Crime & Safety

Ex-Vernon Businessman Charged in Oscar Party Incident

TicketNetwork Inc. officials aren't commenting on the incident involving Donald Vaccaro, but Hartford police accuse him of hurling racial insults.


The chief executive officer of TicketNetwork Inc. is facing assault and race-related charges for an incident at an Oscar party in Hartford, according to Hartford police.

Donald Vaccaro, 49, is the CEO of TicketNetwork, an online ticket exchange that recently moved from Vernon to South Windsor. The company owns a building on Bolton Road and recreational property on South Frontage Road in Vernon.

Vaccaro lives on Clark Hill Road in Glastonbury, according to police records. His public relations firm said no one is commenting on the incident, but his information matches public documents listing him as the TicketNetwork CEO.

Vaccaro has indicated in the past he lives in Glastonbury.

Vaccaro has been charged with intimidation due to bias, second-degree threatening, second-degree breach of peace, first-degree criminal trespass, and interfering with police, according to Hartford police. His bond was set at $10,000 and he was assigned a court date of March 7 in Hartford, police said.

The incident took place on Monday at 12:09 a.m., Hartford police said. They allege that Vaccaro was attending an Oscar party at Real Art Ways at 56 Arbor St. in Hartford. He had an unwanted encounter with a woman and a security guard intervened, according to Hartford police.

Vaccaro was allegedly holding the woman's hand and would not let go, and a security guard had to pry his hand loose from the woman's, Hartford police said. While he was being removed from the party, police said Vaccaro hurled racially charged insults at the security guard.

TicketNetwork left Vernon for the former Gerber property in South Windsor in July as Part of the state's First Five program.

Here is the breakdown of the incentives given to TicketNetwork for staying in the state:

• A 10-year, $4.5 million loan from the state Department of Economic and Community Development for the project.

• A five-year, $1.8 million loan from the Connecticut Development Authority for information technology, fixtures, furniture, among other things.

• A grant of up to $1 million for alternative energy initiatives via the installation of wind, solar of fueled cell systems. United Technologies Corporations’ fuel cell division is based in South Windsor.

• A software engineering training grant from the state that can range from $250,000 for 200 jobs created to $450,000 for 600 new jobs.

The First-Five Program is designed to attract - or in the case of TicketNetwork, relocate in-state - large-scale business development projects with incentives for the first five companies that create 200 jobs within two years or invest $25 million and create 200 new jobs within five years.

TicketNetwork is a large online ticket exchange that services venues from sporting events to shows to concerts. It provides access to more than $1 billion in ticket inventory and employs more than 300 people. 

A spokeswoman for Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's office said he has not issued a comment about the incident.


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