HUDSON MAN LEAPS FROM G.W. BRIDGE

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Sunday, November 24, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | All Editions | NEWS | Page A05

A 65-year-old Union City man left his car running on the George Washington Bridge on Saturday morning, climbed over two railings, and jumped, apparently to his death, Port Authority police said.

Police were withholding the man’s identity because his body had not been found, despite a three-hour search by the U.S. Coast Guard, a New York City Police Department marine unit and helicopter, and Port Authority police officers, said Port Authority police Lt. Gil Sadler.

Eyewitnesses reported that a New Jersey-bound car stopped midspan on the upper level about 8:50 a.m. They reported that the driver got out, climbed two barriers, and jumped into the river, Sadler said.

Port Authority police officers Robert Weckerle and Reggie Bates found a blue 1984 Audi parked near the spot from which eyewitnesses said the man jumped.

Police found several pieces of identification in the car and spoke to the family of the man.

Notes: Bergen page

N. BERGEN COP HELD ON DRUG CHARGES

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Monday, November 18, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | 1 Star | NEWS | Page A03

North Bergen Patrolman Michael Williams was suspended from the township Police Department on Saturday after he was arrested in Union City on drug charges, authorities said.

Williams was being held without bail in the Hudson County Jail on Sunday, following his arrest by members of the Jersey City Police narcotics squad.

Jersey City Police Sgt. Brian McDonough said Williams would face charges of cocaine possession, distribution, aggravated assault on a police officer, and resisting arrest. North Bergen Police Lt. Bruce McBreen declined comment on the case Sunday, but he confirmed that Police Chief Angelo Busacco had suspended Williams, 34.

About 7:30 p.m. Saturday, McDonough said, Williams bought about 5 grams of cocaine in three clear plastic bags at 61 Graham St., a Jersey City residence that the squad had under surveillance because neighbors had complained of drug activities there.

He drove up to the house, knocked on a window and was let in through a door, McDonough said. When he emerged moments later and left in a car occupied by a woman, the detectives followed in unmarked cars, later stopping Williams at 13th Street and Kennedy Boulevard in Union City.

Williams appeared nervous and informed the detectives he is a North Bergen police officer, McDonough said.

After he was placed in the back of one of the unmarked cars, Williams “became very abusive,” McDonough said, and “in a threatening manner, quickly pulled up his sweat shirt” to reveal a small revolver in a holster.

The officer disarmed Williams and retrieved the drug.

The detectives later executed a search warrant at 61 Graham St., where they arrested three people and recovered $3,029 and an undetermined quantity of cocaine.

MEDIA UNFAIR, TEAMSTERS LOCAL SAYS

By MICHAEL O. ALLEN | Sunday, October 6, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | All Editions | NEWS | Page A07

Members of Teamsters Local 560 marched to the state’s largest media outlets Saturday to protest what they called unfair news coverage of the union’s battle with government to elect its own leaders.
Starting with a rally in front of the local’s office in Union City, about 100 members came to The Record, then went to WWOR-TV in Secaucus. Newark police could not confirm whether the members went to The Star-Ledger in Newark, as they had announced they would.
When Local 560 filed a petition in U.S. District Court in Newark three weeks ago to end the six-year trusteeship of the union, “the news media gave minimal coverage,” said Bob Marra, secretary-treasurer of the local. “When the government filed their return brief . . . all the news media, including The Record, gave it front-page coverage.”
The government opposed the appointment of former President Michael Sciarra as business agent. In January, a federal judge banned him from positions of influence, ruling that the Genovese crime family was trying to resume control of the Teamsters through him. Sciarra is appealing the decision.

Keywords: HACKENSACK; MEDIA; UNION; GOVERNMENT; ELECTION; NEWSPAPER; DEMONSTRATION; UNION CITY; THE RECORD; SECAUCUS

A BURGLARY SPREE ENDS ON NIGHT OUT; UNION CITY POLICE ARREST PAIR OF TEENS

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Friday, August 9, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | One Star | NEWS | Page B03

A nightmare ended for Roosevelt Street residents Tuesday night when they came out on their front porches to mark National Night Out against crime, Mayor Robert Menendez said.
Police led two teenagers who may have burglarized as many as 50 homes in the city including eight that night, and many of them on Roosevelt Street out of a house on the street about 30 minutes after the Night Out events began.
“One of them, a juvenile, told us they did so many he lost count,” Union City police Detective Brian Barrett said.
The juvenile, a 17-year-old boy, confessed to more burglaries 50 than police could charge him with. They could verify only 18.
Jeffrey Sweeney, 18, was arrested with the youth and was charged with eight of the burglaries. Sweeney is a student on the dean’s list at St. Peter’s College in Jersey City, Menendez said.
It was ironic that the two were arrested on National Night Out in a neighborhood where residents were beginning to feel besieged by the rash of burglaries, Menendez added.
Barrett and Detective Thomas Callahan had been investigating the burglaries since a Roosevelt Street home was broken into on May 5, the mayor said.
Barrett said the first lead came last week when an informant told authorities that the juvenile was responsible for the burglaries.
The two were arrested at an apartment the youth rented from a homeowner who found him in his hallway, about to burglarize his home last week, Barrett said. The youth had convinced the man that he wanted to rent an apartment, paid a month’s rent on the spot, and moved in Aug. 1, Barrett said.
“The juvenile told the man he was 22 years old,” Barrett said. The youth, who had lived alone for about two years and weighed about 220 pounds, looked older than his age, Barrett added.
The youth told police that when word got to him that the police were on his trail, he staged a burglary of his own apartment and the one below his on Tuesday to make himself look like a victim, rather than a suspect, Barrett said.
The plan backfired because police, while investigating that burglary, found credit cards, jewelry, and electronic and video equipment from other burglaries during the past three months in his apartment, Barrett said.
Barrett and Callahan began watching the house about 6 p.m. National Night Out events began on Roosevelt Street at 8 p.m.
McGruff the Crime Dog was on hand. The block was closed off, a searchlight went on, and a band started playing.
“We thought that would blow it for us,” Barrett said.
But they saw the two suspects going up the stairs right about then. The teens cooperated when they were confronted, Barrett said.
Barrett said Sweeney was released to the custody of a parent and that the youth was being held in the Hudson County Juvenile Detention Center.

Keywords: UNION CITY; THEFT

NEW LAW ON SWEATSHOPS CALLED WEAK

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Sunday, June 23, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | All Editions | NEWS | Page A01

The strain of trying to regulate the apparel industry in the state and put an end to sweatshops became clear in an unguarded moment Friday, when state Labor Commissioner Raymond Bramucci admitted that even an expected new law isn’t strong enough.
Before retracting that statement, made at a news conference, he added that he did not have enough inspectors to enforce the current law, which expires June 30.
“We have very, very poor means to police this industry,” Bramucci said. “We are trying to make it much more difficult to operate here. It is not easy. . . . We try to do a job with the tools given to us. It took us a whole lot of arguing to get this [the new law] through, and I don’t think it is strong enough.”
Someone asked how many people would be needed to inspect the thousands of sweatshops in the state. He declined to say.
“I want to work this out first,” he said. “I’m sorry I said that. Scratch it. I want to try to enforce this law first, vigorously.
“We have enough people to give a powerful signal. We don’t have to hit every factory, every minute of every day. But if we have means like we’re going to have with this new law, which gives us the right to seize goods and close down factories after repeated violations, we will have the beginning of the tool to have a reasonable control of the industry.”
Bramucci had invited the journalists along for raids Friday by federal and labor officials on two sweatshops. Since the crackdown started on Monday, 23 shops have been cited for violations of the state Apparel Registration Act, and for various federal and state wage, hour, child labor, home work, and records infractions.
Legislation awaiting Governor Florio’s signature would establish an Apparel Industry Unit, which would investigate violations of state laws and exploitation of workers. Starting this fall, the Labor Department will train industry workers at regional technical and vocational schools, Bramucci said.
At the first stop on Friday, state, federal, and city inspectors followed by about 25 journalists entered a garage with red roofing shingles for siding behind 4002 Palisade Ave., Union City. The shop was about 70 feet by 25 feet. Inside was an operation known as Lucy Fashion, with 11 sewing machines and, on several clotheslines, hundreds of blouses and skirts tagged “Made in USA.”
Lucy Fashion was one of the worst examples of the shops inspectors visited in Hudson and Essex counties last week, Bramucci said. A Union City fire inspector also cited the shop for building and fire code violations.
Bramucci said the shop would probably be long gone before the state could make it comply with regulations. Fly-by-night operations are rampant in the industry, making it difficult to keep count of the sweatshops. He estimated that about 10,000 people work in North Jersey sweatshops.
Bramucci blamed the conditions on New York garment manufacturers who farm out work to contractors without paying them enough to adequately compensate workers.
The renewed enforcement would help combat one of the plagues that the legitimate apparel industry faces: low labor costs in the sweatshops, said Aleta Hernandez, assistant political education director in New Jersey for the International Ladies Garment Workers Union.
The low labor costs in foreign countries drove the jobs in the industry underground, and made doing business legally difficult for local companies that often have to pay at least minimum wage, health insurance, and other benefits, Hernandez said.
Hernandez also blames greed on the part of the manufacturers because the low costs do not necessarily translate to low prices for consumers. All profits go into the pockets of manufacturers, she said.
Labor lawyer Craig Livingston said he sees at least another culprit in what he called an assault on the American worker: the U.S. government.
“The United States is probably unique in the world in not protecting its basic industries from cheap imports,” Livingston said. “Our basic industries are being crucified on the cross of free trade.”

Keywords: CLOTHING; EMPLOYMENT; LAW; STORE; VIOLATION; NEW JERSEY; UNION CITY

FACTORY RAIDS FIND LABOR LAW VIOLATIONS

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Saturday, June 22, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | All Editions | NEWS | Page A03

In ongoing raids on garment industry sweatshops, state Labor Commissioner Raymond Bramucci on Friday led journalists to two shops where undocumented Mexican aliens worked.
As in the 21 shops inspected since the raids began Monday, Lucy Fashion at 4002 Palisade Ave., Union City, and Tlaloc Fashion at 6029 Hudson St., West New York, were found to be in violation of state and federal child labor laws. They also did not keep proper work and wage records, authorities said.
Formal citations will be filed, pending further investigation, Bramucci said.
Many of the 34 people working in the two shops inspected Friday were undocumented aliens, one of them a 13-year-old boy who arrived from Mexico on Monday, Bramucci added.
“This is our own Third World,” he said. “What we are trying to do is correct an egregious industry. Shops like these have no place in New Jersey in 1991.”
Bramucci said the current New Jersey Apparel Registration Act, which expires June 30, will be replaced by a law now awaiting Governor Florio’s signature. The new law establishes the Apparel Industry Unit, which will investigate violations of state laws and exploitation of workers.
The law will allow increased fines of up to $500 per violation and seizure of the clothing and machinery in the shops that are cited for repeated offenses.
Along with imposing increased penalties, the Labor Department will start a training program at Bergen County technical and vocational schools for workers in these shops who want to learn better work and English skills, he said.
“Because these workers don’t know their rights,” Bramucci said, “they are exploitable.”
Valentin Contla, 26, who said he would be getting proper papers soon, said he had been working at Lucy Fashion for only about a week and he made 20 cents per blouse. He sews about 300 blouses per day.
Louis Miranda, a Union City Fire Department investigator, said Lucy Fashion also violated several city building codes: A second door in the converted garage was blocked; the 11 sewing machines were too close together, restricting freedom of movement in case of fire, and there was no smoke detector or fire extinguisher.

Keywords: UNION CITY; CLOTHING; INDUSTRY; EMPLOYMENT; LAW; VIOLATION

COPS PROBE HOW WOMAN IN SPAT FELL FROM WINDOW

By MICHAEL O. ALLEN | Thursday, May 30, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | One Star | NEWS | Page B04

Investigators are trying to determine how a 24-year-old Jersey City woman, a bystander in a spat between a man and his two girlfriends, fell out of a third-floor apartment window Wednesday and cracked her skull, police said.
“Everything indicates that she didn’t want to go out of that window,” Union City Detective Sgt. Maurice Ryan said.
Wanda Colon of 1812 Fifth St. was in critical condition in the intensive care unit at University Hospital in Newark, a hospital spokesman said.
Ryan said the dispute started when Carmen Natal of 2508 Adams Place, Union City, and Jacqueline Casco of 228 Fourth St., Jersey City, found out they had been dating the same man Michael Lugo, 23, of Queens and decided to confront him early Wednesday.
Natal, 24, telephoned Lugo and told him her husband was beating her, Ryan said, adding that Natal is not married. Ryan said that when Lugo arrived at Natal’s place, armed with a gun, he was surprised to find Casco, Colon, and two other women there, along with Natal.
The gun was a catalyst in the ensuing melee, during which Colon fell out of the window, Ryan said. Broken window panes, scratches on her wrist, and her fingernail marks on the sill, showed that Colon struggled to prevent her fall, Ryan said.
Lugo was charged with possession of a weapon and aggravated assault. He was being held in the Hudson County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Keywords: UNION CITY; ACCIDENT; PROBE