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April 05, 2007

Family Ties (The Non-Keaton Kind)

From Dubya Ennnnnnn Bee See .........

A construction firm accused of having mob ties is helping build the new Yankee Stadium, officials said.

And its owners are under indictment in the Bronx in connection with former New York City police Commissioner Bernard Kerik's legal issues.

Interstate Industrial's owners Frank and Peter DiTommaso -- accused of having ties to the mafia -- were indicted in July on perjury charges.

The brothers are accused of lying to a Bronx grand jury about $165,000 in free construction work given to Bernard Kerik, Rudy Giuliani's former correction and police commissioner.

In an interview Wednesday, the company's owners insisted they will be cleared of criminal wrongdoing, and that their company, Interstate Industrial, is not linked to the Gambino Crime Family.

But investigators said they had banned Interstate from public contracts in New York City and Atlantic City.

The question at hand: Why is the New York Yankees organization using Interstate to help build the team's new $1.2 billion stadium?

From their offices in Clifton, the DiTommaso brothers noted while inspecting the new Yankee Stadium blueprints that they are innocent and that their firm was chosen because it is best for the job.

After an NewsChannel4 inquiry to city hall and to investigators, officials seemed surprised and we are told city officials began voicing strong objections directly to the Yankees about their choice of contractors.

The Yankees, a private organization, declined to comment, referring our inquiries instead to Turner Construction, the lead construction firm that hired Interstate to do the excavation and foundation work.

Does this mean that every time the Yankees "blow" a game at the new Stadium it will be referred to as "The Curse of Vito Spatafore"?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at April 5, 2007 09:29 AM

Comments

This is kind of late for an April Fools joke. The mafia involved in the construction industry, in New York? That really strains belief.

Posted by: rbj [TypeKey Profile Page] at April 5, 2007 10:45 AM