Daidone, Mathes Guilty in Camden Corruption Trial


Camden Courier-Post – July 9, 2003

By JIM WALSH

A federal jury on Tuesday convicted a former Camden official and a mob associate of conspiring to steer city business to Mafia-backed firms.

Jurors deliberated for three hours before returning guilty verdicts against James Mathes, former president of Camden City Council, and Daniel Daidone.

They are to be sentenced Oct. 28 by U.S. District Judge Joseph Rodriguez.

The seven-week trial featured testimony by Ralph Natale, former head of the South Jersey-Philadelphia mob.

Natale, a government witness, said Daidone was his go-between for illicit deals with city officials from 1996 to 1998.

The mob boss, formerly of Pennsauken, described efforts to direct city contracts to mob-run firms that appeared to be owned by minorities.

Prosecutors said Mathes, a former affirmative action officer for the city school district, accepted a diamond ring for his girlfriend, valued at about $500, from Daidone.

Natale, who became an informant after a drug arrest in 1999, offered similar testimony at the 2000 trial of former Mayor Milton Milan, who was convicted of corruption charges. Milan is serving an 87-month sentence.

Prosecutors also presented hundreds of photographs and hours of surveillance video.

Attorneys for Mathes, 62, of Camden, and Daidone, 59, of Ventnor, presented no witnesses. The lawyers could not be reached Tuesday.


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