AMHERST, N.Y. — Neighbors on Hunter’s Lane in Amherst say it was around seven o’clock Thursday morning when they noticed the street was suddenly lined on both sides with cars, in front of the home of State Supreme Court justice John L. Michalski.
Agents from the FBI, NY State Attorney General’s office and the New York State Police were there for about five hours when, just before noon, they emerged with boxes and cases of materials.
Following the raid, 2 On Your Side knocked on the door seeking comment, but got no response from the person inside
Nor, would any of the agencies involved provide any substantive information about why they were raiding the home and what they took from it.
Michalski’s lawyer Terry Connors also declined comment on the specifics of what was going on, other than to confirm a search warrant was executed, and that the judge and his wife were cooperative.
It is the latest chapter in the unusual saga of Judge Michalski, who was only returned to the bench in January, nearly a year after he stepped in front of a train last February.
That occurred just days after he had been questioned by the FBI about his long time relationship with Peter Gerace, the owner of Pharaoh’s strip club, who as we have reported, is accused of bribing a DEA agent named Joseph Bongiovanni, who is now retired now retired out of the Buffalo field office.
The train incident, which took place at a rail yard in Depew, occurred the same day that Gerace was picked up by agents in Florida, on federal charges of drug trafficking and sex trafficking.
No charges have ever been filed against the judge in connection with the Gerace case.