National Legal and Policy Center -- Organized Labor Accountability
Project
UNION CORRUPTION UPDATE
March 31, 2003 -- Vol. 6, Issue 7
For Influential Leaders & Important Decision Makers:
Information on America's most corrupt & aggressive unions
LONGSHOREMEN (ILA)
Peter Gotti, frmr. Union Boss, Convicted of Racketeering, Extortion
Seven members of the Gambino crime family, including the reputed acting
boss, Peter Gotti, were convicted
on March 17 of racketeering and extortion within the Intl. Longshoremen's
Assn. One of those convicted was Anthony "Sonny" Ciccone.
Though prohibited by a 1991 federal civil consent decree barring him from
union affairs, Ciccone continued
to oversee the Gambinos' criminal interests in the ILA, including Locals
1 and 1814 on the Brooklyn and Staten Island waterfronts.
According to the June 3 indictment, Ciccone acted as a go-between with
the Gambino and Genovese crime families by using intimidation to place a
Genovese associate on the ILA's Exec. Council, with the ultimate goal of
installing him in the ILA presidency in an election closed to the members.
Ciccone was also accused of intimidating trustees of the ILA's health plan
into awarding a contract to GPP/VIP, a firm owned by his friend, Vincent
Nasso. In exchange for the contract, Nasso kicked back $400,000 to
the two families. Ciccone also infiltrated Locals 1 and 1814, and
used threats to control the management of the Locals, and the placement
of officers and members in particular jobs.
In addition to these convictions, Ciccone and Primo Cassarino were convicted
of extorting a well-known movie star and director, Steven Seagal, into including
Gambino member Julius Nasso in his next project, and paying $150,000 to
a Gambino associate for every film he made.
In all, Ciccone was convicted of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy,
extortion, wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy and money laundering.
Besides Peter Gotti and Ciccone, also convicted were: Richard Gotti, Cassarino,
Richard Bondi and Jerome Bracanto. [Newsday 3/18/03]
Union Corruption Update is made possible by the generous contributions
from readers like you. NLPC, PO Box 6821, Falls Church, VA 22040. Thank
you. Union Corruption Update is part of NLPC's Organized Labor Accountability
Project which is investigating and exposing corruption in the Teamsters, LIUNA,
AFL-CIO and many other union organizations. NLPC is a nonpartisan, nonprofit
foundation promoting ethics and accountability in government through research,
education and legal action.
In addition to the unions and organizations covered in this Union Corruption
Update, readers can look forward to news and information on other corrupt
and abusive unions in future editions. All back issues of the Union
Corruption Update can be viewed at NLPC's website (http://www.nlpc.org).
Also available is a union-by-union and state-by-state index of all Union
Corruption Update articles. If you have story ideas or suggestions for future
editions of Union Corruption Update, please email NLPC at nlpc@nlpc.org.
Thank you.
Looking for a LM-2, LM-3, or LM-4 Annual Financial Report from the Department
of Labor? Visit http://www.dol-union-reports.gov.
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