Two new defendants have been added
to a civil RICO [Racketeer Influence & Corrupt Organizations]
lawsuit in Bridgeport, Ct.
The new defendants are Michael Bearse,
[General Counsel for The Laborers' International of North America,
LIUNA] & Frank Freeman, [Vice-President of Hartford Laborers'
Local 230].
Bearse [who at one time was Arthur
Coia Sr.'s personal lawyer] now works at LIUNA Headquarters in
Washington, DC where he directly serves Arthur Coia Jr.
LIUNA Headquarters is alternately
referred to as either "The Crystal Palace" or "The
Vatican".
Freeman was the union Sergeant-at-arms
who, under the direction of union Business Manager Charles LeConche,
physically assaulted then-union-officer Stephen Manos during an
union executive board meeting held on July 30, 1997 at Capriccio
Restaurant in Hartford, Ct.
LeConche subsequently sued Manos
after Manos turned over an audio tape of the assault & other
evidence to the FBI & other law enforcement agencies.
LeConche added other charges to the
lawsuit after Manos testified on labor racketeering to a U.S.
Congressional subcommittee on May 4, 1998.
On June 30, 1999, LeConche was forced
to withdraw the lawsuit after Manos issued subpoenas for testimony
[for July 2, 1999] to LeConche & union officer Butch Granell.
Manos, along with Gary Wall &
William Cooksey Sr., is a plaintiff in the RICO suit which names
LeConche as a defendant.
Other Defendants are :
Robert Luskin [LIUNA General Executive Board
Attorney],
Vere Haynes [LIUNA 2nd Vice-President],
Dominick Lopreato [Former Union Business
Manager],
John Pezzenti [Union Secretary/Treasurer],
Robert Cheverie [Union Lawyer ( Cheverie
& Associates)],
Harriet Roman [Union Dispatcher], Local 230,
LIUNA, &
The Luskin/Coia/Lopreato Group [a.k.a. LCL][a.k.a.
The Enterprise] 18U.S.C. 1961 (4)