Calling the union a ÿcesspoolÿ of corruption and organized-crime influence, federal prosecutors yesterday asked a judge to appoint an administrator to take over Local 1588 of the International Longshoremen's Association, based in Bayonne, N.J.þþThe request from James B. Comey, the United States attorney for the Southern District in Manhattan, cited the indictments in May of the local's president, other union officers and several other figures said to be associated with the Genovese crime family on charges of extorting money from union members in exchange for plum job assignments.þþEight people are awaiting trial on the indictments, which grew out of an investigation in which state officials and the Waterfront Commission, a bistate agency that regulates waterfront businesses and workers, planted a microphone and cameras behind ceiling tiles in the local's offices to gather evidence. The investigation ended prematurely when a repairman discovered the surveillance equipment's wires.þþMr. Comey said the indictments were just the latest to grow out of a series of violations of a 1992 consent decree Local 1588 agreed to after federal prosecutors accused it and six other longshoremen's locals of being racketeering criminal enterprises.þþAs part of that settlement, the old leadership was required to step aside and the new leaders had to vow that they were not controlled by organized crime and commit themselves to cleaning up all illegal activities.þþIndicted in May was the current president, John Timpanaro, 45, of Middletown. Two previous presidents — Eugene G'Sell, who signed the 1992 decree, and his successor, John Angelone — both pleaded guilty in June 2000 to embezzling union funds. They testified at subsequent racketeering trials that the local was virtually controlled by Joseph Lore and Nicholas Furina, who are said by prosecutors to be Genovese crime family figures.þþThe request for administrative oversight of the local comes on the eve of nominations for officers. In their application to the court, the prosecutors said the administrator should supervise those elections as well as take immediate control of the local's finances, run its affairs, discipline members and establish reforms.þþCalls to Mr. Timpanaro and other union officials were not returned yesterday.þþþ
Source: NY Times
