Joseph Trerotola; Ex-Teamsters Official

Joseph (Joe T.) Trerotola, a former international vice president of the Teamsters Union, has died. He was 82.

Trerotola, who died Tuesday, started his career in the 1930s working on a milk wagon. He rose to become first international vice president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, president of Joint Council 16 and chairman of the 500,000-member Teamster Eastern Conference.

But the powerful Teamster was forced to resign those offices and from the union in October in order to settle federal charges that he had failed to act against reputed organized crime members on the joint council’s board.

Trerotola repeatedly denied dealing with members of organized crime.