Two towers, Domenic Tudino of State Towing Service and Kenneth Matarese of Matarese Towing, confirm that the FBI has asked if they had to contribute to be on the tow list. Both men say they did not have to make contributions. In my opinion, that's got nothing to do with it. Rather, the towers say, contributions are merely a reflection that the tow-truck operators, as city businessmen, support the mayor. Their support has been considerable.
Most operators also have garages or body shops that bring in additional repair business.
Although police dispatchers take turns calling tow operators on the list, competition is still fierce. Towers monitor the police radio closely and are quick to complain if they believe their turn was missed. Some tow operators complain that the business isn't as lucrative as people might think, because they get stuck towing a lot of junk cars whose owners don't pay up. Storage fees, especially, can add up, he says. Markos ought to know.