of course it well could have been sabotage, to set up the government to want protection on the waterfront, the mob controlled it absolutely, ive read similar accounts of how the mob manipulated the government along these lines, I really don't doubt that passage in the book. I also believe the mob and the new York city government were deeply entwined, much more than we are led to believe, that's why im going to buy " the mob and the city" the author was on this site and impressed me.