Mass. "ticketing" accountant quits firm

The Massachusetts accountant at the center of a ticket industry lobbying controversy has retired from the accounting firm he helped create as the fallout over the matter continues to swirl.

As reported by the Boston Globe, Richard Vitale quit his post with Vitale, Caturano & Co. this week in part due to his questionable ties to close friend Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, and Vitale's involvement with state ticket brokers who hired him to lobby on their behalf on pending legislation to repeal the state's anti-scalping laws. Vitale had been with the firm for 30 years and reportedly was forced to retire, but he claimed the retirement was previously planned.

The Massachusetts Association of Ticket Brokers, led by Ace Ticket owner and President Jim Holzman, hired Vitale in 2007 and 2008 to lobby on the group's behalf, but Vitale allegedly only recently registered as a lobbyist for 2008 and not 2007, which is potentially against state ethics laws. Vitale claims he was merely a strategist for the group.

Apparently with Vitale's and DiMasi's help, the ticketing bill passed in the House, but it remains in limbo in the state Senate. In the meantime, Holzman's firm was recently named the official secondary ticket reseller for the Boston Red Sox.