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A Bronx construction worker who drove himself deep into debt
during the last four years fighting corruption in his union won $2.5 million in the New
York State Lottery yesterday. "There's got to be a God above," said he worker, Mario Montuoro, who, in the process of his fight, has
accused the United States Secretary of Labor of participating in payoffs.
Mr. Montuoro has not worked steadily since he was forced out of
his job as an officer of his union four years ago because, he says, he would not cooperate
in cheating union members of their benefits. "You've been beating your head against a
wall for four years," said James A. Nolan, regional director of the lottery, as he
told Mr. Montuoro of is winnings. "What this can do is start brand new life for
you." "My mind was made up about what I got to do before this," Mr.
Montuoro sic. "Money isn't my thing. If I were greedy, I'd still be
there with all the other corrupt union officials. This money's not changing me. But all the people who stood by me, I'm going to help them now."
Mr. Montuoro, who is 49 years old, said he would use part of his
winnings to set up a fund to help pay the legal costs of unionists fighting corruption.
He said he would also use some of the money to pay back the
$25,000 that he has borrowed from friends and family since he was ousted from his job as
secretary-treasurer of Local 29 of the Laborers International Union,
which represents blasters and drillers at city construction sites.
Mr. Montuoro acknowledged that his falling out with the leaders of
his union marked a break with people with whom he had had much in common. "I was no
angel," he said. Although he has convictions for narcotics and weapons possession, he
said that "I'm going to make up for all the bad I did."
His ouster from the union post was the beginning of a battle with
the leadership of the union-a battle that took Mr. Montuoro to
prosecutors, grand juries, newspapers and anyone else who would listen to his stories of
corruption in the union.
Partly on the basis of Mr. Montuoro's testimony,
both the president of the union, Louis Sanzo and the new secretary-treasurer, Amadio
Petito, were convicted on Federal charges.
During the investigation of his union, Mr. Montuoro raised an
additional charge: that Raymond J. Donovan, now the Secretary of Labor, had participated
in a payoff to Mr. Sanzo during a period in which Mr. Donovan was executive vice president
of a construction company building part of a new subway line. Those
charges are being investigated by a special grand jury, but Mr. Donovan has denied any
wrongdoing and has described Mr. Montuoro as a "damnable, contemptible liar."
The National Labor Relations Board has ordered Mr. Montuoro
reinstated with back pay, but the union has so far resisted. Mr. Montuoro said he would
continue the fight for his back pay and his job.