# McClellan Committee: Vincent H. Meli on the Detroit linen and overall supply business (1 August 1958)

Canonical: https://mobfiles.org/items/mcclellan-part-35-vincent-meli-detroit-linen-1958/

In hearings on the linen and overall supply industry in the Detroit area, Vincent H. Meli testified about financing his Star Coverall Supply Co. with loans from his father-in-law Sam Perrone and from Anthony Tocco, and said Lafayette Motors had been owned by Jack Tocco.

Part 35 of the McClellan Committee hearings, "Linen and Overall Supply Industry in the Detroit Area," July 31 and August 1, 1958, examines Teamsters dealings with Detroit linen and overall supply companies. Its contents list witnesses including Joseph Lehr, Vincent H. Meli, Pierre E. G. Salinger, Herman Kierdorf and Edward Petroff.

On pages 13174 to 13179 Vincent H. Meli told chief counsel Robert F. Kennedy that he and Joseph Lehr each put money into Star Coverall Supply Co. and that he borrowed his share: "I borrowed the bulk of it from my father-in-law, Sam Perrone, and the rest from another man. Do you want his name? His name is Anthony Tocco." He said that Anthony Tocco was a timekeeper at the Detroit Stove Co. at the time, and that the Perrone loan was "$6,000, I believe it was."

Asked about the account of Lafayette Motors, Inc., Meli said it had been owned by "Jack Tocco," "the man who is now my brother-in-law." Kennedy asked, "Wasn't it formerly owned by Zerilli?" Meli answered, "Joe Zerilli? ... Not that I know of," and of Anthony Zerilli, "I am not sure." He said the company was "nonexistent now," and to "It was owned by Jack Tocco; you know that much about it?" answered, "I think so." He said he did not know of pressure on customers to give their business to his company. Counsel's questions are questions, not findings.

## Sources

- Internet Archive, scan of the printed hearings, Part 35: https://archive.org/details/investigationofi35unit
- Full text (OCR) on the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/download/investigationofi35unit/investigationofi35unit_djvu.txt