Craig Carton revealed that James Dolan offered his “24/7” support when the radio host got out of prison.
Dolan joined “Carton & Roberts” in WFAN afternoon drive on Friday for an interview in which he was generally treated with kid gloves, a day after threatening to withhold alcohol sales during a Rangers game in retaliation against the New York State Liquor Authority, which opposes Madison Square Garden’s use of facial recognition technology to ban attorneys involved in litigation from the company’s venues and which fans and media members have also said they were targeted by. Dolan has defended the practice of using it against opposing attorneys and denied on WFAN that it is wielded against fans who have urged him to sell the team.
The Knicks and Rangers owner concluded the interview by saying that “Craig Carton is my friend and we do talk.”
Then Carton spoke about their personal relationship.
“I’m gonna tell a story about Jim that he’s not gonna appreciate [and] doesn’t want me to say,” Carton said. “When I got in trouble and went away, when I got out of prison, and I was trying to restart my life, there was a handful of people that reached out to me, and Jim Dolan was one of those people. I’m forever grateful for that because he didn’t have to. It wasn’t a public thing. I’ve never shared that story publicly. I know I shouldn’t.
“But, when you’re in a situation I was in, and someone you’re not very close with as a friend reaches out and says, ‘Here’s my personal phone number. Here’s my email. 24/7, if you need someone to talk to, I’ve conquered some similar demons that you’re going through, you call me.’ I’m forever grateful and appreciate that friendship very, very much. Thank you for that.”
Carton served slightly over a year in prison after he was convicted of fraud based on a scheme in which he solicited investors to join a group that would scalp tickets acquired via industry connections at a markup; Carton used the funds in part to cover gambling debts.
