Rigger in Crane Collapse Acquitted

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. 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. â??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 Robert Morgenthau, who retired last year, charged Rapetti after an investigation accused him of violating regulations and building code. The collapse happened while the crew was increasing the height of the crane. To support the crane, a steel â??collar around the mast had to be installed. While the collar was being connected, the investigation said that only four polyester straps were suspending it. One strap was previously damaged and should not have been used, the district attorney"s office alleged. The collar slid down the mast, taking two others with it. The impact jostled the base of the crane, causing the machine to tip over. But Aidala blamed the collapse on the crane"s design and how it was erected. â??They walked into an ambush, Aidala said. â??So many corners were cut putting up that crane. District Attorney Cy Vance, who picked up the case from Morgenthau, released a statement expressing his extreme â??disappointment with the judge"s verdict. â??While we respect the criminal justice process, we are extremely disappointed by the court"s verdict, Vance said in the statement. â??At this time our thoughts go out to the seven victims" families, whose lives were devastated by this tragic incident. Rapetti still faces civil charges from the accident, in which he suffered a fractured leg and ankle. A resident of the building that the crane crushed, John Gallego, whose houseguest Odin Torres died in the collapse, told Manhattan news website DNAinfo.com that he wasn"t angry that Rapetti was found not guilty. â??I put my faith in New York law, Gallego told DNAinfo.com. â??I hope they could find who was responsible.