Breaking the Devil’s Pact: The Battle to Free the Teamsters from the Mob

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“In Breaking the Devil’s Pact, Jacobs and Cooperman persuasively show that the Teamsters could be freed from the tentacles of mob bosses only by an imaginative use of the civil remedies of RICO; as Congress rightly foresaw, criminal prosecutions alone were not enough.” —G. Robert Blakey, Notre Dame Law School, principal architect of RICO “This book is a very important addition to the already most impressive series of studies Jacobs published in the last decades on the manifold ways organized crime can get embedded in core institutions, key industries and black markets and on the huge long-term efforts it takes to liberate societies to a certain extent from such a parasitical phenomenon. For European readers the overwhelming lesson is that competent, experienced and dedicated prosecutors, police officers, and judges are an equally strategic precondition for any successful campaign against organized crime as an appropriate legal framework to contain its most damaging societal manifestations.” —C. J. C. F. Fijnaut, Tilburg University “Breaking the Devil’s Pact tells the compelling story of the government’s Herculean effort to break La Cosa Nostra’s stranglehold over a notorious union. It will shock and surprise you, proving once again that the truth really is stranger than fiction.” —Randy Mastro, Litigation Partner, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, and former federal prosecutor “Court-ordered reform of a private organization is more easily prescribed than implemented. Breaking the Devil’s Pact is an intriguing account of a continuing, decades-long struggle to rid a powerful union of corrupt influences . It will certainly appeal to specialists in organized crime and labor relations . Moreover, it will be of interest well beyond a North American readership . Regulatory scholars around the world will note the very real limits to what they call ‘enforced self-regulation.’ Democratic theorists will recognize the challenge of voter apathy. Sociologists of organizations will see an extreme example of inertia. Political scientists will be heartened by the apolitical nature of reform efforts over four successive presidential administrations, but disappointed with the slow pace of change. Metaphorically speaking, Breaking the Devil’s Pact is a mansion with many fascinating rooms.” —Peter Grabosky, FASSA, Professor, Regulatory Institutions Network, Australian National University This page intentionally left blank Breaking the Devil’s Pact The Battle to Free the Teamsters from the Mob James B. Jacobs and Kerry T. Cooperman a N E W Y O R K U N I V E R S I T Y P R E S S New York and London N E W Y O R K U N I V E R S I T Y P R E S S New York and London www.nyupress.org© 2011 by New York University All rights reserved References to Internet websites (URLs) were accurate at the time of writing. Neither the authors nor New York University Press is responsible for URLs that may have expired or changed since the manuscript was prepared. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Jacobs, James B. Breaking the devil’s pact : the battle to free the Teamsters from the mob / James B. Jacobs, Kerry T. Cooperman. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-8147-4308-9 (hardback) — ISBN 978-0-8147-4366-9 (ebook) ISBN 978-0-8147-4367-6 (ebook) 1. United States. Dept. of Justice.—Trials, litigation, etc. 2. International Brotherhood of Teamsters—Trials, litigation, etc. 3. Mafia trials—United States. 4. Racketeering—United States—History. 5. Labor unions—Corrupt practices —United States—History. 6. Organized crime investigation—United States— History. 7. Giuliani, Rudolph W. I. Cooperman, Kerry T. II. Title. KF228.U5J327 2011 345.73'0267—dc23 2011026377 New York University Press books are printed on acid-free paper, and their binding materials are chosen for strength and durability. We strive to use environmentally responsible suppliers and materials to the greatest extent possible in publishing our books. Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 To the friends who enrich my life —JBJ To Emily and my parents —KTC This page intentionally left blank ...