Harold Daggett: The ILA President with a Checkered Past

Harold Daggett, the president of the International Longshoremen's Association, has a history that includes alleged ties to organized crime, a 2005 racketeering trial, and the mysterious death of a co-defendant.

Harold Daggett, the president of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA), has a past marked by allegations of mob connections and a controversial racketeering trial. Despite being cleared of federal charges in 2005, Daggett's history continues to cast a shadow over his leadership of the union.

In 2005, Daggett and several other ILA officials were charged with racketeering in connection with alleged ties to the Genovese crime family. Prosecutors claimed that Daggett had a relationship with the mob dating back to 2000, and that the union had provided no-show jobs and kickbacks to mobsters' relatives in exchange for protection.

Harold Daggett: The ILA President with a Checkered Past

Daggett vehemently denied the accusations, claiming that he was a victim of mob extortion and that a gun was put to his head. Despite his defense, Daggett's cousin and attorney, George Daggett, alleged that the trial was politically motivated and based on weak evidence.

Suspected Genovese captain Larry Ricci, a co-defendant in the trial, mysteriously disappeared during the proceedings and was later found dead in the trunk of a car. His attorney, Martin Schmukler, suggested that Ricci was either abducted or killed, and he was later acquitted in absentia.

Harold Daggett: The ILA President with a Checkered Past

The Justice Department failed to obtain a conviction against Daggett, but the case had deadly consequences. George Daggett believes that his cousin asked a Catholic priest for financial advice, leading to the involvement of a money manager who also worked with a church in Sparta, New Jersey. The trial, he said, was marred by an attempt to link the union to organized crime by repeatedly displaying photos of mobsters on a board.

Daggett has also been accused of lavish spending, including owning a yacht, a Bentley car, and a sprawling mansion in Sparta. His union salary last year exceeded $900,000, including $728,000 for his role as union president and $173,000 for his previous position.

Harold Daggett: The ILA President with a Checkered Past

Despite his checkered past, Daggett became the ILA president in 2011 and has led the union through a recent strike over pay and working conditions. This week, the ILA and the U.S. Maritime Alliance reached a provisional wage agreement that extends the current contract until 2025.

The allegations against Daggett and the ILA raise questions about the union's integrity and its relationship with organized crime. While Daggett has denied wrongdoing, the shadows of the past continue to linger, highlighting the challenges faced by unions in maintaining transparency and distancing themselves from corrupt influences.

Harold Daggett: The ILA President with a Checkered Past