Opinion ID: 2379131
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the ziccardi case

Text: These defendants were indicted on charges similar to those in the Benny case but with respect to the general election held November 3, 1953 and the primary elections held April 21, 1953 and April 20, 1954. At the opening of their trial it was stipulated that they did in fact vote in the Borough of Avalon on the dates specified. The defendants are husband and wife. Prior to their marriage in Maple Shade, New Jersey, in 1942, both were residents of New Jersey. Michael Ziccardi says that back in 1924 my parents moved from Philadelphia to Maple Shade when I was seven years old and I lived in Maple Shade with my parents until I became married to my wife Lillian. In 1941 Michael's father turned over to him a small grocery store business located at 2701 East Cambria Street in Philadelphia. The building in which the store is located is owned by Michael's father. The photograph and description in evidence shows it to be a three-story brick building; the grocery store occupies the ground floor and there are living quarters on the second floor and bedrooms on the third floor. The exact time when the defendants took up continuous residence at the Philadelphia house is not clear. But from 1951 on there seems to be no conflict in the record. A representative of the Philadelphia Electric Company testified that electric service had been supplied to the East Cambria Street address upon the application of the defendant, Michael Ziccardi, continuously since 1944. There was similar testimony from a representative of the Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania. An employee of the Philadelphia Gas Works stated that cooking gas had been furnished to the East Cambria Street building upon Michael Ziccardi's application since 1951. A representative of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Motor Vehicles testified that the records of her department showed that both defendants had applied for and received Pennsylvania operator's licenses for the years 1952, 1953 and 1954 and that Pennsylvania registrations for a Ford coupe automobile owned by Michael A. Ziccardi had been issued for the same years. The residence of the defendants listed on all their applications was 2701 East Cambria Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Lillian Ziccardi was born and raised in this State. For many years her father owned a house in Avalon on the ocean front in addition to a residence elsewhere. During the hurricane of 1944 the Avalon house was pushed off its foundation blocks by force of the storm and thereafter was moved to its present location on the corner of 61st Street and Second Avenue in Avalon. It is this house that she now owns, having acquired it in 1950 by reason of her father's death and through purchase of her sister's interest. It is a bungalow or cottage type, frame dwelling, of the kind usually found in that area. It has electricity, but no telephone, and is presently heated by gas installed within the past three years. Prior to that time the heating requirements were satisfied by kerosene burners. A neighbor of the defendants, who resides the year around in Avalon related that during the winter months she did not see the defendants living there, although they did come down occasionally, and that they boarded up their house after the summer season. She stated that the Ziccardis' stay at the Avalon house during the summer was more or less continuous except for such time as they rented the house to others. A representative of the Atlantic City Electric Company testified that it supplied electric service to the defendants at the Avalon house since 1950 and that during the years 1952 and 1953 the company received written requests, in the form of letters from Mrs. Ziccardi, to discontinue the service in the fall of those years. The request dated November 26, 1952 specifically states I do not use the cottage during the winter months. The tax collector and treasurer of the Borough of Avalon testified that the records of his office showed that tax bills covering Mrs. Ziccardi's property, which were usually issued in January and June of each year, were mailed to her at 2701 East Cambria Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was not sure whether the bills were sent there during the past three years, 1952, 1953 and 1954, but if not there they were sent to the previous address shown on the records  6218 Charles Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He said that occasionally the bills were picked up at his office but he had no specific recollection as to when. The postmaster at Avalon testified that there is no house to house delivery in that town and that people receiving mail there had to come to the post office for it. If they had post office boxes it was put in them, and if not it was held in general delivery. In the summertime there were three employees other than himself to handle the volume of mail, but in the winter there was only one other. He recalled that the Ziccardis rarely received any mail there other than utility bills. Lillian Ziccardi testified on her own behalf that she would stay in Avalon from March or April until November in each year, but that during the years 1952, 1953 and 1954, inclusive, she rented the house during July. She also stated that during the winter months she would come only to check on the house. She admitted living at the Philadelphia address on a continuous basis, at least from 1951, and when she voted in Avalon at the general election in 1953 and at the primary in 1954, she came directly from Philadelphia to vote and returned immediately thereafter. She also testified that when she became 21 years of age her father told her that it was time to vote and took her down to register; that she voted for the first time in Avalon and has been voting there ever since. It never occurred to her that she had no right to vote in Avalon, and no one ever questioned it until she was challenged in April, 1953. Mrs. Ziccardi voted in the two elections following that challenge. She stated that she always regarded Avalon as her home and Philadelphia only as a place of business. Michael Ziccardi testified on his own behalf along the same general lines as his wife, including that their son has been regularly attending parochial school in Philadelphia for about four years. He admitted that he filed his net profits tax returns with the City of Philadelphia and indicated thereon that he was a resident. He admitted filing their federal income tax returns in Philadelphia. His explanation for obtaining his motor vehicle registrations and operator's licenses in Pennsylvania is that he uses his car in his business and the licenses are cheaper and more convenient to get in Pennsylvania. Motions for judgment of acquittal made at the end of the State's case and at the end of the entire case were denied. The jury returned a verdict of guilty and the defendants were fined $500 each.