Two leaders of defunct South Boston Teamsters local guilty of shaking down local businesses, hospitals

A federal jury yesterday convicted John Perry, 62, of Woburn and Joseph "Jo Jo" Burhoe, 46, of Braintree, on a variety of racketeering charges related to the use of extortion and actual and threatened physical violence to get jobs for family members and friends out of local companies and to maintain control of their now defunct Local 82, the US Attorney's office reports.

However, the jury also acquitted Thomas Flaherty, 50, of Braintree, of all charges. The judge declared a mistrial on the charges against James "Jimmy the Bull" Deamicis after the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict following the seven-week trial.

According to the indictment against them, the officials of the local - which was taken over by Local 25 in 2011 - extracted "superfluous" jobs from local businesses and non-profit organizations they didn't even have contracts from between 2007 and 2011.

Perry, Director of Trade Shows and Convention Centers for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 82, and Burhoe, a convicted felon who was a member of the union, worked in the trade show and moving industries. Since 2007 the defendants engaged in illegal activities in order to generate money for themselves, their friends, and family members. The defendants extorted various entities throughout Boston including hotels, event planners, catering companies, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, music entertainment companies, and non-profit organizations, none of which had collective bargaining agreements with Local 82.

Among their targets: Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the United States Green Building Council, Wolfgang Puck and the Westin Waterfront. However, they were found not guilty on a charge of trying to extort money from the Massachusetts Democratic Party.

Perry and Burhoe, his enforcer, also beat up two union members who criticized their control of the union and did stuff such as stand outside the union hall with a detail cop to ensure certain members didn't vote on at least one contract with a major local employer, according to the indictment.

The two will be sentenced in February.