André Desjardins was born in 1931 and grew up in and around south-central Montreal. Over the years, he would become one of the city's most successful loansharks and, because of his involvement in Quebec unions, earned the label of the "King of Construction." He also developed close ties with some of Montreal's toughest thugs, including members of the Montreal Mafia and the Hells Angels.
He began his construction career when he was only 14 years old, working as an apprentice plumber, but that didn't stop him from using other methods to make money. He was first arrested in 1949 and would be convicted of robbery on three other occasions.
From the Café Évangéline, Desjardins built up a considerable client for his loansharking business. He became so successful that he began supplying money to other criminals so that they could begin lending out money on their own. Among his friends were Eugene Lafort, Gérald Fontaine, father of Hells Angel Paul "Fon Fon" Fontaine, and members of the Devils Disciples motorcycle gang.
After joining Local 144 of the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters in 1957, Desjardins quickly rose through the syndicate's ranks. In 1974, while he served as the union's president, he was accused of inciting violence when $30 million worth of damage was carried out during a fight between members of the Quebec Federation of Labourers and the Confederation of National Trade Unions at the construction site of the LG2 James Bay hydro-electic project.
http://74.6.117.48/search/srpcache?ei=UTF-8&p=unions+quebec+pipefitters+desjardin&fr=sfp&u=http://cc.bingj.com/cache.aspx?q=unions+quebec+pipefitters+desjardin&d=4591354712818935&mkt=en-US&setlang=en-US&w=987d1ac4,9d5ee09a&icp=1&.intl=us&sig=ymYpqynGM0fdWs2Zg_20Aw--You may go and create your world wherever you may. At least you should know something about which you talk!
http://local144.ca/historique.phphttp://www.oocities.org/wiseguywally/AndreDesjardins.html