DeWITT, N.Y. -- A heated exchange between Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney and a political adversary led to her throwing a phone and threatening to press charges, according to the foe's version of events.

Mahoney was upset that Brian Renna tried to take her picture while she was at Scotch 'n Sirloin with a man suing Comptroller Bob Antonacci. Antonacci is one of Mahoney's chief political enemies as well as a close friend of Renna's.

Renna called state police later to file a report, but did not press charges.

District Attorney William Fitzpatrick confirmed in a recent radio interview that police were called after Mahoney was involved in a dispute involving a cell phone. He laughed off the episode, assuring the host that "the cell phone is fine, no medical treatment was required."

Renna said the county executive also called his boss -- the owner of a firm that does business with the county -- and said Renna was "crazy."

The whole thing happened last year just before Christmas in a dark barroom during happy hour. It lasted just minutes. Since then, the tale of a tossed cell phone has turned into political folklore as rumors and gossip spread through law enforcement and government circles.

Chunks of what, exactly, happened that night are difficult to prove, but the incident demonstrates the widespread level of venom, distrust and vengeance atop county politics that has tainted the relationships between the county's most powerful Republicans for years. That animosity has fueled lawsuits, ugly public discourse and accusations of misconduct which drain county time and resources.

Renna gave a reporter his side of the story, some of which is corroborated by other sources, witnesses and text messages. GOP Chairman Tom Dadey -- another of Mahoney's chief critics -- was at the bar for part of the night with Renna, and gave his account of the story, too. Other people peripherally involved, including Fitzpatrick, Antonacci and Antonacci's lawyer, filled in details.

Mahoney repeatedly declined to speak with a reporter, though her spokesman called Renna and his friends "disturbingly obsessed with stalking" Mahoney.

Below is a general accounting of what happened that night, based on reports from the people willing to discuss it.

*****

Renna and Dadey went to Scotch 'n Sirloin for a drink on Friday, Dec. 16 around 4:30 p.m. Renna is a friend of Dadey's and a Republican strategist. He was one of Dadey's guests at the national GOP Convention in Cleveland last year.

While they were seated at the bar, Mahoney entered and sat at a booth. Dadey said he noticed her getting a drink and pointed her out to Renna. Mahoney was soon joined by Dino Dixie, who does business with the county; Duane Owens, the county personnel commissioner who was facilities commissioner at the time; Dennis DuVal, a member of the county ethics board and former Syracuse police chief; and Mike McCarthy, her former brother-in-law.

Shortly after Mahoney arrived, Dadey left to pick up his daughters. Renna stayed behind -- he was waiting for takeout food to bring home.

While waiting, Renna called Antonacci and told him to come to the bar. He knew Dixie was suing Antonacci, and thought the comptroller would like to know Dixie was out with the county executive. Antonacci then called his lawyer, Paul Mullin.

"It came to my attention that while motions were pending, the county executive was meeting and having dinner with the plaintiffs," Mullin said. "I suggested we should have some evidence of the incident."

So Antonacci called Renna back and told him to get a picture of Mahoney and Dixie together.

"You're a witness in my lawsuit," Antonacci recalled telling Renna.

Renna tried taking a picture from his seat at the bar, he said. His flash went off and Mahoney noticed him.

Shortly after, Renna said, he was nudged from behind. It was Mahoney.

"She said, 'I already talked to [District Attorney] Bill Fitzpatrick and for taking a picture of me I'm going to have you put in jail,'" Renna recalled. In a text message to Renna's boss later that night, Mahoney would also threaten charges if the picture became public.

Renna said he went back to looking at his phone, checking college basketball updates. At that point, Renna said, Mahoney "ripped" his phone out of his hands and threw it into the bottles behind the bar. She left while bartenders tried to find it.

After he got home, Renna said he called a non-emergency police line and asked for New York State police. He had contacted some attorney friends who recommended he document what happened.

"The reason I put it on record is Joanne has a tendency to call my employer and tell him that I should be removed," Renna said. "She's done this several times."

Renna declined to detail other run-ins he's had with the county executive, but said this was not an isolated event and there is bad blood between them.

After calling police, Renna said he called his boss, Paul Suits, vice president at Suit-Kote Corp., to let him know what happened. Suit-Kote is a Cortland asphalt company that does significant business with Onondaga County and other municipalities. Renna oversees human resources and legal affairs for the company and has been there 17 years.

The Suits family are massive political donors locally, having given more than $300,000 since 2009, according to state Board of Elections filings. Most Suits donations go to Republicans, including tens of thousands of dollars each to Antonacci, Dadey, Mahoney, the Onondaga County GOP and many others.

Renna said Suits told him Mahoney had already called to complain about Renna and the photo. In a subsequent text message she said she might press charges against Renna.

Suits did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday. He did, however, save text messages he received from Mahoney that night, and later sent them to Renna. In those texts, Mahoney said she avoided Renna at the bar until he began taking pictures. She also said she contacted "Fitz" and said if she saw photos of herself from that night she would press charges.

"I've had enough of him," she wrote in reference to Renna.

Onondaga County Legislature Chairman Ryan McMahon said Renna called him that night and offered the same version of events described here.

While Mahoney declined comment for this story, her spokesman, Justin Sayles, blamed Renna and his friends for their behavior.

"Brian Renna is part of a small group of unprofessional men who have been disturbingly obsessed with stalking the county executive for many years," Sayles wrote. He called their behavior unsettling, inappropriate and possibly illegal.

"It's time for them to act like adults and leave the County Executive and her family alone."

Sayles did not provide examples of harassment or stalking.

No photo ever surfaced from that night. Renna said it was too dark and he was too far away to get a shot. The photo he attempted came out too dark and blurry to see anything.

*****

Rumors about the incident have percolated since December. In January, the people involved refused to speak about it. Renna, at the time, told a reporter he wanted to be left alone.

Mahoney and Dadey also declined to comment in January.

"Come back to me when you've got a police report," Dadey said.

The incident was forced into the spotlight after Antonacci referenced the encounter in a legal document. He filed a notice of claim saying Mahoney acted improperly by "cavorting" with Dixie at Scotch 'n Sirloin. Dixie is the plaintiff in a lawsuit against Antonacci, in which he claims Antonacci violated his civil rights.

Antonacci named Renna and Dadey as his sources for the claim.

After the notice was reported last week, DA Fitzpatrick made reference to the incident during a radio interview with WSYR's Bob Lonsberry. In that interview, Fitzpatrick alluded to a state police investigation.

"I think my exact words to the state police officer investigating this heinous crime were, 'Is this really a crime? Do I really have to get out of bed at 11 o'clock?'" he said.

Reached last Thursday after the interview, Fitzpatrick said he had no involvement with the incident at the bar and was not there that night.

Fitzpatrick said he found the whole thing to be "ridiculous," along with Antonacci's threat to sue over Mahoney's dinner with Dixie. He said it's part of an effort by a group of Republicans, led by Dadey, who will do anything to take down Mahoney.

"You're on the jury, what would the case be?" he said.