December 25, 1974

biggest oil spill in Japan's history spreads through Inland Sea, polluting area more than 80 miles long and 20 miles wide; spill started on Dec 19 at Mitsubishi oil refinery at Mizushima and is believed to involve some 11-million gals of oil; damage to fisheries, seaweed indus and beaches is estimated at $20-million; criticism of environmental damaged caused by Mizushima indus complex noted; map (M)

Decision by NYS Public Employment Relations Bd to bar parity increases for public employe unions is expected to strengthen bargaining position of NYC PBA in its effort to break wage parity with Uniformed Sanitationmen's Assn (S)

investigations into NY nursing home indus focuses on allegations of ties with organized crime, political protection and rept that alleged assoc of Joseph A Colombo Sr had lived in penthouse of nursing home for indigent; issue is raised in lr by US Sen Charles H Percy, who has asked Temporary State Comm on Living Costs to investigate allegations during hearings scheduled to begin on Jan 21; com chmn Repr Edward I Koch predicts 'dramatic revelations' and some indictments; holds defrauding of Medicaid could not have taken place without political influence and notes Colombo's former adviser Rocco Scarfone was on payroll of Towers Nursing Home and enjoyed use of penthouse apt at Park Crescent Nursing Home, both of which are owned by Bernard Bergman; law enforcement agencies have been alerted to possible links between Bergmans and organized crime at various times during 35-yr-period, and between Mafia and nursing homes since Medicaid program began 8 yrs ago; are showing interest in suspected investment of Meyer Lansky, major underworld figure, in nursing homes in Western NY, and in transfer of substantial amts of money by co controlled by Bergman to Chicago co with strong Las Vegas holdings; other area of interest is Bergman's affiliation with Joseph Kosow, Boston financier convicted of stock fraud; Mafia interest in at least 2 nursing homes was mentioned in tapes introduced in '69 trial of Simone DcCavalcante; suspected investment in nursing homes in Western NY by underworld figure Meyer Lansky noted (L)

Fed grand jury is investigating finances of NYC Cultural Affairs Comr Irving Goldman; Fed prosecutor's affidavit discloses that grand jury has heard testimony that Goldman used Jola Candy Corp, family business, to criminally evade income taxes; disclosure comes in connection with order by Fed Judge Robert L Carter denying efforts by Goldman to block subpoenaing of his business records; affidavit, filed by Asst US Atty Bart M Schwartz, is in support of attempts to subpoena Goldman's financial records; Goldman has challenged Govt's right to subpoena records of his accountant and lawyer Joshya Sokolow; records relate to Goldman, wife Rose, daughters Joy and Laurie, former son-in-law Kenneth Farrell Futernick, employe Harold Rosendale, and 4 cos--Jola, Gothic Color Co, US Candy Corp and Interborough News Co; affidavit filed by Goldman lawyer Arthur S Friedman indicates that Goldman and family are invoking Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination in effort to quash Fed subpoenas for their financial records; Goldman is also pres of Shubert Foundation, which controls vast assets of Shubert theater and real-estate operations; disclosure of Fed investigation into his financial records comes shortly after state investigation into his affairs was suspended; NYS Deputy Atty Gen Maurice H Nadjari has been probing possible payoffs by Jola Candy Co to Transit Auth officials and policemen for protection for coin pickups from subway vending machines; Goldman was for time vp of The Interborough News Co, which operated all of more than 6,000 vending machines in subways; Nadjari's investigation, however, was halted by NYS Sup Ct Justice John M Murtagh, who questioned Nadjari's authority in case; Goldman's activities are under inquiry in yet another investigation; for nearly 2 yrs, Atty Gen Louis J Lefkowitz has been looking into allegations that Goldman and lawyers Bernard B Jacobs and Gerald Schoenfeld improperly ousted Shubert heir Lawrence Shubert Lawrence as Shubert Foundation pres and misused charity funds; foundation controls Shubert assets valued at $100-million or more; Goldman por (L)