BY Brian Kates The union official put in charge of the city's troubled carpenters' union was once convicted of taking bribes from mobsters - though he was later acquitted in a retrial.
Martin Devereaux has been named to lead Carpenters Local 608 after it and 10 other unions were put under emergency supervision last week after District Council of Carpenters boss Michael Forde was indicted on federal bribery charges.
Last summer, Devereraux and Forde beat a the rap in a case charging they took bribes from a man linked to the DeCavalcante crime family, the mob that inspired the hit HBO series "The Sopranos."
The two were convicted in that case in 2004, but a Manhattan Supreme Court justice tossed the conviction because some jurors had read news accounts of the case. The pair was acquitted after a second trial in June 2008.
On Wednesday, the feds charged Forde and nine others, including two mob associates, with taking bribes to let contractors cheat workers of wages and benefits.
Devereaux, vice-president of Local 608, was named acting president late Wednesday to replace John Greaney, who is one of the defendants in the federal indictment.
Devereaux has served for years with Greaney as a district council delegate.
The move follows union bylaws, which promote the vice-president to the top slot if the president cannot serve.
The action was approved by Frank Spencer, chief of the eastern district of the International Brotherhood of Carpenters, a spokesman said.
Spencer was brought in by the International Brotherhood to supervise the district council in the wake of Forde's indictment.
Also in the shakeup, District Council president Pete Thomassen was named special assistant to Spencer in running the the tainted organization, the spokesman said.
No matter the outcome, he was guilty of taking bribes.
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DeleteHow many more months are these innocent workers suppose to be out of work? My husband and his friends have been out of work for 8 months now and they are still paying dues. Anyone got answers? Or are we suppose to starve?
ReplyDeleteThey weren’t innocent. Let’s be real
DeleteCurious who wrote this one? They weren’t innocent and we all know that now don’t we
DeleteYou should have been worried about the alcohol abuse at home than dues whichever wife this was. Shameful
Deleteshit or get off the potty???????????
ReplyDeleteEvery one knew that ford and his boys were screwing the members, it runs in the family ,there was full employment and no one seemed to give a damn ,we could'nt see past the past the pay check.look around the city at all the non union jobs there working and were not! If we the rank and file members don't demand that Our House is put in order there will be no house to stand in.
ReplyDeleteI worked on a job and when i had cause to suspect that some fellow workers were not getting their stamps. I approached the steward and related my concerns to him .his reply was ;mind your own business.keep your mouth shut,dont rock the boat;
ReplyDeleteNot surprised
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