b'February18,1888EX-CHIEF OF ROOFERS MiduestRooringContractorsAssociationUNION SENTENCED 1440CommerceBankBuilding 1000Walnut KansasCity,Mo.64106-2123Philadelphia-A formerheadof the Roofers union was sentenced to Attention:Ms.BarbaraMyers15 years inrison and ordered to pay pDearBarbara:a $50,000 fine on charges of racketeering,bribing judges and using Foryars,youhveherdmetellortheadvantagesorssoi3tionhis union to help organized crime. membership,particularlyinMRCA.Last1.1eek,uhileIuasinKansas City,IhadanotherexperiencethatemphasizedhoupastmembershipU.S. District Judge Marvin Katz inMRCAstillbenefitsmeeventhoughIamnouretired.onFridayalsoimposedfederal JustasIarrivedinKansasCity,sno-,hitthearea.By evening,8"prison terms ranging from 8 to 14 orsnouhadrallen,thewindwasverystrong,ondegenuineyearsoneightotherunionas"BLIZZARD"1.1asinprogress.I1.1asnotabletoleavetheKansasCitysociates of Stephen Traitz, Jr., inarea,soIgotamotelrorthenight.Thenextmorning,uith-10oF.cludinghistwosonsandhis temperatureanda-410uindchill,mycardecxidednottostart. Jumpercablesdidnothelp.AcalltoAAAuasmadeonlytobeson-in-law. advisedtheycouldnotsendhelproraminimumof3hours. Traitz, 50, ofTrooper, PA, faced Thenmy luckchanged!!!OneortheKansasCityroofingcontractorsa maximum of199 years and a $4.8 hadbeenattemptingtorindmesothat1.1ecoulddiscusssomeMRCAmillionfine.Hisattorney,Ronald business.Whenhecouldnotreachmeathome,hecalledmyson, Cliff,torindoutuhereIuas.BeingadvisedthatDonnaandIuereKidd,saidhedidnotexpecthis visitinginColumbia,Missouri,hecalledthereandDonnatoldhimclient to spend more than five years ormycarproblemsandgavehimrnylocationintheKansasCityarea.in prison. Heimmediatelycalledmeand,afterashortlecturefornotcalling himrorhelp,toldmethathismechanic-,ouldbetherein15Traitz was found guilty Nov. 23 minutes.Within5minutes,theproblemuasrepairedandIuasonmyalong with other union associates of uaybacktoColumbia. a racketeering conspiracy involving I1Jon\'ttelluhothispersonis,however,ifHuckMorrisshouldtheembezzlementof unionfunds decidetojointhePresidentialRace,IurgeallMRCAmemberstoand bribery of public officials. supporthim1.1ithyourrinancialhelpandvote. MembershipinMRCAdoespayandhasmanybenerits!!!Traitz remained in jail because he hadviolatedbailconditions by Sincerelyyours,getting into a barroom fight. He has been in custody since May. uThe evidence in the trial included Rayaohnsonhundreds of hours of conversations Rt. lJ.\'. 3Box#434secretly recorded under court order Mannrord,Okla.74044at union headquarters. (818) 865-4036 Traitzwasaccusedofgiving bribes in exchanger official favors foto more than 50 public officials, including about 15 city judges, most nowundersuspensionfortaking cash gifts ofbout $300. aOneudge was convicted, and one jwasacquitted.Twojudgesawait trial,andothersarebeingconsidered for removal from the bench. Traitzalsowas foundguiltyof using his union post to collect a drug debt and a gambling debt for the organizedcrimefamilyreputedly headed by Nicodemo Scarfo. The Kansas City Star Sunday January 24, 1988 Page 5'