Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
DA Investigates Fatal Midtown Crane Collapse, Contractor Previously Accused Of Mob Ties
By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 5, 2012
Modified Apr 5, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gothamist
View all 3
By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 5, 2012
Modified Apr 5, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Yonkers Contracting, which won the $116 million MTA contract to do work on the 7 train extension project, is under investigation by the Manhattan DA's office, which seized the company's records yesterday in the wake of a fatal crane collapse Tuesday night. It's not the first time the company has been under investigation—the Daily News reports that in 1992, federal investigators alleged that Yonkers Contracting made annual $50,000 payments to the crane operators union run by the Colombo crime family. The company denied any mafia connections, but it's been repeatedly fined for safety violations over the years.
In May, Yonkers Contracting was hit with a $5,000 fine for a “serious” violation at the World Trade Center site. In 2000, a painter working for the company on the Manhattan Bridge fell to his death. It was placed on the city’s “caution list” in May 2008 after multiple safety violations accrued over a five year period. Yet the MTA continued to award Yonkers Contracting lucrative contracts, including $85.5 million for work on its East Side Access project, which will connect Long Island Rail Road trains with Grand Central Terminal.
Michael Simermeyer
The crane that collapsed Tuesday night, killing worker Michael Simermeyer and injuring several others, was 23-years-old. As we noted earlier, it was supposed to have been inspected at the beginning of January, but DOB inspectors postponed a full inspection because the crane was in use when they arrived. The inspection was rescheduled for today.
All work has come to a halt at the massive west side construction site, where investigators are going examining the crane's boom, which collapsed after a cable snapped. At the time of the accident, the crane was a couple of stories below street level, operating next to a deeper pit in which Simermeyer, a Burlington NJ native, worked. Today the Times has a sad profile on Simermeyer. His older sister Linda says, "He was a big guy but a complete teddy bear. If you needed a hug, he was the guy."
Neighbors describe Simermeyer as a Good Samaritan who "would be the first person outside shoveling snow for an elderly couple on the block or helping them carry groceries. Simermeyer also performed odd jobs and home repairs for his friend, including the installation of exterior lights" at his house. "He was a good guy, a good friend, someone you could rely on,” longtime friend Tim Kugler tells PhillyBurbs.com "It’s sad what happened.”
Tagged
7 train
7 train extension
crane collapse
subway
yonkers contracting
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Retired NYPD detective charged with murder in George Washington Bridge shooting
Police say a Rockland County man was fatally shot during what appeared to be a road rage incident on Tuesday night.
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 21, 2026 at 4:26 p.m. ET
Modified Oct 21, 2026 at 5:43 p.m. ET
NYPD officer faces disciplinary trial 10 years after killing Delrawn Small
Officer Wayne Isaacs will go on trial in January on a charge that he used improper force when he shot and killed Delrawn Small in East New York in July 2016.
By
Ben Feuerherd
News
NYPD officer faces disciplinary trial 10 years after killing Delrawn Small
Officer Wayne Isaacs will go on trial in January on a charge that he used improper force when he shot and killed Delrawn Small in East New York in July 2016.
By
Ben Feuerherd
NYC adult daycare operators charged with committing over $500K in Medicaid fraud
By
Caroline Lewis
Port Authority eyes $117M fix to Manhattan roadway where falling debris smashed cars
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Bronx couple starved their 3-year-old to death, indictment says
By
Catalina Gonella
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .