John Acropolis

John "Little Caesar" Acropolis was an American labor leader who was killed on August 26, 1952. He served as president of Local 456 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in Westchester County, New York from 1946 until his death.

Early life Acropolis was orphaned at age three and sent to the Woodycrest Home, where the headmistress changed his last name to Acropolis because she could not pronounce his actual surname, which Acropolis never knew. He was later sent to the Leake and Watts Services orphanage in Yonkers, New York. He was an all-state basketball player at Yonkers High School and helped lead the team to a state championship in 1927. He attended Colgate University where he played on the basketball team. He was the team's leading scorer in 1931–32 and was the team captain during the 1932–33 season. After graduating, Acropolis was a gym teacher at Roosevelt High School and continued his education at New York University and Manhattan College. He served in the United States Navy during World War II.

International Brotherhood of Teamsters Acropolis became interested in union issues while working as a truck driver during his summer breaks from college. During the 1930s, he campaigned against the leadership of Local 456, which he believed was corrupt. He was elected secretary–treasurer in 1941 and was elected president after leaving the Navy.

In October 2008, the New York Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the Yonkers, New York Police Department, demanding access to the department's file on the investigation into the death of Acropolis. The City of Yonkers said fought the lawsuit, claiming that because the investigation was still technically active, the case file was not subject to Freedom of Information laws. In March 2009, the city of Yonkers was ordered to turn over its records of the investigation to the NYCLU.