Episode 099: Bill Grace – “Wolf Ticket,” Roofers Union Local 30 Labor Racketeering

Retired agent William “Bill” Grace served more than 33 years with the FBI.

In this episode of FBI Retired Case File Review, he reviews the “Wolf Ticket” investigation where 13 Philadelphia Roofers Union Local 30 officials were convicted of racketeering, extortion, and bribery.

The case uncovered numerous ties between union leaders, organized crime, and public officials. The key to the successful investigation was the surreptitious recording devices installed in the union hall that secretly taped conversations between union leaders and others. Prior to his transfer to the Philadelphia Division, where he worked Labor Racketeering and Corruption cases in Philadelphia and South Jersey, Bill Grace was assigned to the Bureau’s Baltimore and New Haven Offices. He currently continues to work for the FBI as a contract Asset Forfeiture Investigator.

William Grace

Special Agent (Retired)

7/19/1976 – 12/3/2009

SA Grace

 

 

 

 

 

The following are links to newspaper articles about the investigation of Roofers Union Local 30 for racketeering, extortion and bribery and a historical account of the “war” between the Roofers Union and the building trades that took place at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania in 1972:

Philly.com – April 29, 2016:  Stephen J. Traitz Jr., former Roofers Union chief

UPI Archive – November 23, 1987:  Jury convicts Roofers Union leaders

New York Times – November 8, 1987:  DEFENDANT BACKED BY 500 WITNESSES

New York Times – November 8, 1987:  2 JUDGES AND 17 UNION OFFICIALS INDICTED IN PHILADELPHIA INQUIRY

Reason Archives – October 1, 1972:  Union Terror in the Building Trades

Bill Grace found this hat laying in the snow. He picked it up and kept it as a souvenir of his successful investigation of Roofers Union Local 30.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jerri Williams

View posts by Jerri Williams
Jerri Williams, a retired FBI agent, author and podcaster, jokes that she writes about the FBI to relive her glory days. After 26 years with the Bureau specializing in major economic fraud and corruption investigations, she calls on her professional encounters with scams and schemers to write police procedurals inspired by true crime FBI cases in her Philadelphia FBI Corruption Squad crime fiction series featuring flawed female FBI agent Kari Wheeler. Jerri’s FBI for Armchair Detectives nonfiction series enables readers to discover who the FBI is and what the FBI does by debunking misconceptions about the FBI in books, TV, and movies. Her books are available as ebooks, paperbacks, and audiobooks wherever books are sold. She’s also the host of FBI Retired Case File Review, a true crime podcast with more than 300 episodes available on all popular podcast apps and YouTube.

4 Comments

  1. Mark MadiasSeptember 27, 2021

    Hi.. I am trying to contact retired fbi agent William Grace by way of email or text. Is that possible ?

    Reply
    1. Jerri WilliamsSeptember 29, 2021

      Sure. Send me an email and I’ll forward it to Bill. jerriwiliamsauthor@gmail.com

      Reply
  2. Sandra HarfieldJanuary 18, 2018

    I absolutely love this podcast. I have always been interested in FBI matters so this podcast was right on time for me. Jerri and all of her guests are always professional and knowledgeable about each case. I am looking forward to the Waco podcast. Thanks for providing many hours of entertainment.

    Reply
    1. Jerri WilliamsJanuary 18, 2018

      Thank you for listening! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the interviews.

      Reply

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