New Jersey likely to. Lose. With Kent. Good evening Kent is on vacation. I'm Rolonda Watts and here is what's in the news. There were several developments in the problem of Atlantic City labor union Local 54 today. We'll have details and an interview with the union's attorney. And in sports Pat Scanlon has been Ohana highlights and a preview of Summer Nationals and will visit Cumberland County which now has the fourth highest jobless rate in the nation. The Casino Control Commission probe into alleged organized crime ties of Atlantic City's Local 54 took an unexpected turn today in a surprise move the division of Gaming Enforcement withdrew subpoenas to force testimony from the union's three top officials. Rita shade has more. Thank you Ray's head of Local 54 was spared an appearance today before the Casino Control Commission Deputy Director James Flanagan changed strategy after speculating purees would have remained silent under division questioning in lieu of an appearance. The division asked the commission to accept sealed depositions juries
gave to the division prior to the public hearing these depositions were made under a grant of limited immunity. There is ample precedent for sealing an opinion that does not mean that that opinion in autumn. I'm not too sure I understand how that can be done but there's nothing in the deposition that I find disturbing as matter of fact the deposition if anything is support of at least two commissioners have reservations about deciding the Local 54 case by issuing a precedent opinion part of which must remain secret. A Local 54 is the major union in Atlantic City representing casino employees. It negotiates contracts for ten thousand hotel and restaurant workers. The DG is attempting to prove that organized crime has an entree into the casino industry through a foothold on Local 54. The division wants Local 54 and union leader juries barred from the casino industry. The commission has successfully used broad powers to topple casino executives from direct Casino
Control. But this move to oust a labor union if supported by the commission is certain to come under closer constitutional scrutiny. So far the division's case has not been decisive. There is no clear evidence of a link between Frank and Little Nicky Scarfo. Yesterday the division fell short of proving that your race accepted a labor racketeering payoff and today another key witness fell through. After listening to several hours of testimony from a state police sergeant his entire remarks were stricken from the record. Sergeant Michael Lyons told the commission that former informants told him Scarfo infiltrated Local 54 and that Scarfo assured his leadership post. However Lyons would not reveal any background about formants nor any specific details confirmed uncorroborated information provided by identifying informants unavailable for cross examination.
Except the defense of Frank juries and Local 54 will begin on Monday in Trenton. I'm read a shade. And it was announced today that Governor Kaine wants to meet with a U.S. Senate committee to determine the scope of the state's power and regulating labor unions such as Local 54. Cain said his request to meet with the senator's results from a suit against New Jersey by Local 54. That suit challenges the state's desire to regulate labor unions. Meanwhile following the conclusion of today's Casino Control Commission hearing in two local 54. Correspondent Michael Aaron interviewed the union's attorney Bernard Katz in our Trenton studios. Mr. Katz This is a complicated case. Could we review it quickly for the viewers. You represent Local 54 of the International Hotel Employees restaurant employees AFL CIO in Atlantic City. Right. There are 10000 casino workers represented by that union. Probably more the state of New Jersey says that union is unfit to represent those 10000 casino workers. Wrong.
What is the state contending for a complex structure. You have a thing called the Division of Gaming Enforcement the division of Gaming Enforcement because of. Something we still can't quite figure out. Has said that certain of the officials of Local 54. Have close associations and quote. With people that the division considers undesirable. And that as a result of that and as a result of the fact that the Local 54 will not come to the division like supplicants the people who apply for licenses and the division is taking a position under the Casino Control Act that the Casino Control Commission which is sitting in judgment at this time should issue an order in some way interfering with the right of the Union to collect dues. That's all that you and I would say right. Let me explain it. And with the right of the Union
to administer health welfare and pension plans. So it's not the state that's making the accusations of emitted It's a vision of the enforcement which is a very limited division which is which acts in a prosecutorial fashion at the same time. The Senate the US Senate Committee on Investigations is investigating a couple of locals one in Hawaii and the other one is Local 54 in Atlanta. Me one second. The president of Local 54 went down to Washington. He took the Fifth Amendment salute. If he had testified his testimony would be measured against the testimony of admitted perjurers murderers and other. One cannot listen listen. Don't interrupt. Just listen. Other untanned to lie sing specimens of humanity and then he would be in a position of having prosecutorial people say we now have a union president in a position in which we can say he said A. And some villain said
B. Let's go to a grand jury and say the villain should be believed. The union president should be disbelieved. Let's invite him for perjury. Mr jurors would be happy not to have taken any Fifth Amendment if he were dealing with an honest balanced fair tribe you know I have Nicky Scarfo keep a coded telephone directory and have frank Teresa's name in code and his telephone number in the telephone I don't know that he did. I really don't know that he did. And if he did I don't know why and frankly race doesn't know why and nobody knows why. And we've sat through three weeks of hearings and we still haven't found out why and I don't know that he did. The evidence does not disclose that in fact he did. Now that's really very simple. Please. Try to retain your objectivity. Don't become seduced by your own media misquotes and by your own I don't mean that personalize you do. Do you dispute that Nicky Scarfo is involved with organized crime. I neither dispute nor confirm I have I know nothing about Nicky
Scarfo other than what I read in the newspapers and in view of the experience that I've had in reading the newspaper and news media approaches so many things it would be foolhardy of me to say that I can rely upon anything that I picked out and there for years. If you use less of a postulate a hypothetical and frankly racist relationship with Nicky Scarfo is coincidental to your race's union president Frank DREs has no relationship with Nicky Scarfo Frank your race has an acquaintance with Nicky Scarfo that derives from the fact that their mother is both mothers both mamas Katie scrotal and low interest rates. But for a try me ladies Incidentally both of whom I've met are lifelong lady friends and that were lovely and your race wanted to move to a place in Atlantic City. Her great friend. And her girlfriends husband Mr. Scott who is now deceased owned the house and did for many many years in which he rented apartments and rented really interesting appointment. Frank your
race and this is Crawford son were raised in the same neighborhood in south Philadelphia. I didn't listen. And as a result of the communality background he finds himself sharing a lifelong acquaintance with Nicky Scarfo Now if Nicky Scott who did or didn't end up as some sort of hood or mafioso or if he's the don of the mob mafioso says there is nothing no way that you can erase the fact that they know each other have known each other for years. I think you just can't do that. Well what if I was to do. At times mother moved out of her apartment. Why not visit his mother. It all goes back to the mother's everybody that you've called this whole case and inquisition. At one time you called it an inquisition. Today it's that's my day in Lawrenceville you called it a city. So like gymnastics I think you know I called the behavior of the division of Gaming Enforcement silly gymnastics aimed at going nowhere. OK well I may have a one time refer to some of the tactics reminiscent of the Spanish Inquisition.
Les I want to that is and what do you think lies behind this inquisition or gymnastics or what or spectacle or whatever it is. Do you know what is the real motivation. I think I can only speculate from happy to speculate. I think it is a desire by people who are put in a position of tremendous power over wealth. That's the division on the commission to make certain that nobody challenges their authority in order to really understand this case you have to understand that the battle between 54 and the division goes back to an issue of whether or not a human being. Under our system of law is entitle to have a lawyer present when questioning the division of Gaming Enforcement took the position that they had a right to put somebody in a room by himself or herself to have us to have a state attorney there a court reporter or state policeman and the person being questioned had no right to have a lawyer there. We said that's not me that doesn't belong in a civilized western system of justice. And as a result we began to
tangle with the division over that issue. Their noses their collective noses got out of joint because they're not used to being challenged. Understand we're not licensees we don't come here there as supplicants these people are in a position where they are. Monitors of the greatest wealth in the country come there on bended knee saying please give us a license because under the act under the act that is the position of power the RA's we are in a position where most of the people of New Jersey were promised that casinos would be staff fine and and serviced by people of the highest character and integrity. And somebody is going to make you want to listen to learn what it's about. Please don't. Don't act like an advocate in this you have to there's a lot you have to learn a lot you have to be challenged. I think I'd be I'm being challenged by virtue of being in this in the foolhardy proceedings called these hearings. Unions are regulated extensively. Unions are regulated by federal law. We are subject to the labor management relations act. The labor
management reporting and Disclosure Act the Employee Retirement Income Security Act were subject to the Strikeforce were stock subject to the IRS were subject to the Department of Labor were fully regulated. Unions are totally monitored and we want them so protected. Now the purpose of our labor laws is not to subject to collective bargaining on the representation of people to the whims fancies and caprices of local politicians put in posh positions on odd jobs such as exist here. Now we are God bless the commission and the division. Regulate the entrepreneur regulate the businesses buy the Nikon unions when it comes to collective bargaining. Federal law regulates US federal law protects our members. Federal law protects the public. We do not want to allow the state of New Jersey to establish a principle under which the state of Alabama the state of Mississippi will say look what they did up in New Jersey. Now we can really sing those unions as we've been trying to for some time. And that incidentally is why we have this case in federal court. Thanks for
being here. Cumberland County has chronic unemployment rate has again made headlines only last December the US Bureau of Labor Statistics ranked the South Jersey counties ninth in the nation and unemployment figures released today show it now ranks number four. Brenda Flanagan reports.
Unemployment in this tri city area of Millville Bridgeton and Vineland reached a staggering seventeen point seven percent in June three point two percent from last December's newsmaking level of fourteen point five percent. Cumberland County industry draws on a labor pool of 60000 workers. For years the county's economic base rested solidly on three major industries glassed clothing and agriculture. But all three have been hard hit in recent months citing lack of demand for its products. Kirk last laid off one hundred fifty people in January in March. SEABROOK closed down its food processing plant putting 200 workers out of a job. The company said it was too expensive to operate in convolute County. The clothing industry has suffered a loss of government contracts fabric shut down last November and two hundred and twenty five employees were laid off. Experts explained the national recession has only compounded the company's particular problem. The recent situation has aggravated a traditional. Problem and that is that the large
numbers of unskilled workers which find employment here are always the first hit in the hardest hit most recently even skilled workers like the one hundred and sixty people laid off at this airplane repair business have lost their jobs in the past. The county's high unemployment rate was usually relieved by a seasonal increase in agricultural jobs. It didn't happen this year. Foreign workers processing workers are now. This week last week last month streaming back to work. But they're not offsetting the job losses it's worse than suffering in other areas. State Senator James Hurley said some of the county's economic vitality would have been restored had the state legislature passed Governor Kaine's transportation package was hoping to enhance our transportation network here because he knows that's how people get to work and that's how problems get the market. And when you when you take away that then we haven't been back to the drawing board with Governor Kaine since but I will but as a result of this announcement today in Cumberland
County I'm Brenda Flanagan. And there has been more tampering of rail switches in Fairlawn within just 48 hours of a train derailment that killed a Conrail engineer last week. Vandals broke and removed a second switch. The tampering was discovered during a routine inspection of the tracks. It's located just about a mile from the scene of the fatal crash. Five teens have been charged with juvenile delinquency in that crash. However the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office has not yet decided whether they will be prosecuted as adults on charges of manslaughter. A girl in Ocean County suffered a case of lead poisoning a few months ago. But what's unusual is that the lead is traced to the family well at their Beechwood home and Ocean County officials investigating the case are finding that the problem just keeps growing. Dan Hodgson has more. County health workers are expected to be able to quickly isolate nearby homes that also have lead in their water. But it's been two weeks and the more they survey the more they find.
Three hundred one thousand homes have now had water samples taken. Forty eight contain levels of lead above state and federal standards. Still no serious health problems have been reported but the borough is providing drinking water for the families as a precaution. Minor lead poisoning causes Nazia fatigue and other flu like symptoms. If it continues long enough damage to the brain and central nervous system can result. But so far officials are optimistic. We have. Not really had any diagnosed cases where that was directly related to lead. Some evaluation has been done on some of the individuals through this department and blood lead testing. We're awaiting the results on that. But lead poisoning in water is rare and takes sophisticated equipment to detect. Residents in Ocean County have always been much more concerned over high levels of iron hydrogen sulfate and acid in their water and may not have noticed the lead which is generally odorless and tasteless in water. Beetroot officials admit they have no idea what's behind the high lead. There are some theories though one is that there was a paint manufacturing plant here 40 years ago.
Another is that there's been illegal toxic waste dumping over the years. Some speculate the problem is in the lead packing in the bottom of the wells. We're currently trying to do is delineate the extent of the pollution and then from that point we will try and determine what the probable sources were 700 homes and beach would use well water. So it could take several more weeks to determine how widespread the problem is at that point residents will have to decide whether they want to hook into the city water system or find their own water source in Beachwood borough Ocean County. I'm Dan Hobbs at logic city's nine casinos reported gross revenues of more than one hundred twenty four million dollars during the month of June. Those figures compiled by the Casino Control Commission show that figure is being slightly lower than that of May only two casinos report an increase in revenues from May to June. They are Caesars boardwalk Regency and the Tropicana. A Monmouth county physician has been experimenting with a unique method for
identifying the presence of drugs in the human body. Doctor has the story. The device is called a comet or it measures the electrical impulses transmitted from the brain when the subject is taken no drugs or alcohol. The readout is a flat line but the readout changes when marijuana barbiturates amphetamines or other drugs are present. Dr. Westerman has used volunteers like this woman carefully monitored federally approved experiments. His efforts at different drugs have been successful. This volunteer was given a mild amphetamine or upper in 45 minutes her printout corresponded somewhat with the pattern associated with the presence of amphetamine. Law enforcement officials in Monmouth County say the device is a major breakthrough for police using than our common place can immediately test suspects for the presence of
drugs. The Howell Township Police Department took part in a pilot program. The device was never used without permission of subjects and findings were never used as actual evidence. Monmouth County prosecutor says police were easily trained to use the device says it has great potential in the War Against Drunk Drivers. But not without controversy. The courts most accept these devices as scientifically verifiable and accurate. Much the same as when Rader first came out spitting in the breathalyzer and a number of other scientific devices than are common or has also been tested on infants where drug benefit cation is needed and blood samples are difficult to get. The prosecutor says the device could be in use within a year but court challenges may delay that indefinitely. In truth Barry I'm dyin doctor. And here's a look at the weather forecast and I will be warm and humid with temperatures in the low 70s partly sunny warm and humid again tomorrow with daytime highs in the mid 80s.
And the outlook for Friday sunny and warm. And here is Pat Scanlon what supports that. OK I want to thank you. After a near fatal crash in 1979 Rocky Aoki made his comeback an offshore power boat racing a successful run winning today's Benihana and becoming the only driver to win the race not once but twice. Here's how it looked off to the shores
of Point Pleasant. As the field of 13 open class boats got underway at 10am only seven would finish the 200 mile course. General Jacoby the leading driver of the year and cigarette Hof was one of those that failed to finish and defending Benihana champion Paul closer in satisfaction. Many seventh place if you're wondering how we got our pitchers well check it out. Larry Cox Benihana James continued as she again failed to win placing fourth in the Michelob light boat. But the story of the day was I Okie in the Bene hot a throttle by Howard quam Rocky lead to race most of the day at a trot in a lamp each to finish second while rampage and Point Pleasant. Joe if Alito was third right there Rocky won it in two hours 35 minutes and 33 seconds averaging 80 mph. And our Bill Perry was in the winner's circle. Some times never happen like this again.
Before coming back after the injury the physical description I don't know I got it I got to give them credit. All right give credit to the class to winner as well as right here and really out of Miami. Class Three winners right there in. The class for winner today in class five poured out of Highland Park New York. Don't forget our Benihana special Benihana. Coming up Monday July 19th at 8:30 here on New Jersey network. The Giants have yet to sign three important members of the squad but have completed a trade to strengthen the defensive backfield. The Giants picked up strong safety of the San Diego Chargers for an undisclosed draft pick Shaa by way of New York's Berenger high and Northwestern as a six year pro and with free agent Safety Bill Curry are still unsigned. He's a valuable addition free agent Rob Carpenter the Giants top running back is also unsigned and while the second round
pick back Joe Morris has the Giants contract. The topic number 25 right there is still a holdout but the collective bargaining pack running out tomorrow at midnight. When that runs out who knows what'll happen next. The halfbacks of Michigan and Westfield New Jersey was represented by agent Jerry arguments were also handles Rob Carpenter carpenter wants more money than Woolfolk science for noting a proven veteran is worth more than a rookie. It's a sticky situation the Giants general manager George Young must somehow settle out. The 30th annual Summer Nationals get underway tomorrow at Raceway Park in Englishtown. It's the east coast biggest stop on a National Hot Rod Circuit. It's also the noise with those ear plugs if you're planning on going. The top fuel dragster is funny cars and Pro Stock cars will be roaring down that quarter mile strip with an eye toward Sunday's finals. Jerry Beck is a Summer Nationals defending Top Fuel champion Don snake food on the funny car champ a total was Frank Canio the reigning pro stocking. But don't count out the lady in the pink dragster. Shirley Muldowney Jolie is the queen of the drag strip and fried chicken confit commercials.
Julie is driving a new lightweight magnesium frame dragster and the pink lady leads all drivers this year. And Dr. racing's premiere Top Fuel category. Top Fuel was the ultimate dream. The first time I ever saw a top fuel car and now they work and they were called fuel dragsters. Well they that is the king of the sport. It's what I wanted to drive most and the funny cars it was really a stepping stone for me even though they are more dangerous kind of drive and maybe a little more demanding. But watch a cell out of the ground and you feel all that horsepower behind jail. You don't ever want to go back. To a giant steadiness of 15 and six Cosmo's They entertain the montréal many sports. Let's go back to Rwanda. Thank you. And that's the news for Pat Scanlon Michael Aaron and the rest of the nightly news team. I'm Rwanda wots Wishing you a most pleasant evening. New Jersey Nightly News is a joint presentation of New Jersey network and WMD TV
13. The program is broadcast weeknights at 6:30 p.m. on Channel 13 and it's 7:30 p.m. on New Jersey network. There is a repeat broadcast at 10:00 p.m. on New Jersey network and at 8 o'clock the following morning on Channel 13. Portions recorded.
