MORRISTOWN — Three laborers from Morristown who sued their former employer after he and four others beat and imprisoned them settled their lawsuit today for a total of $30,000 — far less than the $375,000 that had been awarded to them in non-binding arbitration. Their ex-boss, East Hanover contractor Joseph Zecca, arranged the Jan. 4, 2007 beating because he...
Contractor Joseph Zecca, 49, of East Hanover.MORRISTOWN — Three laborers from Morristown who sued their former employer after he and four others beat and imprisoned them settled their lawsuit today for a total of $30,000 — far less than the $375,000 that had been awarded to them in non-binding arbitration.
Their ex-boss, East Hanover contractor Joseph Zecca, arranged the Jan. 4, 2007 beating because he believed the workers had stolen $80,000 from his mother’s house. Zecca, 49, pleaded guilty in September 2007 to three counts of criminal restraint and was sentenced to 300 days in the Morris County jail.
The settlement was announced today just as the case was about to go to trial in Morristown before Superior Court Judge Rosemary Ramsay.
Under terms of the settlement, the three workers — David Maldonado, his son, Edwin Maldonado, and his nephew, Francisco Maradiega — will each receive $10,000, minus their attorney’s fees and expenses.
Under the June 2009 award from court-appointed arbitrator Gilbert Leeds, the laborers would have received $125,000 each, minus the fees and expenses.
Zecca’s attorney, Carmine Campanile, had mixed feelings about the settlement.
Campanile said he was "happy with the way the case was resolved," but he added, "Of course, my client is unhappy he has to pay anything."
Zecca, who refused to pay the non-binding arbitration award, will be required to pay a judgment of $150,000 if he doesn’t fulfill his agreement to pay out the $30,000 over the next four months.
The workers’ attorney, Lee Befeler, declined to comment on why he settled for so much less than the arbitrator’s award.
"Everybody’s happy that it’s over and done," Befeler said.
The incident occurred after the three laborers worked from 7:30 a.m. until about 3:45 p.m. painting the interior of the home of Zecca’s mother in East Hanover.
Zecca told the three to stop working so he could take them to another home in East Hanover he wanted them to paint the next day.
The three followed Zecca into the basement, where four "thugs" were waiting for them, according to the lawsuit.
The men were ordered to kneel on the ground. Zecca and the thugs kicked and punched their heads and "all parts of their bodies," according to the lawsuit.
Zecca also ordered one of the thugs to tie Edwin Maldonado to a column in the basement and place duct tape over his mouth, the lawsuit said. Zecca also told David Maldonado his son would be killed, according to the suit.
The victims were held for more than 30 minutes. They were released after being told to return with the stolen money under threat of harm to their families, police said.
Befeler said the three workers were never charged in any theft.