Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-06-29

for travel, for hotel bills, for car
rentals and for a stay in Phoe-
nix, Ariz.. which he said was
prompted by the need to set up
a headquarters there. He never
quite explained what a Chicago
local union official would organ
ize in Phoenix.
Then Inciso took a long trip
to the British West Indies ito
examine working conditions
there" and to Europe-all out
of the same co-mingled funds.
1t was only after exposure by
this reporter and then by the
Senate that Inciso had to pull
his local. of which he is presi-
dent. out of the United Auto
Workers, AFL (not to be con-
fused with the former CIO af-
filiate). But Inciso is still the
boss of 5000 Chicago workers.
| There are hundreds Of such
cases. Take the Transfers Of
fetal in Minneapolis by the
name of Eugene Williams, secre-
tary and business agent Of Local
544. Congress looked into him.
At one point, chief counsel Will
liam McKenna of the House
IproberS asked Williams:
when do you render an ac-
count on what is drawn from
the (welfare) fund.-"
Accountable to Nobody"
| 81 am accountable to nobody"
Williams snapped.
You have never rendered an
account to anybody" Mr.. Nc
Kenna inquired.
ut is not necessary 1 am
only accountable to myself on
it," was the arrogant retort.
Later williams admitted he
borrowed $4,000 to invest in his
own bar and grill.
Then there was the welfare
fund, If you will forgive the ex-
Ipression, of a Bronx janitors To-
Ical. 80 E of the Building Service
Employees. These low-income
workers depended on this fund
ito help them through sickness
and old age. In a five-year
period. from June, 1948, to May,
1858. the employers paid into
1.-THE fund total of STATS. 900.
Of this. $412,600 went to an
insurance agency known as Al
cor, in commissions.
I A tough official by the name
Iof Tommy Lewis controlled both
1.-THE union and the company
Through his wife,. The excess
money diverted to the insurance
company would actually have
doubled the workers insurance
benefits in accident and life
insurance. This money could
have given these men a SO per
cent increase in hospital and
surgical benefits. But do you
think Lewis cared? To add in
suit to injury. he even borrowed
money from the fund he con-
trolled so completely.
Lewis departed this world
loaded down with gangster's lead
one August afternoon as he left
his apartment.
Nets So Million
There was an insurance agency
run by Louis Saperstein. now
recovering from four bullets in
the head. Senate investigators
revealed that Saperstein netted
50 million from handling just
two welfare funds-those of the
Laundry Workers Union and the
Distillery Workers Union. Soon
enough the old Capone mob
moved in on this operation.
\ Rogues' gallery? This could
run on and on and on. The point
is that all this was so handled
that 1t was actually legal -
covered by just enough techni-
calities to keep the union Off
Gals out Of jail and the rank
and-file members out of their
full benefits.
/ was the first to write and
warn Of the danger to these
welfare funds. That was almost
five years ago. There was rela-
lively little money in them, then.
/ constantly warned Of this new
legal" gimmick. And I have
watched these funds roll up to
} S31 Enthusiastically SO billion