Crane Rigger Cleared of All Charges

By [Dan Rivoli] The man charged with the deaths of seven men from an East Side crane collapse in 2008 was cleared of all charges. William Rapetti was the rigger of the crane that crashed into 303 E. 51st St. on the afternoon of March 15, 2008. Judge Roger Hayes found Rapetti and his company not guilty of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, assault and reckless endangerment. Rapetti waived a trial by jury and put his fate in the hands of a judge. After Rapetti left the courtroom, he looked sullen. As he waited for the elevator flanked by his legal team, he rubbed his red eyes and puffed out his cheeks during a heavy sigh. Outside the court house, Rapetti's lawyer Arthur Aidala heaped praise on the judge and reiterated Rapetti's innocence in causing the death of seven men Aidala said were Rapetti's best friends. "It's just a relief. It's like, OK, we're not going to lose an eighth life in the March 15 crane accident's accident," Aidala said. District Attorney Cy Vance, who picked up the case from his predecessor Robert Morgenthau, released this statement: "While we respect the criminal justice process, we are extremely disappointed by the court's verdict. At this time our thoughts go out to the seven victims' families, whose lives were devastated by this tragic incident."