Union influence at the docks

[Pierino1978]

Obviously the Westside still have considerable influence over the rackets especially in New Jersey but have the Gambino's lost all their rackets in brooklyn and staten Island? If so how come they managed to lose them whilst the Westside kept a lot of theirs ?

[Wiseguy]

Obviously the Westside still have considerable influence over the rackets especially in New Jersey but have the Gambino's lost all their rackets in brooklyn and staten Island? If so how come they managed to lose them whilst the Westside kept a lot of theirs ?

One of the main factors has been changes in the industry itself. The docks on the Brooklyn and Staten Island waterfronts are relatively small. Same for Manhattan, which mostly has been lost to development. Today, at least 80% of the shipping is done of the New Jersey side, which the Genovese have benefited from. But they've taken their hits there as well. Reformers managed to take over ILA Local 1588 in Bayonne back in 2007. But there are a few others where there may still be some remaining influence of varying degrees, namely Locals 1, 1235 and 1478 in Newark and 1804-1 in North Bergen.

[Pogo The Clown]

On one of the documentaries from the early 2000s Rudy Giuliani said the city had lost the docks. That they were no longer doing the kind of business they use to due to the pervasive mob influence. I remember somewhere else how most companies just moved their shipping to other city docks to avoid the mob taxes and corruption. This was reflected in the 2002 Gambino case involving extortion on the docks. I forgot the exact figures they were getting but they were rediculously low. Like only in the lows thousands of dollars. I was surprised when I read it. Then after that you have to factor that their man running the docks union (Red Scollo) flipped. Today I imagine they are getting next to nothing out of the Brooklyn docks.


Pogo

[Wiseguy]

On one of the documentaries from the early 2000s Rudy Giuliani said the city had lost the docks. That they were no longer doing the kind of business they use to due to the pervasive mob influence. I remember somewhere else how most companies just moved their shipping to other city docks to avoid the mob taxes and corruption. This was reflected in the 2002 Gambino case involving extortion on the docks. I forgot the exact figures they were getting but they were rediculously low. Like only in the lows thousands of dollars. I was surprised when I read it. Then after that you have to factor that their man running the docks union (Red Scollo) flipped. Today I imagine they are getting next to nothing out of the Brooklyn docks.


Pogo

Of course, the ILA and the mob's answer, first to loss of jobs to containerization and later to loss of overall business in the region, was the Container Royalty Fund. As part of the CBA with the ILA, carriers have to pay into it - hundreds of millions each year. Back in 2012, this resulted with year-end supplemental checks to ILA members averaging over $15,000. That's on top of their regular wages. And it's naturally been a big target for the mob in the past (the Christmas shakedowns).

Anyway, just for comparison purposes, Local 1814 in Brooklyn has 141 members. Local 920 in Staten Island has 179. Local 1 in Newark has 732 members. Local 1235 has 884. I don't think it's a coincidence that we've seen basically nothing from the Gambinos on the waterfront after 2005.

If anything is left, it's most likely going to simply be using connections to obtain union jobs. In fact, that seems to be the main thing even on the Jersey side. Dispensing high-paying, relatively easy (sometimes no show) jobs with good benefits to family, friends and associates. Going forward, I wouldn't be surprised if we see the more blatant racketeering activity, i.e. extortion of waterfront companies, forcing kickbacks from workers, etc. go by the wayside.

[NJShore4Life]

Longshoremen and all the other ancillary workers on the docks here in Jersey like to gamble on sports, blow their paychecks & need loans, buy stolen goods, pop pills, and bang hookers.

The mob has these markets cornered amongst the workers on the docks as well, at least here on the Jersey side from what I have heard.

-Dante