William Rapetti, the crane rigger responsible for a crane at a Midtown condo site that collapsed and killed seven people in March 2008, was acquitted of all charges, including manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, reckless endangerment and second-degree assault. Rapetti had declined a jury trial, so Justice Roger S. Hayes made the verdict (he did not explain it). more ›

On March 15, 2008, a towering construction crane fell from East 51st Street and 2nd Avenue, across East 51st, with the top section crashing onto a townhouse on East 50th Street. The collapse killed seven people; one survivor, a resident of the East 50th Street, testified in the trial of the crane's rigging contractor. John Gallego said, "I hear something like breaking, like when a train, let’s say a train is crashing. I look up through the window and I see a huge thing coming down." He was buried alive for four hours, "It was so quiet at one point that I was thinking I was dead." more ›

Yesterday, a judge ordered the Bloomberg administration to compensate the families of two workers killed in 2008's Upper East Side crane collapse $5,000. The families of workers Donald C. Leo and Ramadan Kurtaj filed a lawsuit against the crane company and the Buildings Department, accusing them of negligence and corruption in the building project, but the city repeatedly ignored requests and court orders for documents and information regarding the safety of the equipment used on the collapse site. Mr Kurtaj's family lawyer, Susan Karten, told the Times, "It behooves the mayor to ask the city’s lawyers to stop this kind of obfuscation and to turn over crucial documents in this case." more ›

After a 250-foot crane partially collapsed and ended up leaning against a Financial Street building on Saturday night, the Department of Buildings has suspended the license of the crane operator. A DOB spokesman said that Christopher Cosban "failed to leave the equipment in the safest position possible" when he left the work site. Um, can all other crane operators PLEASE leave equipment in the safest position possible before you head home? more ›

The 250-foot tall crane that partially collapsed and ended up leaning on 80 Maiden Lane last night was righted and then taken apart this morning. No one was injured (even though some of the building's bricks fell when the crane hit it) but concerns over the crane's stability prompted the evacuation some neighboring Financial District buildings. This morning, residents and workers in 80, 83, 90 and 100 Maiden Lane as well as 2 Gold Street were allowed back (there are still some street closures) as the authorities continue to investigate. more ›

A crane in the Financial District collapsed and is leaning on the building at 80 Maiden Lane. Streets are closed and buildings are being evacuated. According to a reader, who said the crane was put up this morning, "It sounded like something falling down a very large metal trash chute. Like the sound you would hear if something was thrown into an empty dumpster but that sound lasted much longer. Once I heard the sound I immediately thought of the crane and knew it couldn't be good..." more ›

As expected, the former chief crane inspector in NYC pleaded guilty late yesterday to charges of bribery. Former Dept. of Buildings official James Delayo agreed to a 2-6 years plea deal, admitting to selling crane licenses and tests, and pocketing over $10,000 in bribes in the process. Prosecutors explained that among several petty bribes, Delayo dealt largely with Long Island-based crane company, Nu-Way Crane Service, who paid him $3,000 to provide advance copies of the DOB's crane-licensing exam. But Delayo's lawyers insist he never put anyone in danger, and had nothing to do with the two major crane collapses in 2008 which resulted in nine deaths. Crane operator Michael Pascalli and Nu-Way Crane Service head Michael Sackaris are also charged with bribery in the case. more ›

Today in court a former top crane inspector, arrested when crane collapses killed nine in 2008, is expected to plead guilty to accepting bribes. Collecting $10,000 over eight years, James Delayo didn't just doctor inspections, he's accused of skipping them altogether. However, the Daily News reports that charges against him involve "smaller mobile cranes," not the towering machines that fell two years ago on the Upper East Side and in Midtown. more ›

Two years after a collapsing crane killed two workers on the Upper East Side, the crane company’s owner—in addition to an employee and the company itself—is expected to face charges of manslaughter. When two cranes came crashing down in 2008, the Manhattan DA launched an investigation of James Lomma that turned up evidence the machinery wasn’t properly repaired after being struck by lightning. "In answer to the question about how I feel about Jimmy Lomma being taken away in handcuffs, I say it's a start and about time,” said one of the workers' fathers. “It will never bring my son back...but it might finally be the beginning of paying real attention to the safety of workers who risk their lives to feed their families." more ›

The crane accident that went down at 775 Columbus Avenue yesterday afternoon is going to cost a pretty penny for some involved. The Real Deal reports that "the general contractor, crane owner and operator at Columbus Square face fines of up to $25,000 after a piece of a crane crushed a sidewalk covering." more ›

A year ago yesterday, a crane collapsed at an Upper East Side construction site at 91st Street and First Avenue. Two people were killed and it turned out the crane had been damaged from a 2007 lightning strike (the New York Crane Company had it fixed with welding). Now the Daily News reports that the Chinese company that did the welding wasn't confident of its abilities "but relented after New York Crane coughed up more money." RTR Bearings told New York Crane its welding technique "is not good" and a testing firm found (a month before the crane collapse) that RTR's work on another piece of New York Crane equipment was "unacceptable." The News also found memos showing an Ohio firm saying it could weld the crane in 28 weeks for $120,000, while "RTR said it could do the work in 80 to 90 days for just $21,710." RTR ultimately "repaired" the crane and New York Crane apparently didn't re-inspect it, simply put it to work at the UES site. more ›

In March 2008, a a construction site's crane toppled from East 51st Street into neighboring buildings, killing seven people and causing much damage. A four-story townhouse was leveled by the crane, and owner Jean Squeri has been trying to rebuild it, but now she's been told it can only be three stories. According to the NY Post, back in 2005, Squeri, whose family bought the building in the 1930s, sold the air rights above the brownstone for $2.25 million: "When Squeri informed MUS 1 in September that she planned to rebuild her 4,822-square-foot building, the developer insisted Squeri was limited to building only 3,606 square feet, a full story shorter." Squeri says the documents she signed had incorrect figures for the height of the building and now the 75-year-old has filed court papers asking for permission to build a four-story home. Her lawyer told the Post, "[The developer is] trying to take horrible advantage of someone who's been traumatized." Squeri and her husband had lived on the top floor—the day of the crane collapse, her husband was out and she was running an errand, headed to the drugstore when she turned around and saw the crane decimate the building (neighbors amazingly found their cats, too!). more ›

Relatives of Ramadan Kurtaj and Donald Leo, who were killed when a crane collapsed at an Upper East Side construction site last May, announced they are suing various entities for $100 million. They say that the city was negligent in overseeing crane and construction operations and point to the crane company's greed—apparently a Chinese company hired to fix the crane's turntable (which was damaged) "doubted its ability to properly perform the welding necessary to fix the machinery," yet the crane company allowed it to fix the crane, which ultimately failed, according to the NY Times. A lawyer for Kurtaj's family said, "This was something that was avoidable." The Manhattan DA's office is investigating the collapse; the DA's office ending up charging the crane rigger in the 2008 Midtown crane collapse. more ›

A year ago, a Midtown condo construction site's crane fell into neighboring buildings on East 50th Street near 2nd Avenue. Aside from damaging neighboring buildings and leveling a townhouse, seven people—six construction workers and one woman in the townhouse—were killed. Neighbors had complained about the construction, but the incident further forced the Department of Buildings to monitor cranes more carefully (another crane killed two just two months later). Last week, the DOB released findings from its investigation: Ultimately, four synthetic slings—including one that had prior physical damage—used to support a 11,279-pound steel collar (eight slings are usually used) were blamed, from how they were placed to how there was no padding to protect the slings from sharp edges. Earlier this year, the Manhattan DA's office charged the crane rigger with manslaughter. more ›

Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau slammed the crane rigger who was responsible for a crane at a Midtown construction site, calling his actions "shocking" and "outrageous." The crane collapsed on March 15, killing seven people, and yesterday Morgenthau (pictured) announced that William Rapetti would be charged with manslaughter, as well as criminally negligent homicide, reckless endangerment and second-degree assault. more ›

The man in charge of rigging the crane that collapsed last March at East 51st Street and killed 7 people turned himself in today to face manslaughter charges. William Rapetti, 48, was also charged with criminally negligent homicide, reckless endangerment and second-degree assault; his lawyer told the NY Times, "He did nothing wrong, and operated at that site in a way that is beyond reproach." However, investigators believe that Rapetti was negligent with his rigging practices, using only four nylon slings, instead of the eight recommended by the crane manufacturer, to brace the crane to the building site (and one apparently failed because it was worn) while hoisting another crane component. Rapetti's lawyer added that his client "agreed to offer his full assistance and expertise in helping to determine the actual cause or causes of the crane collapse that day." more ›

The Daily News checked out the new crane at the 1st Avenue and East 91 Street site where a crane collapsed, killing two men, in May. Neighbors were wary--one said, "The first thing I thought was, 'Oh, here we go again,'" while another said, "I tend to think they won't screw up twice, but I don't want to be the one who is told, 'I told you so.'" The Buildings Department said the crane is "fresh out of the box," referring to how the previous crane was 25 years old--and was struck by lightning in 2007. The DOB recently introduced new rules requiring crane contractors to have the cranes' manuals on hand for inspectors, which the industry isn't very happy with because many cranes are so old, the manuals are lost. more ›

After two fatal crane collapses and other accidents, the city issued new rules to improve crane safety. However, construction industry officials tell the NY Times union laborers would be out of work (temporarily), work will be slower, and the Department of Buildings didn't even consult them! For instance, the new rules requires contractors to have manuals for assembling and dismantling cranes, but many operators "don't have those manuals and own cranes whose manufacturers are out of business." A concrete contractor said, "What used to take a week now takes three to four weeks." DOB commissioner Robert LiMandri said these rules were developed with the industry and were included in the City Council's legislation, "Safety must be everyone's top priority." more ›

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued a number of violations related to the March 15 crane collapse in Turtle Bay, which killed seven people. more ›

The city comptroller's office says there are "more than half a billion dollars in lawsuits" stemming from the fatal crane collapses earlier this year. The families of two constructions workers who died have filed notices of claim for the May 30 collapse on East 91st Street; Ramadan Kurtag's family plans to sue for $75 million while Donald Leo's family's claim is for $20 million. The Daily News reports there are also "several smaller claims ranging from $2,700 to $12,000" from residents and a "$300,000 one by a nearby Duane Reade...for damages and loss of business." As for the March 15 crane collapse on East 51st Street, those notices of claim total $497 million. more ›

The site of the 43-story tower at the corner of East 51st Street and Second Avenue may remain a partially built tragic reminder of the fatal March 15 crane collapse for a long while, because the developer's lender has started foreclosure action against him. Apparently developer, FDNY veteran James Kennelly, hasn't paid $70.4 million in loans; though he couldn't attempt to get new financing, bankers tells the NY Times it's harder for developers to get loans these days. After the crane collapse, it was revealed the building's plans should never have been approved by the Buildings Department in the first place, and though the DOB and Kennelly were working out a compromise, the DOB revoked the site's building permit in June. more ›

The crane inspector arrested for falsely claiming he had inspected the crane that eventually collapsed at East 51st Street on March 15 has been tied to additional false reports. Edward Marquette pleaded not guilty to the charges, which included tampering with public records. It's unclear which cranes he is accused of faking reports for, but the Department of Buildings has been trying to crack down on crane and construction safety after the March crane collapse killed seven people and another crane collapse in May killed four. more ›

Yesterday, Department of Buildings acting commissioner Robert LiMandri testified before the House Education and Labor Committee and announced new ways the city would increase crane safety, including inspecting cranes when they change ownership. LiMandri also asked for more OSHA inspectors--who should also be given the power to issue stop-worker orders--noting he was "deeply troubled" by the recent crane collapse deaths, "It is simply impossible for our inspectors to be at every site at all times." more ›

Today was going to Janine Belcastro and Donald Leo's wedding day. But Leo, a crane operator, died in last month's crane collapse on the Upper East Side. The Daily News says Belcastro's sister and friend have taken her on a trip this weekend. A friend said, "She's still too upset. It's still too much for her." more ›

The Department of Buildings confirmed to the Daily News that it found cracks in a crane at a construction site in lower Manhattan. The crane happens to be a Kodiak tower crane owned by New York Crane & Equipment Co.--the same model and firm involved last month's fatal crane collapse at East 91st Street and First Avenue. more ›

The East 51st Street condominium site where a crane collapsed into buildings--completely leveling a townhouse and killing seven--had its construction permit revoked. A month after the March 15 collapse, it was revealed plans for the 43-story building should never have been approved by the Department of Buildings (it's possible revised plans could still have been approved), so the developer James Kennelly was asked to resubmit plans. more ›

As the Department of Buildings, Manhattan DA's office, and OSHA investigate the fatal May 30 crane collapse at East 91st Street and First Avenue, the crane's history continues to be a focus. more ›

Yesterday, the assistant chief inspector for cranes was arrested and charged with accepting bribes "to falsify inspection reports and overlook unqualified operators." Upon leaving court, James Delayo, 60, who is a 26-year veteran of the Department of Buildings, did not respond to when a street sweeper asked him "if he felt responsible" for the fatal crane collapses in recent months. more ›

An insurance company executive, whose client owned the crane had once been repaired before collapsing on East 91st Street last Friday, said the Department of Buildings knew the crane's history. NationalBuilders Insurance Services executive vice president Kevin Cunningham said, "The DOB inspector certified that it was OK to go back to work." more ›

The offices of New York Crane and Equipment, which owns the cranes in last Friday's as well as March's fatal crane collapses, were searched and documents were seized, according the NY Times. Currently, there are investigations from the Manhattan DA's office, the Department of Investigation, and OSHA into the collapse. more ›