The Largest Union Theft in History

In yet another story for the Union Corruption Corner, the NYC Sandhogs, members of the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) are missing $42 million from their union pensions.  Yet, the mainstream media (MSM) has barely covered this story and its side story of how vulnerable union pensions are to corruption.

As reported on David Horowtiz's NewsReal:

While the mainstream media swarmed all over Bernie Madoff, AIG and corporate billionaires, the gentlemen of the press, who are so proud of fighting for the Little Guy, were mostly out to an expense-account lunch when Melissa King allegedly made off with $42 million rightfully belonging to members of the Laborers International Union of North American (LIUNA).

In what is being called the largest union embezzlement in American history, the LIUNA Local 147 (New York) office administration was apparently unsatisfied with her meager $500,000 a year paycheck.

While the claim of queen-sized Ms. King's alleged theft of $42 million is debatable (how much did mob bosses get in "loans" from union bosses?), we'll go with it.

NJ Union Boss Gets Sentenced for Stealing $2 Million...

Union boss Carmelo Sito seems to have done okay for himself. In fact, according to press accounts, Mr. Sito helped himself to about $2 million to help pay for a boat, a house in Mountainside, NJ and a condo on the posh resort island of Martha's Vinyard.

The problem is, it wasn't his money--it was money that was belonged to the members of the Hudson County District Council of Laborers consists of Locals 21, 31, 202 and 325 of the Laborers International Union of North America.

According to NJ.com:

Carmelo J. Sita, 66, spent 22 years as executive manager of benefit funds for the Hudson County District Council of Laborers. He pleaded guilty in 2004, saying he took the money from funds belonging to union members.

“I do believe that Mr. Sita, for whatever reason, thought the union was his own little bank,” U.S. District Judge Dennis M. Cavanaugh said.

Sita, who was arrested in 2001, took the money between 1995 and 1999.

For stealing about $500,000 a year for four years, Mr. Sita was sentenced to one year, nine months.