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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
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Feds Bust 3 Union Bosses in New York

MANHATTAN (CN) - Three UFCW union bosses extorted money from at least a dozen employers, laundered it and tampered with witnesses in a decade-long racketeering enterprise, federal prosecutors say in a 6-count indictment. The defendants are Anthony Fazio, Anthony Fazio Jr. and John Fazio Jr.

According to the 52-page indictment:

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union has about 28,000 members in New York City, in 12 locals.

Anthony Fazio Sr. was president of UFCW Local 348 from 1976 until January 2010.

Anthony Fazio Jr. was president of Local 348 until February this year, its secretary-treasurer from September 2000 until January 2010, and its recording secretary from September 1999 until August 2001.

John Fazio Jr. was Local 348's vice president from 2000 until January 2010, when he became its secretary-treasurer.

The indictment accuses the Fazios of "extorting, soliciting and obtaining cash payments, in violation of federal and state labor law, from business owners who employees were represented by Local 348," to enrich themselves and others.

It claims the Fazios conspired to extort, and did extort, and laundered the extortion money, embezzled from pension and welfare benefit funds and tampered with witnesses.

It claims that they took more than $1,000 at a pop from multiple employers, extorting them "by instilling ... fear" that the Fazios and others would harm their businesses unless they paid it.

The grand jury indictment, whose foreperson's name is blacked out, seeks forfeiture of assets and other penalties.

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