NY Union Official Expected Bruno Favors

MICHAEL VIRTANEN

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A former union president imprisoned for racketeering testified Monday that his late boss expected "favors" in Albany from then New York Senate leader Joseph Bruno in return for investing union pension funds with the company that employed Bruno.

Mark Congi, who was also Laborers Local 91's assistant business agent until his 2002 indictment for racketeering, testified Monday at Bruno's federal corruption trial. He said that business agent Michael Quarcini ran both the union and the $50 million pension fund, though there were other fund trustees, himself among them, and an investment adviser.

"He felt to make Mr. Bruno happy, we'd invest with this company, and he'd do us favors in return," Congi said. "He felt the more money we gave to the company the more help we were going to get from Senator Bruno."

Congi, now serving a 15-year prison term, said union interests included a proposed Indian casino in Niagara Falls with union construction labor, as well as state Department of Transportation and New York Power Authority project contracts.

Union trustees initially placed $10 million with Wright Investment Service in 1999. The company paid Bruno commissions when he helped land new union accounts.