Copyright 1994 Sentinel Communications Co.  
Orlando Sentinel (Florida)
September 9, 1994 Friday, 3 STAR
SECTION: A SECTION; Pg. A10

LENGTH: 118 words

HEADLINE: CIVIL SUIT SAYS MOB BILKED UNION FUNDS OF MILLIONS

DATELINE: NEW YORK

BODY:
A federal civil racketeering suit was filed Thursday seeking to rid a construction workers union of organized crime and appoint an independent overseer. The 113-page complaint alleges that the Mason Tenders District Council has "systematically eroded" the employee health and pension benefit funds by draining them of millions of dollars for more than 20 years. The defendants include the union, its officers, several current and former trustees of their employee benefit funds and associates of the Genovese and Luchese organized crime families. The complaint alleges dozens of racketeering acts including illegal labor payoffs, employee benefit fund kickbacks, real estate fraud and embezzlement.