If you have newspaper reports on cause of death of all of these people (Gatti aside, as the myriad reports on that are easy to find), please scan and post them or link to them so we can see.
There's too much scattershot claims and "information" posted by the OP not backed up by anything other that what he says someone else (presuming the OP is not Szoke) claims.
But there are too many gaps and holes in this info and no cohesive theory to tie it all together for me to gather exactly what is being alleged here.
Saying one had difficulty losing the last 5-6 pounds doesn't mean that the difficulty occured in the last day or so. If I had to lose 15 pounds in the next three weeks, for instance, knowing this from experience, the first 10 of that would probably come off in 10 days if I really limited my diet and upped my exercise. The next 5-6 would come much more slowly. But if I did this over time, I wouldn't expect to blow back up after losing 5-6 pounds in 2 weeks ... yet those 5-6 would be difficult and come off more slowly.
I get the feeling the OP/Szoke are alleging that the tinkered scale was such that Gamache actually weighed in much lighter, like at 135, and really rehydrated 10-12 pounds instead of 4 or 5.
That seems unlikely, as Gamache had been fighting as high as 157 and never lower than 147 in the 2 years (encompassing eight fights, a decent sample size) previous to the Gatti fight.
The idea is that Gatti lost a lot of weight and rehydrated ... yet Gamache was coming down farther from his normal fighting weight than Gatti -- he was fighting in the 130s for some time leading into the bout and moving up in weight.
Perhaps Gamache didn't know how to rehydrate -- if he's drinking water (yes, a gallon of water weighs a lot but it also exits the body when he takes a piss, so the weight would be lost soon after it was gained) and Gatti is taking IVs, rehydrating tissue rather than relying on the stomach to absorb and distribute the fluids ... well, that's why guys who cut weight use IVs to rehydrate, it's more immediate and efficient.
I'm still also trying to figure the mob's angle on this. Yes, mobsters order hits and kill people (but by hanging?), but they have to have a reason to do so -- someone is going to testify and have them put in jail, someone is muscling in on their territory, someone is going to cost them a lot of money. So please, OP, explain their interest in killing an awful lot of people over this ... were they underwriting the NYSAC and going to have to pay off if Gamache won a big judgment in his lawsuit? No, they weren't. So what motivates the mob to kill a bunch of people over a lawsuit against a state agency?
SaintPat, Bub bloody well slow down. I am not MI 6, or Scotland Yard already. It is questions like yours that have escalated this into what this has become, and more information being thrown out here then what can be confirmed. I have not had a proper chance to look into 90 % of this. As far as the the world is concerned a boxing commissioner, a boxer, an attorney, a judge, and 4 fight fights are dead. What are you going to come back here with next that I think 9/11 is tied to the Arturo Gatti v Joey Gamache fight because a New York City fire fighter got himself, and his 3 friends into a weigh in through another friend in the police department. You want more details call Joey Gamache, Team Gatti, or the New York State Athletic Commission.
For christ sakes I been here for about for about four days asking for imput, and you expect me to know every answer to your every question when I am backing in February of 2000 asking questions about the weigh in, and rehydration process. You not exactly answering any of our quetion, but instead you are asking more details from me that I can not confirm as of yet. I have details, but these details are unconfirmed.
So back in November of 1999, Joey Gamache goes to Lou DiBella, and HBO asking for the Gatti fight. The fight is agreed upon by early to mid december to take place at Madison Square Garden in New York. Joey Gamache enters his camp at around 160 LBs to which he sheds 18 - 20 pounds at some point to make 140 1/4. Arturo Gatti notorious for cutting weight, and then readding, it enters his camp at around 170 pounds, then shed what we are expect to believe is 29 pounds to make 141, but we do not really know for sure because the scale never balances.
We don't know how Gamache shed his 20 pounds, but what we know are that the last few pounds are difficult to shed, and are killer. We know this because Gamache told us. We know that Joey's manager Johnny Bos said that he weighed Joey at the New York State Athletic Commission's office where they were for a physical at 1 PM on friday afternoon February 25th, 2000. Bos said Gamache weighed 140 1/4 at the Commission Office they go down to the garden for the weigh in where they are expecting to meet HBO for an interview, or the fighter meetings. HBO is not there, but across the street at a hotel believed to be the Southgate hotel. While at the Garden they decide they are going to check their weights around an hour before the real thing. Now all of a sudden a strange thing happens. Joey Gamache now weighs 137 1/2 pounds. The scale is taken back, and brought back out. Now Gamache weighs 140 1/4 again. They leave to go across the street to meet HBO, and come back for the real thing. In approximately 3 hours time they do a some walking in the cold of February. Maybe Gamache goes to the bathroom once, but comes back, and still weighs 140 1/4 pounds, and does not shed an ounce in 3 hours, or so. None is really sure as to what Arturo Gatti weigh is because the scale never balances out, but his weight is recorded at 141 pounds. Prior to this Oscar De La Hoya apprears to miss his weight, but it is called at 147 pounds. What Derrell Coley weighs I am not sure of but the numbers of 143 1/2, 145, 146, and 147 have been all thrown around? 4 fight fans at the weigh in leave thinking something is not right, but leave the event. The next night on HBO. Gamache rehydrates him 4 3/4 pounds unofficially because this weight was recorded by HBO. Gatti's weight unofficially recorded by HBO at 160, or 161 pounds. The fight takes place, and Joey Gamache is smashed into retirement in around 80 seconds. Joey Gamache leaves the hospital crying foul, and announces intent to sue everyone from Time Warner, to Oscar De La Hoya, to Gatti, and The New York State Athletic Commission.
At this point in time I am pointing out Gamache rehydrates a small amount of weight 4 3/4 Pounds. My thinking from my knowledge of the sport of boxing is that Gamache knowing full well Gatti rehydrates a significant amount of weight would have rehydrated himself better, but 4 3/4 pounds is all Gamache added.
My question was is this possible, but without knowing details of how Gamache lost the weight it seems like an impossible question to answer, but at the same time I suppose not everyone goes to the all you can eat buffet every hour on the hour like Arturo Gatti.
In the aftermath of this fight a public outcry was launched against Arturo Gatti. Many people launch an investigation into the New York State Athletic Commission including the New York Post. In Gatti's next fight 60 some odd days later when they show up early to check their weights they are met with a scale that might have been used to weigh Joe Louis that is under lock, and key.
Now no one is dead, or injured yet other then maybe Gamache, and Paul Ingle. No is being accused of phony lawsuits yet, there are not people in New Jersey, and Canada bitter over the loss of millions of dollars. No one knows of Gamache's financial sitaution, or woes of a failed restaurant bid. No one cares about a bunch of fight fans.
Why Doesn't Gamache rehydrate better, and if he believed something is wrong why doesn't Gamache back out of the fight ?
Thus far team Matthysse, and Redd Foxx have given the most useful responses.
I don't see how anyone gets money out of this in the first place, and despite all the other details that I have yet to investigate I am not sure if I want to purse this further. Maybe depending on the jury, or judge, but I don't see it. Gamache refused mediccal attention. Gamache demanded to walk out of the ring on his feet. Gamache took a fight to which he thought there was a known problem. I just don't see a case there.