Is Citi Field Jimmy Hoffa’s Shiny New Resting Place?

Published on: 3rd January, 2010 @ 10:14 pm by JeffG

Maybe.

Especially since the Mets new home was built with a little help from some guys who may or may not go by the nicknames Fat Tony, Joey the Lips, Paulie Walnuts, Charlie Bats and Vinny the Weasel.

According to a NY Post report, the NY Mets doled out approximately $52 million to contractors that had been shunned by the city of New York for their purported ties to the Mafia.  To make matters worse, that $52 million was all taxpayer money.

The list of seven contractors included a company whose VP was convicted of fraud in 2004, for paying off labor officials in mobbed-up unions, another whose principal was convicted in 2001 of money laundering, bribing a labor official and falsifying business records, and a painting company currently being investigated by the F.B.I.

The Mets, when asked about the shady subcontractors, released this statement…

“The selections were based on the capability and resources of the contractors and their ability to complete the work on schedule and on budget. Citi Field was built on time, on budget and without incident or injury,” the team said.

And that is true enough.  They obviously did a better job than the contractors that built the new Yankee Stadium, the one that cost twice as much and is already falling apart.  But hey, at least that stadium has a winning ballclub playing in it.

Now, if only the Mets would’ve hired some of these guys to take over the free-agent process, instead of leaving it in Omar Minaya’s bumbling hands, well, then maybe the Mets might be a contender this year.

Ah, fuggedaboutit.

[NY Post, Images via Wikipedia]

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