State helped New Bedford company (Michael Bianco Inc.) get contracts

BOSTON -- The state awarded grants totaling more than $111,000 to a New Bedford apparel factory raided by federal authorities last month for allegedly employing hundreds of illegal immigrants.



The Massachusetts Department of Workforce Development approved two grants for Michael Bianco Inc. after the owner, Francesco Insolia, appealed for help in winning Department of Defense contracts.

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The state did not require employers to verify workers' immigration status at the time the grants were approved, said Linnea Walsh, a spokeswoman for the workforce development department.

Gov. Deval Patrick in February signed an executive order requiring workforce grant recipients to certify that their employees can legally work in the United States, she said.

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The company also received a five-year tax break from the city in 2004 that had helped Michael Bianco save more than $50,000 in taxes as of last month, city officials said.

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