New-York tribune., 1920-05-26
Man i'm 'Iucci
Case Denies He
Caused killing. g.
Mongiori Says Slain Woman
Proposed That He Marry
Maria, but He Had No
Desire for Such a Union
Girl Collapses ON Stand
Swoons When Shown Photo
of Dead Sister; Husband
of Victim a Witness


yesterday that his desire to possess
pretty twenty-year-old Maria Tucci led
the girl to slay her sister, Mrs. Ange-
lima Cont. Mongiovi was called by
the prosecution in rebuttal at the trial
of Maria. charged with murder, before
Judge Mott and jury in General Ses-
sions.
Frank Federico. Of Atlantic City, a
witness for the defense, coatradicted
an important detail of the defendants
own testimony during his cross-cXam
ination by CHIEF Assistant District At
torney Talley Maria had testified
that, after the revolver for which (xe
and Angelina were struggling or the
morning OF Monday, March &, had been
accidentally discharged, she left the
room and the house without knowing
she had shot her sister She was not
aware Of it, she said, until two days
later, Wednesday. March 10 when she
read it in an Italian newspaper in
Atlantic City
Girls Story Contradicted
Federici, to whose home Maria and
her nine -year-old niece, Concetta, fe l.
said she had told him Tuesday that she
had had trouble with her sister.
What did she tell you on Tuesday ?"
asked Mr. Talley
"She told me something about her
sister trying TO force her to do some
thing and that then she shot her"
Old she say she shot her sister,"
"Yes, that is what she said"
Mongiovi who is twenty and lives at
"a Cornelia Street, is q cousin of Maria
The defense contends that he was
Angelina's sweetheart, but that he was
growing tired Of the older sister, and
that she. in order to continue getting
money from him, sought to induce
Maria to submit to his attentions
Maria swore on the stand that this
was the cause OF her quarres with
Angelina.
The witness admitted he had loaned
money to Angelina to pay her way to
America, out declared she had returned
he had ever had improper relations with
Angelina or that he had expressed any
wish to 90 so with Maria.
Marriage Suggested
"Angelina once suggested that /
marry Maria,' he said, "but l told her
l did not want to marry because I in
tended going back to Italy"
Mongiovi will be cross-examine by
J. V. D'Aloia, counsel for the defend
ant, this morning.
Maria, who had been on the stand
most of Monday afternoon, resumed
it when court convened Yesterday
morning. As soon as she was seated
Mr.. Talley handed her photograph
of her slain sister, taken just as the
police found the body the morning of
Tho killing. The bedclothes were
drawn well up over the body, fact
tne prosecution cites to discredit
Naria's story that a struggle took
p.ace.
The girl cast one glance at the pic
cure and began to cry. She grew SO
hysterical that she had to be led from
the courtroom by Bella Norton, a wom-
an deputy sheriff.
When she had reea;ned her com
posure, she was brought back and with
J.
out visible emotion.
She swore that from 1880. on the
night Of March 7, when she got into
bed with Angelina and Concetta, unit
y NJ, her sister continued to lunge
overwhelmingly at hcr with long knife
aud demanded that she consent to be
MonglovIs mistress.
Maria Describes Shots
che
mony of the day before that she hac
hidden the knife and that Angelin;
then drew a revolver from beneath heI
pillow, Maria was asked how the two
ghots sounded to her.
She cIapped her hands twice il
quick succession.
Like that" she said.
Maria declared she had never tole
any one of her sisters proposal.
''She said she would xiii me if | tolo
anyone word Of it, the girl as
serted.
After several character witnesse:
mad been called for the defense, Sal
vatore Tucci, of Montclair, N. j., I
pfot"er or Maria, took the stand ane
descrl bed her appearance with Concet
ia at his home about 4:3O o'clock thu
morning of the shooting.
They only stayed fifteen minutes,
ne said. Maria and Concetta were
both crying. They would not tell m,
what was the matter, and this made
me mad, so | did not question them
any more"
Victims Husband on Stand
Salvatore Cont. of Newark. fathe,
OF Concetta, testified that he left Anre
Lima In Italy nine years ago and tina.
ne remarked in 1916. He said he hat
some kind of paper from Italv'
which said Angelina had no more clain
on hlm, but he admitted having con
suited a lawyer SIX months ago re
Iarding divorcing her
Old you start to get divorce afte,
you were married to some one else p
Judge Mott asked the witness.
"Yes.' he replied
CONT said he had called on Concett,
It the home of the Society for tn,
prevention Cruelty to Children once ;
Aek since her mothers death. Fl,
ned ever having told her to saw i,
c0art that Angelina had been ba,
woman
~ederici and his wife both contra
Hicted the testimony OF Concetta +,
the effect that Mrs. Federico had in
structed her to tell the police tho
MARIA Killed Angelina because tn,
Mongiov;. ~
Michael Ferretti, an Atlantic Cit,
polio detective. who acted as inter
prefer when Maria gave herself un i,
that city, testified she had appeared /,