WCNYH

ILA Local 1 Trustee and Shop Steward Removed from Waterfront for Theft, Frauds, and Association with Organized Crime

October 25, 2011

           By Commission Order, dated October 25, 2011, William A. Vitale, a suspended shop steward at Maher Terminals and a trustee of ILA Local 1, was removed from working on the Waterfront for the theft of $96,582.75 from Maher Terminals, committing frauds in connection with a sworn interview conducted by the Commission, and associating with an associate of the Genovese Crime Family.

            On April 28, 2011, in Union County Superior Court, Vitale pleaded guilty to theft by deception (a crime of the 3rd degree). On September 23, 2011, the Court sentenced Vitale to three (3) years probation and ordered him to pay restitution of $96,582.75 to Maher Terminals, forfeit his Waterfront registration, and resign his position with the ILA. Vitale admitted that he lied and caused false time records to be created which resulted in Maher Terminals paying him for hours that he did not work. He also testified falsely during a sworn Commission interview in response to questions concerning his presence in Florida, California, and Aruba, when he was paid for working at the terminal. Vitale also visited in prison Joseph Lore, an associate of the Genovese Crime Family on the ILA Ethical Practices Counsel’s Barred List, who was convicted of charges pertaining to embezzlement from ILA Local 1588 and using intimidation or force against a witness. Both Vitale and Lore were subjects of testimony during the Commission's 2010 Public Hearings pertaining to "no show" jobs and organized crime associations on the waterfront.

            The case was investigated by the Waterfront Commission and prosecuted by the New Jersey Attorney General's Division of Criminal Justice.