March 18, 1996

 

Douglas Gow

 

 

RE: LIUNA

 

Dear Doug,

 

on March 16, I went to dinner with a New England LIUNA , LCN associate.

 

Sophisticated Travel: One of your investigators (Cleary) has been asking quite a lot of questions regarding Joan Kilburg and her husband. As a result of this, fear of compromise has many afraid to discuss the travel company. I did learn that Coia Jr., has in the past publicly told and directed all Union Officials and Contractors to utilize the Travel Company. When employer organizations would have meetings with Coia or LIUNA regional officials, they would promote the travel company.

 

New England Defense Fund

 

Concern over having his law firm directly or indirectly with the New England Defense Fund led Coia and Jim Merloni to develop regional defense programs. One of these regional defense funds was set up in Burlington Massachussetts. Tony (LNU) met with Louis Manderini of Boston, Pavone of Waltham and others over the program. (sometime in the middle to late eighties.)

 

Jobs were created for LCN associates and comp cases would also be steered to the fund. The Burlington location is also home to the regional benefit fund office. Over $7.00 an hour is paid to the benefit funds by the employers by the employers. And special conditions are made available for LCN associated employers to have an edge over contractors who are not connected such as: allowing non union employees working at lower wage scales to work on non Davis Bacon projects. Lower liability and bonding costs are also available for associated employers. A separate union local, I believe local 1439 handles all demolition in the eastern Massachusetts region and parts of Rhode Island. Under what is referred to as a fifty-fifty program an employer signatory to the demolition local is allowed to bring fifty percent of the project needed employees from other areas. Tony (LNU) and Armond Sabbitini are constant visitors at the Burlington office.

 

I believe ***** can probably shed quite a lot of information on this and he would also be aware of Coia's relationship with the Union house restaurant and the training funds.

 

The two laborers that I meet with are now working at night so it is more difficult to meet with them except on week ends. If any of this information is helpful let me know. Both are close friends of Manderini and know quite a lot about Coia, Patriaccia and are LCN associates. I have known them for a number of years and they are not aware of my past or what I do for a living.

 

They did not know the last name of the lawyer Tony, but it would probably be Trianni

 

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