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Corruption and Racketeering in the New York City Construction Industry: The Final Report of the New York State Organized Crime Taskforce
Excellent Book
316 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
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June 23, 2019
Read for personal historical research. I found this work of immense interest and its contents helpful and inspiring. A detailed 'government' account - number rating relates to the book's contribution to my needs. Overall, this work is also a good resource for the researcher and enthusiast.
--- Excerpts:
-"New York City construction is so corroded by corruption that it should be on the verge of collapse. That it isn't is testimony to the law of inertia: Something in motion remains in motion unless acted upon by sorne external force."
-"The similarity between the scandalous conditions in 1922 and those that exist today underscores how deeply rooted the construction industry's crime problems are, and cautions against promising 'quick ftxes' and instant solutions."
--- And...
Trade unions can be roughly divided into four groups.
- The first includes the skilled mechanical tradespeople, such as electricians, iron workers, sheet metal workers, plumbers, steamfitters, elevator constructors and operating engineers.
- The second group is comprised of skilled nonmechanical tradespeople such as carpenters, bricklayers, painters and roofers.
- The third group includes unskilled laborers who carry out such tasks as pouring and spreading concrete, carrying and moving materials, and assisting the skilled trades.
- The fourth group is comprised of those who support, but are not actually involved in, the physical construction process. Truck drivers who deliver materials to, and remove debris from, construction sites are the largest component in this group. Organized by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, they constitute one of the most vital and powerful unions in the industry.
--- And...
-- Four principles underlie OcrF's approach and perspective on organized crime.
-First,
broad enforcement strategies, rather than successive but unrelated investigations and prosecutions,
are needed to combat organized crime. Criminal prosecutions are an effective means to change
only if coordinated with comprehensive long-term strategies for control. Such strategies must
themselves evolve from broad-based analyses of particular problem areas.
-Second,
to design and implement effective strategies, a variety of skills and disciplines are
required. In addition to law enforcement specialists, such as prosecutors, investigators, accountants
and analysts, there must be consultation with economists, labor relations experts, loss prevention
analysts, historians and those working within the industry itself.
-Third,
ail appropriate remedies must be employed in developing and executing the control
strategy. Incarceration and criminal fines are only one type. Others include civil forfeiture of the
fruits and instrumentalities of racketeering, treble damages, and equitable relief that places
racketeer-controlled unions, businesses or associations in judicially supervised receiverships.
Structural, technological and institutional changes may be necessary to reduce opportunities for
infiltration and control by racketeers. These changes may require new legislation, agency regulation
or civil litigation; alternatively, they may be voluntarily adopted by key industry participants
committed to meaningful reform.
-Fourth,
the State has a particular role in organized crime control that is distinct from that
of federal and local authorities. The State can adopt enforcement and reform strategies beyond
the power of counties or municipalities to pursue strategies that reflect regional needs and
concerns, and are not subject to possible shifts in federal priorities. Construction industry
racketeering in the New York City metropolitan area, for example, requires the efforts of law
enforcement and regulatory agencies not provided for under federal statutes and beyond the power
or resources of localities to establish or support.
-A good work to accompany:
Mobsters, Unions, and Feds - The Mafia and the American Labor Movement;
Corruption and racketeering in the labor movement (Taft, Philip);
The Hollywood Connection: The True Story of Organized Crime in Hollywood;
Dorothy Kilgallen: The Reporter Who Knew Too Much;
The Chicago Mob. A History. 1900-2000;
The Crime Confederation;
Theodore Roosevelt An Autobiography by Theodore Roosevelt.
--- Excerpts:
-"New York City construction is so corroded by corruption that it should be on the verge of collapse. That it isn't is testimony to the law of inertia: Something in motion remains in motion unless acted upon by sorne external force."
-"The similarity between the scandalous conditions in 1922 and those that exist today underscores how deeply rooted the construction industry's crime problems are, and cautions against promising 'quick ftxes' and instant solutions."
--- And...
Trade unions can be roughly divided into four groups.
- The first includes the skilled mechanical tradespeople, such as electricians, iron workers, sheet metal workers, plumbers, steamfitters, elevator constructors and operating engineers.
- The second group is comprised of skilled nonmechanical tradespeople such as carpenters, bricklayers, painters and roofers.
- The third group includes unskilled laborers who carry out such tasks as pouring and spreading concrete, carrying and moving materials, and assisting the skilled trades.
- The fourth group is comprised of those who support, but are not actually involved in, the physical construction process. Truck drivers who deliver materials to, and remove debris from, construction sites are the largest component in this group. Organized by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, they constitute one of the most vital and powerful unions in the industry.
--- And...
-- Four principles underlie OcrF's approach and perspective on organized crime.
-First,
broad enforcement strategies, rather than successive but unrelated investigations and prosecutions,
are needed to combat organized crime. Criminal prosecutions are an effective means to change
only if coordinated with comprehensive long-term strategies for control. Such strategies must
themselves evolve from broad-based analyses of particular problem areas.
-Second,
to design and implement effective strategies, a variety of skills and disciplines are
required. In addition to law enforcement specialists, such as prosecutors, investigators, accountants
and analysts, there must be consultation with economists, labor relations experts, loss prevention
analysts, historians and those working within the industry itself.
-Third,
ail appropriate remedies must be employed in developing and executing the control
strategy. Incarceration and criminal fines are only one type. Others include civil forfeiture of the
fruits and instrumentalities of racketeering, treble damages, and equitable relief that places
racketeer-controlled unions, businesses or associations in judicially supervised receiverships.
Structural, technological and institutional changes may be necessary to reduce opportunities for
infiltration and control by racketeers. These changes may require new legislation, agency regulation
or civil litigation; alternatively, they may be voluntarily adopted by key industry participants
committed to meaningful reform.
-Fourth,
the State has a particular role in organized crime control that is distinct from that
of federal and local authorities. The State can adopt enforcement and reform strategies beyond
the power of counties or municipalities to pursue strategies that reflect regional needs and
concerns, and are not subject to possible shifts in federal priorities. Construction industry
racketeering in the New York City metropolitan area, for example, requires the efforts of law
enforcement and regulatory agencies not provided for under federal statutes and beyond the power
or resources of localities to establish or support.
-A good work to accompany:
Mobsters, Unions, and Feds - The Mafia and the American Labor Movement;
Corruption and racketeering in the labor movement (Taft, Philip);
The Hollywood Connection: The True Story of Organized Crime in Hollywood;
Dorothy Kilgallen: The Reporter Who Knew Too Much;
The Chicago Mob. A History. 1900-2000;
The Crime Confederation;
Theodore Roosevelt An Autobiography by Theodore Roosevelt.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review