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 ›

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 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 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 ›

After a 19-story construction crane collapsed in Turtle Bay and fell towards other buildings, firefighters and other rescue workers are searching for survivors in the rubble. At least four people - all construction workers, Brad Cohen, Aaron Stephens, Anthony Mazza and Wayne Binder - are dead and many more are injured. It's believed two or three more people are missing, possibly buried under the debris. Mayor Bloomberg called "one of the worst construction accidents" in the history of the city. more ›