Even without legal ramifications, the city has been battered since the beginning of the trial with accusations of the DOB’s incompetence as well as the unraveling of the prosecutor’s case against the man regulatory agencies blamed for the tragedy.

Throughout the trial, several of the prosecution’s witnesses seemed to aide Rapetti’s defense by speaking highly of the embattled rigger and contradicting the prosecutions’ allegations.

District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. declined to speak to the press about the many perceived mishaps of the prosecution following the verdict, except in a short statement expressing that he was “extremely disappointed” by the outcome.

Department of Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri, on the other hand, obliquely echoed the sentiments of Rapetti’s defense in saying, “It is clear that shortcuts, in order to save time and money, can have devastating consequences.”

His spokesman Tony Sclafani pointed out that the department enacted “a number of reforms” following the collapse increasing oversight, mandating a 30-hour training course for tower crane workers, prohibiting the use of nylon slings to support the mast “unless specifically recommended by the manufacturers,” increasing inspector training “to unprecedented levels,” and tracking the locations of all inspectors via GPS

In fact, many of these changes that he noted were implemented in direct response to high-profile legal fallouts of the collapse.

For example, the GPS monitoring of building inspectors followed the indictment of Edward Marquette, and the Department of Buildings banned polyester slings after a study by Ove Arup & Partners Consulting Engineers PC blamed them for the 2008 Manhattan collapse.

The latter firm’s opinion led to Rapetti’s indictment.

Yet even with Rapetti’s acquittal, the ban on polyester slings is still on the books.

“Synthetic slings should not be condemned, they’re excellent,” says Edward Shapiro of the Heavy Equipment Services Company, Niantic, Conn. “All of these devices are fine if they’re used within their operating parameters. They’re lighter [and] more user friendly.”