New Britain herald., 1930-01-29
SOLVE PIE THEFTS
 WITH TWO ARRESTS
Youths Caught Taking Pastry in
 Basement Of Restaurant

that he had any part whatever in the theft of pie valued at 50 cents in the basement of the Cameo Lunch at Main and Commercial streets, Patrick Rocco. 19, of 73 Prospect street was found guilty by Judge M. D. SaNe in police court today after Prosecuting Attorney J. C. Woods declared: There is an old saying that one bad boy could spoil a whole schoolhouse full of boys. but this boy would spoil 100 schoolhouses.
 Charles Nanosse, l7, Of 40 Ilurl- burt street. who was with Rocco when Christ Statlis. chef in the restaurant, saw a pie taken from the rack. pleaded guilty to the charge of theft and frankly admit ted that he took the pie and passed it 10 Rocco. In both cases Judge Sake suspended judgment and lec- tured the boys both of whom attend High school
 Ambush for Pie Thieves
 The chef told a graphic story of the arrests. which were made short ly before 3 o'clock last evening after he had hidden in the storcrbom of the restaurant and watched the boys come down stairs. IL was the first time he had ever seen Nanesse, but Rocco had been in the basement number of times in the past few months and was under suspicion of having taken pies which were later found partly eaten in the mems room. Nanesse, after passing the pie to Rocco. ran away but was taught and admitted that he went into the basement at his compan- ions suggestion and took the pie when Rocco urged him to grab one' two or three times.
 Rocco told of taking a walk with Nancsse and a third boy after school going as far as Main and East Main streets and then doubling back. He q nd Nanesse went into the men s room and he had no intention what ever of taking a pie, nor had he eVCx taken one. he said. 'The pie must have been tempting and Van esse took it and handed it to me-" I1e said
 Sergeant Stadler and Supernumer- ary Officer Dery testified that they made the arrests and Nanesse's stateme~> last evening was identical with his testimony. Rocco denied that Nanesse implicated him after the arrests, but Detective Sergeant G. C. Ellinger was called from his otllce and testified that Nanesse told the story last evening that he told on the witness stand.
 50 to 100 Pies stolen
 John Peters, proprietor of the restaurant. testified that Rocco was a frequent patron but he did not know that he ever stole anything prior to yesterday. Peters and the chef were unable to estimate the amount of pastry stolen off the racks, but they knew it was con siderable, possibly between 90 and 100 pies in two or three months.
 Nanesse asked that he be treated loniently and promised to behave if given another chance. Rocco said he was preparing for college and wanted to stay out of trouble. Judge Saxe told them that if high school taught them anything it should be the lesson Of leaving other peoples belongings alone. H1 ob- served that they were young enough 10 benefit by their experience in this instance and he impressed upon them the advisability Of avoiding the occasions Of theft and other of lenses. Nancsse. it became known, was already on probation for a prcvi- ous ohense. The third boy who was with them when they started to- wards the restaurant did not accom- pany them.
 Guilty of Assault
 Henry Laskovski, 19 Of 435 Bur ritt street and John Kopycinski, 17. Of Mountain View were found guilty Of the charge of breach of the peace and assaulting Alex Piskoski in restaurant at 45 Broad street, and LaskoWski was taken back to the state reformatory at Cheshire after court, having been on parole for some time. kopycinski was fined s10 and costs and previous proba- ton was revoked.
 Officer r. C. Cabelus testified that Piskoskis forehead was marked and his face scratched and he accused I.askowski and Kopycinski Of as ,aulting him. The sleeves of his outside shirt and underwear were ripped off in the scuffle. Officer Cabelus observed that the young men had been drinking but they were not intoxicated.
 Piskoski testified that he was be- hind the counter in the restaurant when Laskowski anil his brother, Flori&n, came in with kopycinski They went into inc rear part of the restaurant and drank from a pint bottle and then tried 10 push over the cigar case. Their next move was to order three hamburg steaks with onions, and Piskoski suspected that their purpose was to steal cigarettes while he husied himself in the kitchen. so he refused to serve them.
 kopycinski broke a door in the rear part of the restaurant and the trio set upon him, Piskoski con- tinued, punching him about the head and face. He seized a cup and broke it on Henry Laskowskis head in self defense Lut he was on the receiving end of more blows than he delivered, as the marks on his face, forehead and eye demonstrated
 Sleeves Ripped Of
 LaskoWski testified that he and the others attended a theater yester- day afternoon and dropped in to the restaurant about o'clock. ordering three hamburg steaks which they in tended to pay for with a dollar which kopycinski had. They had something to drink before they went into the restaurant hut pofljno m