, the case moves with it.
And this case should move into the trash bin. But it’s not, and we must ask: Why?
Weigel Confronts Connecticut Lawfare Machine: The Ex Parte Order, the Marshall Stamp, and the Affidavit War
The Alvarez filings are not timid. They are tactical. Zoali Alvarez files an Application for Civil Protection Order in Stamford/Norwalk Judicial District. She checks the stalking box. She seeks no assault, no threats, no harassment. She asks for a stay-away order. She asks for no contact by phone, electronic means, or third parties. She demands a 100-yard buffer.
Then she checks the ex parte relief box. She claims imminent danger. On the firearm section, she marks “Unknown” for permits, guns, and ammunition. Zoali signs on January 21, 2026.
Judge Robert L. Genuario signed on January 22, taking the claims at face value. The ex parte order finds “reasonable grounds for imminent danger.” A hearing is scheduled. The packet carries a state marshal stamp: Tricia Bucci.
This case is in Fairfield County, in Stamford. Tricia Bucci is a State Marshal out of Bridgeport. There are at least TEN Connecticut State Marshals listed out of Stamford. Why Bridgeport?
Because Tricia Bucci is Frank Lieto’s cousin. More on that below.
Zoali’s affidavit (and the companion document filed by Carlos that was not defended at the hearing) escalates the rhetoric.
It quotes Weigel saying, “I know where you live.”
It claims he texted threats.
It claims he assaulted her on January 15.
It states: “David was arrested and left.”
It alleges he posted names and addresses online.
It accuses him of graphic sexual taunts about her teenage son.
Weigel denies the text exchange on the audio. He denies any real arrest on January 15. He denies assault.
Supporters say the paperwork reads like a conviction, and with good reason. It’s only one side of the story.
“Judge Kavanewsky treated the affidavit as fact,” said a court watcher. “Cross-examination was the only way to test it. Carlos didn’t even take the stand, and Zoali lied through her teeth. Dave Weigel never had is chance to show the truth.”
And again, the protective order should have moved into the trash bin based on the actual evidence (there was none entered on the record), the non-testimony of Carlos Alvarez, and the clearly contradictory testimony of Zoali Alvarez.
Connecticut law does not require the court to credit testimony infected by deliberate falsehood. Under the doctrine of falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus, when a witness wilfully testifies falsely as to a material fact, the trier of fact may reject some or all of that witness’s testimony. State v. Dudley, 68 Conn. App. 405, 414, 791 A.2d 661 (2002); State v. Mullings, 166 Conn. 268, 275, 348 A.2d 645 (1974).
Here, Zoali Alvarez’s sworn assertions go directly to material facts: whether Weigel assaulted her, whether he texted her, and whether he was arrested. Each claim strikes at the core of credibility. And each of Zoali’s claims can be proven to be not just blatantly false, but physically impossible. Where she knowingly misstated these material facts, the law permits the Court to treat the remainder of her testimony with the same skepticism.
The doctrine does not require blind parsing. It authorizes wholesale rejection where intentional deception is shown.
Credibility is the province of the trier of fact. State v. Brown, 299 Conn. 640, 656–57, 11 A.3d 663 (2011). It beggars belief that Judge Kavanewsky did not find that Zoali Alvarez testified falsely on the material points at issue.
But Judge Kavanewsky did not, and now we must ask: Why?
The Pipeline, Prosecutor Pressure, and Weigel’s Federal Call
The fight no longer lives inside four courtroom walls. Supporters of David Weigel now point the lens at New Canaan Police Chief John DiFederico. They argue he does not operate in a vacuum. They say he sits inside a small, tightly woven Fairfield County power circle.
DiFederico became chief in January 2023 after a Police Commission vote. That commission operates inside a town where high-dollar development, political fundraising, and legal influence overlap. Carlos Alvarez runs GreenDay Co., a visible luxury homebuilding firm in that same community. Francis Lieto practices in Fairfield County courtrooms. The Bucci name carries weight in local legal circles. Mario Testa remains a Democratic Party fixture in Bridgeport politics.
Weigel’s camp does not allege a documented bribe. They allege proximity and influence. They argue that when a well-connected builder calls police about a watchdog critic, that call lands differently. They argue that when a lawyer with deep family ties appears in Stamford, doors open faster. They argue that when a state marshal with a familiar surname stamps a TRO packet, it signals access.
The criminal docket lists “LOCAL POLICE NEW CANAAN” as the arresting agency in Weigel’s case. Weigel insists no officer arrested him on January 15. He says the department later papered the file as if an arrest occurred. Supporters say that the discrepancy demands scrutiny at the command level.
They frame the issue this way: in a small town with overlapping political, legal, and business networks, neutrality must be proven, not presumed. They say DiFederico’s department now sits squarely in that orbit. And until the arrest timeline is reconciled in black and white, the questions will not stop.
Weigel’s allies argue this is not just paperwork. They argue this is power.
They point to Francis Lieto, counsel for the Alvarezes. They allege familial ties to the Bucci and Testa names. They cite Thomas Bucci, a prominent lawyer and former mayor. Tricia Bucci’s marshal stamp appears on the TRO paperwork. She’s his daughter and cousin to Frank Lieto.
They point to Mario Testa, long described as a Democratic power broker in Bridgeport, whose network can move levers quietly. After all, it was the same machine that was responsible for New Canaan Police Chief John DiFederico’s elevation.
The docket lists the New Canaan Police Department as the arresting agency. Weigel says the department never arrested him. He says the department later dressed a non-summons as an arrest. The “Johnny-come-lately” Class A misdemeanor action is politically motivated and part of a coordinated pressure campaign against Weigel.
“It looks like Carlos and Zoali Alvarez are getting exactly what they paid for: Connecticut Corruption by Democrat Party officials,” said a political insider. “I wouldn’t be surprised if this reaches all the way up to Dick Blumenthal. The Commander in Chief would love an explosion in his backyard. But at this point, there are plenty of reasons.”
This outlet requested materials under the Freedom of Information Act, including the bodycam footage, dispatch logs, and internal emails. Sources close to the case say Connecticut state prosecutors feel pressure to file something fast. They say officials want to defend the “records” cited in open court.
There is no document that proves a bribe. There is no smoking gun email or memo. Not yet.
But there is a pattern.
An LGBT teen alleges abuse.
A compassionate family offers refuge.
Police swarm the wrong house.
Civil orders land fast.
Arrest dates wobble.
A long-time party hack judge cites “records” and loses evidence, imaginary.
Weigel says he will not fold. He calls for a federal investigation into courthouse conduct and police records. He says his Family Court Fraud Warrior Project will publish every receipt and fight this to the end.
He promises that there is a machine in New Canaan, Stamford, and beyond, and he will expose it piece by piece.
