Pudgy Matassa charged with fraud

[Wiseguy]

Reputed mob figure indicted on charges of defrauding Social Security
By Chicago Tribune Staff
May 26, 2017


Reputed mob figure has been indicted on charges he fraudulently qualified for early retirement benefits from the Social Security Administration.

John A. Matassa Jr., then secretary-treasurer of the Independent Union of Amalgamated Workers Local 711, put his wife on the payroll in a do-nothing job in February 2013 while lowering his own salary, authorities charged.

He then applied for the early retirement benefits from SSA's Old-Age Insurance program, listing his reduced salary, which enabled him to qualify for those benefits, the indictment alleged.

The charges also alleged that Matassa personally signed his wife's paychecks from the union and had them deposited into the couple's bank account.

Matassa, 65, of Arlington Heights, is scheduled to be arraigned next week in federal court on two counts of wire fraud, two counts of theft of government funds, four counts of embezzlement from a labor organization and two counts of making false entries in union records.

In the late 1990s, Matassa, nicknamed "Pudgy," was kicked out as president of the Laborers Union Chicago local over his alleged extensive ties to organized crime.

Matassa's name also surfaced during the 2009 trial of a deputy U.S. marshal who was convicted of leaking sensitive information to a family friend with alleged mob ties, knowing the details would end up in the Outfit's hands. The leak involved the then-secret cooperation of Outfit turncoat Nicholas Calabrese, whose testimony led to the convictions of numerous mob figures in the landmark Operation Family Secrets.

His lawyer declined to comment on the indictment.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... story.html

[TommyGambino]

What's his status in the outfit?

[Snakes]

He's one of the senior guys. Don't know how involved he is anymore, though.

[Hailbritain]

He's one of the senior guys. Don't know how involved he is anymore, though.

I read a lot last year that he was ill and virtually on his death bed . Obviously doin a John gambino

[OlBlueEyesClub]

Tbh, I hate when people do this , it literally makes it harder for those of us who actually need these things, like SSI and disability.

[SonnyBlackstein]

Tbh, I hate when people do this , it literally makes it harder for those of us who actually need these things, like SSI and disability.

They are criminals BE. That's kind of their MO.

[Slick]

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/press ... 6/download

https://www.missionandvision.org/nonpro ... 1/overview

Matassa was the only Union official being compensated at all, which wasn't much anyway, not even the President received compensation. There is also a Joseph Caliendo that served on this board and one in Brooklyn NY for Service Employees International 177 Special Officers & Guards Union. I believe both unions have since closed.

Here is also an article about Matassa and James Bertino, a longtime union guy for the Outfit, from last year about local 711.

http://cookcountyrecord.com/stories/510 ... f-mob-ties

[OlBlueEyesClub]

Tbh, I hate when people do this , it literally makes it harder for those of us who actually need these things, like SSI and disability.

They are criminals BE. That's kind of their MO.

True enough.