June 5, 1981

MIAMI, June 4 (AP) - Two alleged leaders of organized crime, Santo Trafficante Jr. and Anthony Accardo, and 14 other persons have been indicted in connection with kickbacks involving the Laborers International Union of North America, Federal officials said today.

The indictments stem from a two-year Federal investigation of the union, which has more than 475,000 members, most of them garbage collectors, construction workers, street sweepers and road workers.

A one-count indictment handed up by a Federal grand jury yesterday charged the 16 persons with "conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organizations Statute," said United States Attorney Atlee Wampler.

He said the indictment charges conspiracy to conduct the affairs of the union through " a pattern of racketeering activity by giving and receiving unlawful kickbacks" for granting union business involving the pension fund, life insurance and medical and dental plans.

Mr. Trafficante, identified in past Federal investigations as the head of Florida's underworld, has never before been charged with a major crime.

Also named in the indictment were the union's general president, Angelo Fosco, 60 years old, of Chicago, and his son, Paul, 32, of Chicago. Mr. Wampler identified Paul Fosco as a former president of the P.F. Insurance Agency of Chicago and vice president of Consultants and Administrators and Dental and Vision Care Centers of Miami.

Also indicted were:
Bernard G. Rubin, 60, of Miami, a former union official and president of the union's Florida District Council; James Caporale, 60, of Chicago, a union official; Paul A. Di Franco, 51, of Chicago, a dentist who was a vice president of Dental and Vision Care Centers in Miami.

Also John Giardiello, 49, of Fort Lauderdale, a union official and a trustee of the Florida Dental Plan; Seymour Gopman, 56, of Miami, former counsel to the Dade County Health and Welfare Fund and several other union funds; James F. Norton, 50, of Chicago, president of Consultants and Administrators and former vice president of the Dental and Vision Care Centers.

Also Louis Ostrer of New York, identified as the principal operator of Sales Administrators for Employee Fringe Advantages and Fringe Benefits, both of New York; Terence J. O'Sullivan, 51, of Washington, D.C., a former union official and president of the Worldwide Insurance Company of Washington.

Also Alfred Pilotto, 60, Chicago, a union official; James Pinckard, 45, of Chicago, owner-operator of Pinckard and Associates, and Mr. Pilotto's son-in-law; Salvatore Tricario, 49, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., a union official, and George Wuagneux, 48, of Scottsdale, Ariz., former president of the Sage Corporation, which was a Florida real estate development corporation.

Submitted by: Tim Dowlin