The legal troubles of Gregory Fiocca, the nephew of former labor union boss John Dougherty, came to a head this week as he pleaded guilty to charges related to a threatening incident at a construction site in South Philadelphia four years ago. The saga began when Fiocca violently confronted a contractor during a payment dispute while working on the construction of Live! Casino in the Sports Complex back in August 2020.
As a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98, Fiocca asserted that he had not been paid in full for his work, despite the contractor’s claims that he was compensated accurately. The altercation escalated when Fiocca physically assaulted the contractor, grabbing him by the throat and throwing him onto a desk, according to investigators.
Fiocca’s uncle, John Dougherty, a prominent figure in the labor union scene, intervened on his behalf, making threats to pull all Local 98 workers from the job and using his influence to hinder the contractor’s future work opportunities. Both Dougherty and Fiocca faced numerous counts of conspiracy and extortion as a result of the incident.
Despite a mistrial in April due to a jury deadlock, prosecutors dropped the charges against Dougherty in light of his previous convictions for bribery and embezzlement in separate cases. However, they proceeded with the case against Fiocca, who recently pleaded guilty to unlawfully demanding money as a union representative from a fellow union employee.
Fiocca is set to be sentenced on January 7 and could face up to one year in prison, supervised release, and a $10,000 fine. The outcome of this legal ordeal will undoubtedly have lasting implications for both him and his infamous uncle, John Dougherty.