Labor racketeering in the 1950s Johnny Dio

1 labor racketeering in 1950s

1.1 teamsters paper locals scandal
1.2 mcclellan committee revelations
1.3 role in victor riesel acid attack
1.4 extortion , tax evasion trials

labor racketeering in 1950s

in 1950, dioguardi returned labor racketeering. appointed regional director of united auto workers-afl (uaw-afl), , received 12 charters paper locals in garment industry. criminals formed membership of paper locals, , dioguardi demanded money employers wished remain union-free , extorted cash unionized employers wished avoid strikes , other labor troubles. dioguardi arrested extortion in july 1952. meanwhile, new york state officials charged dioguardi tax evasion (see below). although dioguardi never convicted labor racketeering incident, removed post in february 1953 uaw-afl , ejected union in april 1954.

in midst of 1952-54 labor racketeering scandal, dioguardi charged tax evasion. new york state tax officials charged dioguardi had taken bribe when selling pennsylvania dress factory, , failed report bribe income. dioguardi denied charge, found guilty in march 1954 , sentenced 60 days in prison. conviction, rather allegations of labor racketeering, pretext used remove him uaw-afl position.

teamsters paper locals scandal

dioguardi s association international brotherhood of teamsters long one. became acquainted new york city teamsters leaders martin t. lacey , john j. o rourke in 1934, when dioguardi represented employers in trucking strike. dioguardi involved again teamsters 1954, when police suspected him of involvement in protection racket run several teamsters locals aimed @ trucking employers. ties deepened. met in new york city hotel room midwestern teamsters leader jimmy hoffa , plotted hoffa oust teamsters general president dave beck. between november 29 , december 15, 1955, dioguardi obtained charters teamsters 7 paper locals. o rourke, hoffa ally, planning challenge lacey (a beck supporter) presidency of 125,000-member new york city teamsters joint council. winning control of delegate-rich joint council boost hoffa s chances of ousting beck, , might lead other large, important joint councils , locals join hoffa bandwagon. o rourke fought have dio locals admitted joint council, , major political battle broke out in international union on admitting new unions. after deadlocked election, seating of dio locals, unseating of dio locals, grand jury investigation, several rulings president beck, , successful lawsuit lacey, lacey withdrew re-election bid , o rourke elected president of joint council. although more paper locals established dioguardi petitioned membership in joint council, teamsters dismantled dio locals mid-1959.

mcclellan committee revelations

beginning in 1955, permanent subcommittee on investigations of u.s. senate committee on government operations began holding hearings labor racketeering. senator john l. mcclellan, chair of committee , chair of subcommittee, hired robert f. kennedy subcommittee s chief counsel , investigator. dioguardi became object of subcommittee s inquiries in march 1956. initially, subcommittee limited investigation dio locals scandal.

on january 30, 1957, united states senate created select committee on improper activities in labor , management. select committee directed study extent of criminal or other improper practices in field of labor-management relations or in groups of employees or employers. membership derived 2 standing committees, committee on government operations , committee on labor , public welfare. select committee continued focus on dioguardi s activities. in february 1957, select committee released federal bureau of investigation wiretaps showed hoffa , dioguardi allegedly discussing establishment of paper local organize new york city s 30,000 taxi cab drivers , use charter means of extorting money wide variety of employers. testifying before select committee, hoffa claimed tapes showed wanted best organizer in city work on taxi organizing campaign, , not have engaged in conspiracy because dioguardi not member of teamsters union. select committee accused hoffa of being behind dio locals, , of arranging $400,000 loan graft-ridden international longshoremen s association in bid take on union , gain teamsters control of waterfront warehouses. dioguardi, time in prison serving time on bribery , conspiracy charges (see below), paroled federal court in order testify @ select committee s hearings. select committee developed evidence uaw-afl had paid dioguardi $16,000 leave union wouldn t, , after ouster dioguardi had maintained effective control on uaw-afl paper locals year. michigan governor g. mennen williams testified that, when director of mennen toiletries company, dioguardi asked him $15,000 bribe in order call off 1951 strike. in two-hour appearance before select committee, dioguardi invoked fifth amendment right against self-incrimination 140 times, , refused answer of committee s questions. select committee s evidence further undermined when 1 of star witnesses against dioguardi found mentally incompetent.

a notorious , iconic photograph of dioguardi taken @ time of testimony (see infobox, above). dioguardi leaving committee hearing room, crowd of press photographers gathered around him. dioguardi attempted flee photograph not taken. united press photographer stanley tetrick raced ahead of dioguardi take photograph. international news photos photographer jim mahan snapped photograph (see infobox, above) of snarling dioguardi, cigarette dangling mouth, pushing tetrick out of way 1 hand (not shown) , other clenched in tight fist (not shown). dioguardi screamed, sons of bitches, got family! photograph published in american newspapers, , became iconic image of dioguardi, mafioso in general, , way in chic dress , charm conceal brutality , thuggery. image known symbol of teamsters union corruption.

role in victor riesel acid attack

in midst of teamsters paper locals scandal, dio indicted planning acid attack on crusading newspaper columnist victor riesel. @ 3 a.m. on april 5, 1956, unknown assailant threw vial of acid riesel s face left late-night interview @ lindy s, attack left journalist permanently blind. fbi identified abraham telvi assailant in august 1956, telvi had been murdered on july 28, 1956, mobsters demanding additional $50,000 on top of $500 had received crime. on august 29, 1956, dio arrested conspiracy in riesel attack, pleaded not guilty, , released on $100,000 bond though prosecutors later publicly linked him telvi murder.

dio tried separately attack on riesel. joseph carlino, dio associate had hired telvi attack riesel, pleaded guilty on october 22, , prosecutors severed dio s trial others. carlino later testified dio had ordered gandolfo maranti find hitman , identify riesel, , maranti had contacted dominick bando assist him in finding hitman (bando contacting carlino, sought out telvi). maranti , bando found guilty (bando pleading guilty @ last moment).

conspiracy charges against dio later dropped despite convictions. dio s attorney delayed trial 5 months motions. when trial began, carlino , miranti recanted pre-trial statements , courtroom testimony, claiming did not know had ordered attack on riesel. september 1957, government no longer sought prosecute dio attack.

extortion , tax evasion trials

dio s legal troubles worsened during trial riesel attack, when indicted in october 1956 on extortion , conspiracy charges. indictment alleged dio , others had extorted money truck drivers in new york city garment industry, , received bribes employers in exchange refusing call strikes. dio s trial due begin in january 1957, key government witnesses either refused testify or recanted earlier statements implicating dio in labor rackets. dio sought lengthy delays once again prior trial, court refused permit them , empanelled special jury try him. dio s bond revoked in june 1957, , trial resumed.

dio convicted of extortion in july 1957. key prosecution witnesses again recanted testimony against him. special jury considered case 9 days, nonetheless found him guilty on july 25, 1957, , sentenced in september 2 years in prison.

as dio awaiting sentencing in extortion case, federal grand jury indicted him on tax evasion charges. dio denied charges , again sought lengthy trial delays, government halted trial.

the reason tax trial delay became apparent state charges on extortion , conspiracy once more brought against dio. charges had originated in june 1956, dio had never been prosecuted. collapse of riesel case, state officials decided act on 1956 indictment , dio s second trial labor racketeering began 2 days after tax evasion trial halted. dio s tactic of delay denied once more, , found guilty on both charges in december 1957. sentenced 15 years in sing sing, , began serving time on january 10, 1958. however, dio appealed conviction, , on june 23, 1959, new york state appellate court reversed conviction.

within hour of release state prison, however, dio re-arrested on federal tax evasion charges. tax evasion trial began in march 1960, found guilty month later, , sentenced 4 years in federal prison. although united states court of appeals reversed conviction , ordered him retried in july 1960, united states district court found had filed appeal late , reinstated conviction.