[3] Under Abeles' guidance as managing director, TNT quickly expanded, and by the 1980s had established a presence in 180 countries and was termed "the second biggest transport empire in the world, operating by road, rail, sea and air".
The historian C. J. Coventry has shown that in 1974 Abeles, along with Rupert Murdoch, supported Hawke's idea of forming a new centrist political party to seize power from the Whitlam government,[5] but that this did not eventuate because of the events of 1975.
Abeles was knighted in 1972 for services to business and the arts, on the recommendation of the New South Wales government led by Sir Robert Askin.
[7] Sir Peter occasionally cut a controversial figure with alleged business tactics,[citation needed] and was seen as unsympathetic towards minority shareholders.
[10] He did, however, admit to having given another mafioso, Venero Frank "Benny Eggs" Mangano (later the underboss for the Genovese crime family), a 'consultancy fee' of $US300,000 for 'advice' on how to acquire an east coast shipping line, Seatrain, and other matters related to the New York waterfront.
"[11] Abeles was also connected to Rudy Michael Tham, leader of Local 856, "the second largest Teamsters' branch in San Francisco and mafia 'associate'.
[11] Abeles' denial of any knowledge of mafia involvement in his business is supported in an interview conducted by the Australian Federal Police with Fratianno in San Francisco in 1979 when he told them that "I don't think that he knew these guys had connections.