Exhibit 31.1

                    CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

I, Steven S. Elbaum, certify that:

1.    I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K A-3 of The Alpine Group,
      Inc.;

2.    Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement
      of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the
      statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements
      were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this
      report;

3.    Based on my knowledge, the consolidated financial statements, and other
      financial information included in this report, fairly present in all
      material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash
      flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this
      report;

4.    The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for
      establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
      defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e), for the registrant
      and have:

      (a)   designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
            disclosure and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to
            ensure that material information relating to the registrant,
            including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by
            others within those entities, particularly during the period in
            which this report is being prepared;

      (b)   evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls
            and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about
            the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of
            the end of the period covered by this report based on such
            evaluation; and

      (c)   disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal
            control over financial reporting that occurred during the
            registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth
            fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially
            affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the
            registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and

5.    The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based
      on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial
      reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the
      registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent
      functions):

      (a)   all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design
            or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
            reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to
            record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

      (b)   any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
            other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's
            internal control over financial reporting.

Date:  November 4, 2004


                                        /s/ Steven S. Elbaum
                                        ----------------------------------------
                                        Steven S. Elbaum
                                        Chief Executive Officer