RE:
OPINION AND DECISION OF THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW BOARD
John Castelle
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PROCEDURAL HISTORY
John Castelle ("Castelle") was a member of Local 282 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. On October 13, 2010, the Independent Review Board forwarded an investigative report to IBT General President James P. Hoffa pursuant to the Consent Order in United States v. IBT. (IRB Ex. 1) ' That report with
accompanying exhibits recommended that the General President file charges against Castelle for bringing reproach upon the IBT for being a member of the Luchese La Casa Nostra ("LCN") crime family and for failing to cooperate with the IRB in violation of the IBT Constitution while he was a member of Local 282.
President Hoffa filed the charges on October 15, 2010 and
referred the matter back to the IRB for adjudication. (IRB Ex. 2) On October 20, 2010, notice was sent to Castelle of the hearing before the IRB. (IRB Ex. 3-5) He was sent the exhibits to the
IRB report on October 25, 2010. (IRB Exs. 6-7)
* In this ruling, "IRB Ex." refers to exhibits the IRB introduced at the hearing on the charge against Castelle and "Ex." refers to the exhibits to the investigative report which were introduced at the hearing.

On November 10, 2010, the IRB held the noticed hearing. At that hearing, the Chief Investigator introduced the exhibits previously provided Castelle to support the charges. These were Exhibits 1 through 70. In addition, FBI Special Agent Geraldine
Hart, who had provided an affidavit detailing why in the FBI's expert opinion Castelle was a member of the Luchese crime family, was available for cross-examination. Castelle failed to appear at the hearing. Subsequently, on November 30, 2010, Castelle
was sent a transcript of the IRB hearing and was given 10 days
which to provide any response. None was provided.

FACTS
A. John Castelle's Local 282 Membership
CastellebecameaLocal282memberinApril2006. (Ex.41) Local 282 records disclose his date of birth as June 18, 1959.
(Ex. 42) According to Local 282 records, Castelle worked for Andrews Trucking Corporation ("Andrews Trucking"). (Exs. 41-42) Castelle's dues were paid through December 2009 after a payment
in March 2009. (Ex. 41) ^ He was never issued a withdrawal card. (Ex. 41)
According to February 7, 2008 news reports, trucks, computers and records of Andrews Trucking, Castelle's employer,
2 After being delinquent in dues, in April 2010, Castelle was suspended from Local 282 membership. (Ex. 41)
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were seized by organized crime investigators. (Ex. 43) In an indictment filed on February 6, 2008 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Andrews Trucking was identified as a company controlled by alleged Gambino LCN Family associate Joseph Spinnato ("Spinnato"). (Ex.
44 at 10-11) The indictment accused Spinnato of embezzling, stealing and willfully abstracting and converting to his own use, moneys, funds, securities, premiums, credits, property and other assets of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 282 Health and Benefit Fund. (Ex. 44 at 35-37) Spinnato pled guilty
to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and was sentenced to four months imprisonment. (Ex. 45)
B. Castelle's Failure to Appear
Castelle was a Local 282 member and had not been issued a withdrawal card when on January 26, 2010, the Chief
investigator's office sent Castelle a notice of sworn examination. (Ex. 46) The examination was scheduled for February 12, 2010. (Exs. 46 and 48) Castelle, in a letter to the IRB dated January 28, 2010, indicated that he would not
appear for his in person sworn examination. (Ex. 47) At his sworn examination, Castelle would have been asked questions about his activities with Luchese crime family members. He did
not appear.
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in his January 28, 2010 letter, Castelle stated that he no longer desired to be a Local 282 member. (Ex. 47) On February 11, 2010, the Chief Investigator's office sent Castelle an Affidavit and Agreement in order for Castelle to permanently
resign from the IBT. (Ex. 48) Castelle never signed the Agreement.
c. Luchese La Cosa Nostra Family Involvement with Teamster Locals in New York City
Declarations the FBI has previously provided to the IRB and included as exhibits at this hearing detailed the evidence establishing the existence of the Luchese organized crime family through informants, electronic surveillance and other
investigative methods. (Exs. 49, 50, 59) The Luchese LCN family is one of the five LCN families in New York. (Ex. 1 at 2; Ex. 50) Historically, the Luchese family has been active in labor racketeering. (Ex. 50 at 6)
The Luchese LCN family has had a history of involvement in New York City Teamster Locals. Under the Consent Decree, at
least three Local principal officers and two IBT members have been removed for association with or membership in the Luchese LCN family. Local 295 principal officer Anthony Calagna and Local 295 steward Patrick Dellorusso were both found to be members of the Luchese LCN family. (Exs. 51-52) Two other Local
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principal officers, Bernard Adelstein (Locals 813 and 1034) and John Ferrara (Local 522), were removed for knowingly associating with Luchese LCN members as well as other organized crime members. (Exs. 53-56) In addition, Local 560 member Onofrio Mezzina was permanently barred from the IBT for knowingly
associating with members of the Luchese LCN family. (Exs. 57-58)
D. John Castelle's Organized Crime Membership
In the FBI expert opinion introduced as evidence, John Castelle, also known as John Castellucci and "Big John", date of birth June 18, 1959, is a Soldier in the Luchese LCN Family. (Ex.
1 at 6-7) The FBI's expert opinion is based on information from three separate confidential informants whose information had proven reliable in the past. (Ex. 1 at 6-7) Each of the
informants separately identified Castelle as a member of the Luchese crime family. (Ex. 1 at 6-7) A recent surveillance and Castelle's criminal history also corroborated the FBI's expert
opinion.
Recently, on March 9, 2010, Castelle was observed at a social club at 3205 Westchester Avenue in the Bronx that is a known gathering place for the Luchese crime family. (Ex. 1 at 7) Castelle was seen in a "walk and talk" with Steven Crea, whom
the FBI has identified as the head of the Luchese LCN family. (Ex. 1 at 7) Other members of organized crime were also
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observed on the premises. (Ex. 1 at 7) Crea has been publicly identified on many occasions as the head of the family and a Luchese member. (Ex. 49 at 9; Ex. 59 at 5; Ex. 60)
In October 1998, Castelle, as John Castellucci, was sentenced in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York to a term of incarceration of 57 months for his conviction for possession of a firearm and attempted tax evasion. (Exs. 61-62) In November 2000, seven reputed members
of the Bensonhurst Crew of the Luchese LCN family were named in an Eastern District of New York racketeering indictment. (Exs. 63-64) Included in the indictment were Joseph Tangorra
("Tangorra"), Joseph Truncale ("Truncale"), Eugene Castelle, Lester Ellis, Robert Greenberg, Scott Gervasi ("Gervasi") and John Castellucci. (Exs. 63-64) Tangorra and Eugene Castelle were identified as caporegimes in the Luchese LCN family and
Truncale and Gervasi were identified as Luchese family soldiers. (Exs. 63-64) Eugene Castelle is Castelle's brother. In March
2002, Castelle, as John Castellucci, was sentenced in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, along with his brother Eugene, to a term of incarceration for 41 months for his conviction for racketeering. (Exs. 63, 65) ^ The other five individuals in that indictment along with the two
3 Castelle's sentence in this case was to run concurrently with the remaining term of his 57 month sentence described above. (Ex. 63)
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Castelles were members of a Luchese controlled group known as
the Bensonhurst crew. (Exs. 63-64) Subsequently, according to a news article, the New York City Business Integrity Commission in reviewing an application of Castelle's brother, Anthony Castelle,
found that both John and Eugene Castelle were connected to organized crime in New York City. (Ex. 66) Castelle was released from prison on October 20, 2004. (Ex. 67)

Recently, on March 9, 2010, Castelle was observed at a social club at 3205 Westchester Avenue in the Bronx that is a known gathering place for the Luchese crime family. (Ex. 1 at 7) Castelle was seen in a "walk and talk" with Steven Crea, whom
the FBI has identified as the head of the Luchese LCN family.


This was fairly recent....