The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-10-05
Accused In Gaming
Cases Are Sentenced
CONTINUED from Page ~

prosecution Of the war. He described
the cards used by bookies for taking
bets and the printed information
directing them to send money or
ders to o ~. w. Donaldson" in
Union City, N. j., in care Of West
ern Union Telegraph. He states the
concern was getting q service
charge" Of Is cents per bet even
though large number Of bets might
be included in one money order.
In speaking OF the vast amount
Of money handled by the concern,
Mr.. Fitzgerald revealed that one
local resident who placed bets OBJ
tanned 5000 In returns In one week,
according to evidence found dur
Ing the investigation.
The counsel for the corporation
stated the company had high
reputation for service over O great
number Of years. He said lately
II was hard pressed for workers and
much Of the business has been
handled by high school students. In
calling the recommendation Of the
states attorney for o $500 fine on
each Of IS counts "too severe" Mr..
Carmody suggested that justice
would be met with O fine Of CAS- or
$50 on each count.
In imposing the penalty Of $500
on each Of Is counts, the jurist
stated: "'1t Is difficult for the court
to perceive that the company did
not know what was going on" He
said the case Of an individual who
took bets because he was financially
hard-pressed might be loked at In
o different Light than that Of q
large corporation.
In asking for leniency for Karno
who pleaded guilty to eight counts
Of pool selling, Attorney Herman
Weisman pointed out the accused
Is q veteran Of two wars and that
he has no previous court record. He
stated Karno was discharged from
the Army last February 20 and after
trying to work In o defense plant
was forced to resign because Of an
arm ailment. It was pointed out he
Is living with his elderly mother
and taking care Of her.
Mr.. Fitzgerald told the court that
on the day Of his arrest Karno had
already taken 81 bets for @424 and
that his daily total was about 5000.
The jurist imposed o fine Of $500
on each Of the first two counts and
O six-month jail sentence on each
Of the eight counts, the sentences
to run concurrently, however.
A long plea for clemency In the
case Of DiStiso was made by Mr.,
Weisman who told the court his cli-
ent had not accepted bets for three
weeks before his arrest, that he ham
died only small amount Of business
and was interested primarily In his
night-shift defense Job. He said d.
Stiso became bookie during depres-
sion days and his gambling activity
recently had been limited to mere
ly to taking Of bets from odl GUS
toners who approached him.
It was during the arguments for
leniency in the cast Of DiStiso that
the states attorney described the
general nature of the gambling ac-
tivities. He stated that 1t was like
''haring hounds" tor police to keep
abreast with the gambling. Period
ically the gamblers would get sus-
picious that q raid was coming and
would abandon their activity two
or three weeks, resuming 1t again
when they felt they were safe from
the scrutiny Of police. He made the
latter statements after DiStiSo's
counsel said the accused had given
up bookie activity three weeks before
the raid Of Aug. 20 and had decided
to concentrate on mis- factory job.
DiStasio, who claimed through his
counsel that he did not place his
customers bets directly but turned
them over to another agent because
his business was small, was not
fined. His counsel objected to claims
made by the states attorney that
Distiso operated his business from
his place of employment, stating
the name Of the concern was un-
necessarily brought into the testi-
mony.
Execution Of the sentence in both
CuSCo Was pOotPVAaGu utA1tA OSSSSCA
IS. With disposition of the seven
other cases on that day, only one,
that Of John Pisani. win remain on
the court docket. Four other men
who were in the group Of 10 arrest
ed following the local raids have
received continuances In city court
and no indication has been made
what the disposition win be In those
cases.
Assistant States Attorney Walter
w. smyth assisted the prosecution
Of the gambling cases and Sergeant
Thomas =. Laden, acting county de-
tective. served as investigator. The
raids which resulted In the arrest
and agTalgnment Of the gamblers
were conducted by state and local
police.
Disposition Of the sentences OF the
four men who pleaded guilty today
was put OFF because Of the illness
OF theler counsel. Attorney Edward
Mascolo. The juFlst instructed At
torney stephen Elliott. who appeared
for Mr. Maacolo. 10 file Q formal
notice withdrawing the motion en-
court jurisdiction.