United States v. Local 560 (i.b.t.), Nominal (Intervenor), in No. 91-5440, and Michael Sciarra Joseph Sheridan, Michael Sciarra, in No. 91-5441

974 F.2d 315, 23 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 522, 141 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2001, 1992 U.S. App. LEXIS 19005, 1992 WL 198918
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Third Circuit
DecidedAugust 18, 1992
Docket91-5440, 91-5441
StatusPublished
Cited by52 cases

This text of 974 F.2d 315 (United States v. Local 560 (i.b.t.), Nominal (Intervenor), in No. 91-5440, and Michael Sciarra Joseph Sheridan, Michael Sciarra, in No. 91-5441) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Local 560 (i.b.t.), Nominal (Intervenor), in No. 91-5440, and Michael Sciarra Joseph Sheridan, Michael Sciarra, in No. 91-5441, 974 F.2d 315, 23 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 522, 141 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2001, 1992 U.S. App. LEXIS 19005, 1992 WL 198918 (3d Cir. 1992).

Opinion

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

I. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY.322

A. The Local 560 Litigation.322

B. Events Leading to Issuance of the Permanent Injunction Against Sciarra.324

C. Summary.328

II. SCIARRA’S PROCEDURAL OBJECTIONS.328

III. SUFFICIENCY OF THE EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT ISSUANCE OF THE

PERMANENT INJUNCTION.330

A. What the Government Must Prove to Obtain Modification of the Injunction.331

B. Sufficiency of the Evidence.333

IV. ADMISSIBILITY OF THE IANIELLO/ANDRETTA TAPES AGAINST SCIARRA.337

A. Were Sciarra and the Genovese Family Members Co-Conspirators? ... 338

B. Were the Statements Made During the Course of the Conspiracy? ... 338

V. LOCAL 560’S STANDING TO OBJECT TO THE INJUNCTION.339

A. Overview of Organizational Standing.339

B. Concrete Injury.340

C. Relationship to Organizational Purpose.341

*321 PAGE

VI. LOCAL 560’S FIRST AMENDMENT OBJECTIONS TO THE INJUNCTION .342

A. Introduction. 03 CO

B. Does the Injunction Violate Local 560’s Members’ Associational Rights?. 03 CO

1. Is There a Compelling Governmental Interest?. CO CO

2. Is the Injunction Sufficiently Narrowly Tailored?. ^ CO

a. Ban on Officeholding. Tji CO

b. Other Restrictions of the Injunction. Tjl ^ CO

VII.LOCAL 560’S OBJECTIONS TO THE INJUNCTION BASED ON LMRDA.. ^ CO

A. Section 411(a)(1). o ^ CO
B. Section 411(a)(2)..... CO

VIII.VALIDITY OF THE INJUNCTION UNDER RICO. 347.

IX.CONCLUSION...348

OPINION OF THE COURT ■

BECKER, Circuit Judge.

This case arises from the government’s ongoing effort to purge Local 560, International Brotherhood of Teamsters (“Local 560,” or “the local”), of the influence of organized crime. Through the use of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), 18 U.S.C.A. §§ 1961 to 1968 (West, 1984 and 1992 Supp.), the government has, over the past ten years, succeeded in imposing a trusteeship on the local and in obtaining court orders enjoining corrupt individuals from participating in the affairs of Local 560. This appeal concerns the government’s efforts to prevent Michael Sciarra, a former Local 560 president and business agent alleged to have links to organized crime, from participating in the -union’s affairs.

The government presented evidence to the district court that, despite prior injunctions issued against some of Local 560’s members, including Sciarra, Sciarra was undeterred in his efforts to retain a role in Local 560 for the Genovese organized crime family. As a result, the district court issued a detailed permanent injunction which enjoined Sciarra from, among other things, holding any position of trust in the local and from attempting to influence the local’s affairs. Both Sciarra and Local 560 appeal from the entry of the injunction against him.

Sciarra points out that the government never filed a formal complaint in the district court pursuant to Rule 3 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (“FRCP”) in seeking this latest injunction, and submits that the district court therefore lacked subject matter jurisdiction to issue it. He also argues that there was insufficient evidence to demonstrate that he was frustrating the purposes of the original, less restrictive injunction issued against him, and that the district court was therefore not entitled to issue this more drastic injunction. Finally, he contends that tapes of recorded conversations between Genovese Family members, which were considered by the district court in deciding to issue the injunction, were erroneously admitted as co-conspirator statements under Rule 801(d)(2)(E) of the Federal Rules of Evidence (“FRE”).

The government responds that its complaint in this portion of the ongoing Local 560 action was an amendment to the original complaint and that, therefore, no new complaint was necessary to initiate this portion of the litigation. Further, the government points to several pieces of evidence which suggest that Sciarra had corrupt dealings with organized crime after entry of the initial injunction against him and contends that this evidence is sufficient to support the more drastic injunctive relief granted by the district court. Finally, the government submits that the tape-recorded conversations admitted against Sciarra were properly received as co-conspirators’ statements under FRE 801(d)(2)(E).

On behalf of its membership, Local 560 objects to the injunction because, it claims, the injunction impermissibly infringes on its members’ First Amendment association *322 al rights. The local also urges that the injunction infringes on its members’ statutorily protected rights under the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA), 29 USCA §§ 401 to 531 (West, 1985 and 1992 Supp), and that section 1964(a) of RICO does not authorize such an injunction. The government concedes that the injunction will infringe on the associational rights of Local 560’s membership under the First Amendment and LMRDA, but argues that the injunction is justified because it is narrowly tailored to further a compelling governmental interest.

For the reasons that follow, we reject the claims of Sciarra and the local and will affirm the judgment of the district court in all respects.

I. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
A. The Local 560 Litigation

Although the government here seeks an injunction only against Sciarra, a review of the lengthy government-initiated litigation against Local 560 is necessary to understand the issues in the present appeal. 1

In March 1982, the government filed a civil complaint against twelve individuals affiliated with Local 560 who, the government alleged, were involved in facilitating organized crime’s control of Local 560. Five of these individuals — Anthony Proven-zano, Nunzio Provenzano, Steven Andretta, Thomas Andretta, and Gabriel Briguglio— were alleged to be associates of the “Pro-venzano Group,” an organization affiliated with the Genovese organized crime family.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

SEC v. Michael Liberty
Third Circuit, 2024
SAMPSON v. RUSSO
D. New Jersey, 2024
Lite-Netics, LLC v. Nu Tsai Capital LLC
60 F.4th 1335 (Federal Circuit, 2023)
United States v. Philip Morris USA
District of Columbia, 2019
Jeffrey J Prosser
D. Virgin Islands, 2017
United States v. Baker Funeral Home, Ltd.
196 F. Supp. 3d 530 (E.D. Pennsylvania, 2016)
Payne v. Fawkes
61 V.I. 652 (Virgin Islands, 2014)
Khatib v. Alliance Bankshares Corp.
846 F. Supp. 2d 18 (District of Columbia, 2012)
Communications Workers v. Christie
994 A.2d 545 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 2010)
New York v. Microsoft Corp.
531 F. Supp. 2d 141 (District of Columbia, 2008)
Sensormatic Electronics Corp. v. FIRST NAT. BANK OF PA.
424 F. Supp. 2d 842 (W.D. Pennsylvania, 2006)
In Re Flat Glass
Third Circuit, 2004
In Re Flat Glass Antitrust Litigation Mdl
385 F.3d 350 (Third Circuit, 2004)
Nelson v. Pilkington PLC
385 F.3d 350 (Third Circuit, 2004)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
974 F.2d 315, 23 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 522, 141 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2001, 1992 U.S. App. LEXIS 19005, 1992 WL 198918, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-local-560-ibt-nominal-intervenor-in-no-91-5440-ca3-1992.