week is certainly nothing new. Thirty-five years ago, a small army of illegal immigrants was used to clear the site for what became the crown jewel of Donald Trump’s empire. The 200 demolition workers—nicknamed the Polish Brigade because of their home country—worked 12- hour shifts, seven days a week with no overtime to knock down the old Bonwit Teller building and make room for Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.” [Daily Beast, 7/8/15] • Daily Beast: “The Tower That Is [Trump’s] Crown Jewel And Symbol Of His Wealth Continues To Stand On Ground Cleared By 200 Undocumented Workers Who Labored Off The Books, 12 Hours A Day, Seven Days A Week, For No More Than $5 An Hour With No Overtime.” [Daily Beast, 7/8/15] A Federal Judge Found That The Workers Who Cleared The Land For Trump Tower “Were Undocumented And Worked Off The Books” And That “No Records Were Kept, No Social Security Or Other Taxes Were Withheld.” “The 200 demolition workers—nicknamed the Polish Brigade because of their home country—worked 12-hour shifts, seven days a week with no overtime to knock down the old Bonwit Teller building and make room for Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. According to testimony in a protracted civil suit in federal court, the laborers were paid $5 an hour or less when they were paid at all. Some went unpaid after the contractor had financial troubles. A few never received even the paltry sum that was owed them for their dirty and hazardous efforts preceding the construction of Trump’s monument to his own wealth. ‘They were undocumented and worked ‘off the books,’’ Manhattan federal Judge Charles Stewart said of the workers after they became the subject of a 1983 lawsuit. ‘No records were kept, no Social Security or other taxes were withheld.’… The lawsuit involving literal demolition—Case 83CIV6346 in Manhattan Federal Court—was brought by Harry Diduck, a now deceased dissident member of Local 95 of the House Wreckers Union.” [Daily Beast, 7/8/15] The Judge Found That Trump’s Man At The Scene Knew The Polish Workers Were Working ‘Off The Books,’ That They Were Doing Demolition Work, That They Were Non-Union, That They Were Paid Substandard Wages With No Overtime Pay, And That They Were Paid Irregularly If At All. “The judge found against Trump, his partner, and the contractor, saying they had joined in a ‘conspiracy.’ Stewart found that Trump’s man on the scene, Thomas Macari, ‘was involved in every aspect of the demolition job.’ ‘He knew the Polish workers were working ‘off the books,’ that they were doing demolition work, that they were non-union, that they were paid substandard wages with no overtime pay, and that they were paid irregularly if at all,’ the judge found. Stewart suggested that it would have been difficult for anyone not to notice the Polish Brigade. ‘The Polish workers were obvious not only in numbers but also in appearance,’ the judge found. ‘In contrast to the union workers, the nonunion Polish workers were distinguished by the fact that most of them did not wear hard hats.’” [Daily Beast, 7/8/15] Trump Was Sued By Local 95 Of The House Wreckers Union Because They Claimed Trump Conspired To Cheat The House Wreckers Out Of Pension And Welfare Contributions By Hiring Non-Union Laborers. “The lawsuit involving literal demolition—Case 83CIV6346 in Manhattan Federal Court—was brought by Harry Diduck, a now deceased dissident member of Local 95 of the House Wreckers Union. His lawyer, Wendy Sloan, says he was one of a group of like-minded workers who simply wanted “a real union.” They had stood to gain nothing at all for themselves as they sought to prove that Trump and his partner, along with the general contractor, conspired to cheat the House Wreckers out of pension Confidential Page 152