The sun., 1916-10-28
ROFRANO ON STAND
PLEADS INNOCENCE
Declares BoyhOod Friendship
for Cornell Made Him Vie
tim Of Circumstances.
GAVE 80 MURDER FEE
Money Advanced Merely to Aid
COmpaniOn-Lattcr Always
His Nemesis.

The story Of Michael potrano when
he took the stand yesterday in his
defence in his trial for ~instigating the
murder Of Michael Calmar', n political
foe, and declared his innocence was that
OF a man who has risen from his early
environment only to find hat the ties
made in youth chung to him and in
Nolved him In the miro from which he
thought lie had struggled free.
II was a friend of his boyhood. Rocco
"%arnivalle. gambler and bad man. whom
Rorrano blamed for his present implica-
ton in the plot that led to Gaimari's
killing
That. in substance, was the way he
explained his relations with Carnivalle
TO the jury and accounted for the way
he was drawn Into the feud Of the Sec
ond district that led up to the murder OF
Gaimari. His payments of money to
Cornell, as Carnivalle was known his
visit to him In Police Headquarters after
the Cardillo murder. Cornells visits to
Rofrano's office after the Gaimari trial
for that murder-he explained them all
as merely the Inevitable result OF being
~entangled through his early friendship
FOR n man who chose to live by his wits
rather than by hard work.
Rofrano took the stand as soon as
Martin Littietor. his counsel. finished q
long opening address in which he ex-
planned the seeming implication Of Ro-
franc by the prosecutions witnesses ana
said that he would show that he killing
OF Gaimari was the result OF a gamblers
war rather than political rivalry.
pofrann took the s,and eagerly when
.,a Zinc came for his aDpearance. Vie
,t,o,oa :, hi. ,rouserr. placed his right
elbow on the arm # his chair. and sank
hack with a confident smile on his pale
-
RI. ho,i,rtrcs n, bhs story were those
ann,ha, ,,,, In tho district, no
w - in ,r1 ,d,n,.d a. tho scene
vac ,aaaorsht, ~. vas
y. 80 ,ra,, ,,nIv hy hi. naren,s
prouS"t - COR o'd ue
80. ,,o,, Ia .,bool sold ewsp,per
VI" W., - II, a., n, r,,,t,d
W. 49,. ,a,hars r,u-oad const,uc.
Ia ,ba, 80. :, h,rd.- vort
u,' 49," Sta, 49, broad sbonIde-s and
So. ta,r,h.a nut ,s , builder m.
h. which hc made mos, OF his
80,
"a. ip,cres. IN poli,!cs dated back &c
,,a 10 uhen hc roul3 first romnrehepd
IN. s,rurp,es which have always made
,ha ,,c.I issues Of the Second district
Interesting when he first took AN active
n.r, IN ,hs gam. Paddy Diver was
leader The break bctwccn Tom Fplc,
and p,yycr came and Rofrano allied
himself with Foley. That connection
wi,h the Foley organization LASTED
un,u 1872
Meantime Rorrano had attended tn,
E.w York Law school, from which h,
was ,raauat.d June l6. 1910. He be-
cnn. n member OF tho law firm OF Sim
,oons u,rris A. K~ofrano. His irauenc,
,bar snrend randy.
lie Was secretary and counsel To IN,
Italian National Club. director an,
counsel Of the Italian Chamber of Com
u,r,e. and other organizations Mayo
Mcclellan made him superintendent @
,ha Teneuen, House Department. and h
rerreser,,d the local school BOARD Of III
r,rs. dis,ric,
Thcu came the break with Foley II
Io,n III. formation OF his club. the Hon
pulo D.uocra,ic club. and the trrninj
Of Enl.y ON, Of his clubhouse after 10