The Palm Beach Post from West Palm Beach, Florida • Page 1

SUNNY, WARM Little or no chance of rain today, with highs staying in the low 80s and lows in the mid-60s to 70. WEATHER, 2A FARMING LAND, SELLING LAND DUDA SONS EXPANDS BUSINESS DAY ONE BILLS, MINERS IN TITLE GAMES OILERS, VIKINGS LOSE SPORTS, 1C WHEN COUPLES GET RECOUPLED DON MELANIE: TAKE 2 ACCENT, IE The Palm Beach Post MONDAY, JANUARY 2, 1989 FINAL EDITION 96 PAGES 25 CENTS ril From mechanic to multimillionaire John Staluppi deals in cars, scraps with Karen Marcus He was accused of stealing five cars, fixing them up and selling them with altered vehicle identification numbers. Staluppi pleaded guilty in 1973 to one count of criminal possession of stolen property and was sentenced to five years of probation. He says now that he didn't know the parts were stolen and that he was coerced into making the plea when he wasn't guilty. One of his attorneys, nationally known trial lawyer F.

Lee Bailey, says he will try to have Staluppi's guilty plea thrown out. Staluppi says the events were so long ago he doesn't remember the day police officers came into his shop and arrested him. His heavy Brooklyn accent takes a defiant tone when he says the incident is irrelevant now. "I'm successful. I came a long way," he says.

Since his conviction 16 years ago, Staluppi has bought and sold dozens of car dealerships, from Albany, N.Y., to Hollywood, Fla. His businesses have included limousine remodeling companies and a corporation called "The Please see STALUPPI 1 OA By CANDY HATCHER and RAY HUARD Palm Beach Post Staff Writers WEST PALM BEACH John Staluppi, the car dealer who gave more money than anyone else to 1988 Palm Beach County election campaigns, is a former mechanic who mustered the money and moxie to build his own limousine when he couldn't find one at the right price. The multimillionaire buys, operates and sells car dealerships in New York and Florida for a living. At last count, he owned 29 dealerships, including sev en in Palm Beach and Martin counties. For fun, Staluppi races snowmobiles, takes his 132-foot yacht for a spin or hops aboard his jet for a bear-hunting expedition in British Columbia.

Automobile industry analysts rate Staluppi among the top 10 dealers in the nation in sales. Business associates say he has a golden touch, a knack for making deals that pay off handsomely. But Staluppi, 41, wasn't always a golden boy. He dropped out of high school after 10th grade. In 1970, when he was 23, Staluppi was arrested while working at his auto body shop.

I ERICA BERGERNewsday John Staluppi shows off 'world's fastest 51 Drown In Rio Ship Sinking 5 winiiers to share 7 million $2 wsm ivi; Cv TJ? yv. iSv 1 sold in Lake Park, 2 in Largo Top 5 Jackpots $55.1 MILLION Sept. 3, Sheelah Ryan of Winter Springs, $35.8 MILLION Sept. 24, Dennis Glover of Temple Terrace. $31.8 MILLION Oct.

22, Ellen Snipes of Indian-town. $28.6 MILLION Dec. 20, the "El Cheapo Breakfast Club," five couples from the Delray Beach Kings Point development. $27 MILLION Dec. 31, a record five winning tickets, including two from the same Largo lottery outlet.

One of the tickets was bought in Lake Park. By MARK JOSA1TIS Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Five winning tickets were purchased for this week's $27 million Lotto jackpot, including one bought in Lake Park, Florida Lottery officials announced Sunday. It was the highest number of winning tickets since the game was introduced in May. Two of the five tickets were sold at the same Largo outlet in Pinellas County near St. Petersburg.

The other tickets were sold in Holly Hill in Volusia County and Ocoee in Orange County. "Now that's what I call starting the year with a bang," said Lottery Secretary Rebecca Paul. "Not just one, but five lucky Lotto players each winning more than $5 million. That's unprecedented in Florida." Sharing tickets is more common. Last month, five couples from the Kings Point development in Delray Beach, who called themselves the "El Cheapo Breakfast Club," bought a winning ticket together and split a $28.6 million.

In October, three Jacksonville men shared a $8.9 million grand prize. An Indiantown woman who won a $31.5 million jackpot Oct. 22 has been sued by her ex-husband who claims he is entitled to half of the money because he bought the THE ASSOCIATED PRESS I Relatives console Wanda da Costa (left), daughter of the missing captain of the Brazilian cruise ship that sank New Year's Eve. Party boat's life jackets were 'down below' people were on board, including 104 passengers. The rest were said to be members of the crew, the kitchen staff and the band.

One survivor, Rosa Delite, said she was alarmed to see how many people were on board. "I asked one of the operators where the life jackets were," she New York Times News Service RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -At least 51 people drowned when a boat carrying party-goers to a New Year's fireworks display along Copacabana Beach sank at the entrance to the bay of Rio de Janeiro a few minutes before midnight Saturday. said. "He said they were down below, and I told him they should be brought up. But they were not.

If he had done so, many lives would have been saved." It was not known how many survivors were picked up by luxu- Please see SHIP13A The 100-foot boat, Bateau Mouche IV, which had a samba band playing on board and tables set for dinner, rolled over and sank in rough waters as it motored out of the bay past Sugar Loaf Mountain. A spokesman for Sol Mar, which operates the boat, said 131 The only other grand prize with multiple tickets was the Lottery's second jackpot giveaway, last June. Winners in Tampa, New Port Richey and Lehigh Acres each turned in Lotto tickets and won $1.35 million each. Please see L0TTERY8A wrmr Channel 25's first broadcast is heralded with a 'hiccup' -4 L3 L-JStl oh By SCOTT MONTGOMERY Palm Beach Post Staff Writer PALM BEACH GARDENS Fifteen minutes before it was to begin its first day of broadcasting, the new ABC-affiliated television station's signal transmitter shut off. It was 7:45 a.m.

Sunday, and a technician had to drive to Martin County to switch the machine to its backup transmitter. "I'm very surprised," said Bob Ware, the station's general manager. "We've been running that transmitter now for a week, and it hasn't so much as hiccuped." The problem proved to be minor, and by 8:15 a.m. tapes were ready to roll, but managers at WPBF chose to wait a little longer. They began broadcasting the Disney movie Amy at 8:30.

Then, the champagne began to flow into coffee mugs with the Channel 25 logo on them. "I feel like I just gave birth," Ware said. He did, with the help of almost 90 people. WPBF began its life in Palm Beach County, the nation's 50th largest viewer market, on New Year's Day. The birth of the station is Please see TELEVISI0N9A Inmate walks to freedom behind deputy The Associated Press DALLAS A county jail inmate who noticed that his cell was unlocked followed an off-duty sheriff's deputy and wandered past two checkpoints to freedom, authorities said.

"Somebody wasn't paying as much attention as he was supposed to," said Assistant Chief Deputy Bob Knowles, detentions commander for the Dallas County Sheriff's Department. But Arthur Tabor, 47, was back in jail early Saturday, a few hours after his disappearance. Police found him at the same address he had given when he was first arresteda homeless shelter. He faced the original charges of disorderly conduct and public intoxication plus a charge of escape and was held in lieu of $1,568 bail. Tabor was arrested Friday and put in a holding cell at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center.

Noticing the cell door was unlatched, Tabor walked out of the cell. Tabor followed the deputy apparently because he was unsure of what he was supposed to do. "They just opened the door and let him walk," said Sgt. Lonnie Franks, release supervisor. "It was like, 'Merry SHERMAN ZENTStaff Photographer WPBF's staff waits in the master control room Sunday before launching the station's programming.

The station went on the air with 'Amy, a Disney movie. Hiccup. Baby Calvin's liver function 'almost normal' Inside DAN MOFFETT 1C 9E COMICS DEARABBY FLA. NEWS DON H0RINE HOROSCOPE 2E 8A IF 9E 7B IB 7E 8E 2C OBITUARIES SUSMAN THEATERS TV LISTINGS TV SPORTS ANN LANDERS 2E Church members and pastors have been visiting the Oliveiras since the family arrived Friday, he said. Carlos Oliveira said he was overwhelmed by the interest shown by Madison.

"It is incredible," he said. "It is helping us make it through each day." Calvin's surgery also has caught the attention of Wisconsin's newspapers and television stations. Please see CALVIN 12A about Calvin overwhelmed the people of Madison with pride and affection. Members of 13 Methodist churches in Madison prayed for Calvin Sunday, said the Rev. Dave Heckenlively, pastor of Calvary United Methodist Church.

Calvin lives in Deerfield Beach with his parents, Carlos and Adriana. "The doctors can take care of Calvin," Heckenlively said. "The parents need someone to take care of them, to." positive, his doctor and his parents said. "His liver function is almost normal," said Dr. Munci Ka-layoglu, 48, who performed the transplants Saturday.

The liver is producing bile and filtering toxins in Calvin's body, he said. Calvin remained in critical but stable condition Sunday night, normal for transplant patients. Out-of-state patients receive transplants at the university's hospital a'(ost weekly. But something By LOIS KAPLAN Palm Beach Post Staff Writer MADISON, Wis. Calvin Oli-veira was uncomfortable but showed no signs Sunday of rejecting his donated liver and small intestine, University of Wisconsin Hospital officials said.

Doctors won't know for at least a week whether 14-month-old Calvin's body will accept the new organs, removed Friday night from a 12-week-old boy who died in Rochester, N.Y. But early signs are DELIVERY of The Palm Beach Post may be later than usual Tuesday to provide complete coverage of late bowl games. Vol. 80 No. 232 1989 The Palm Beach Post TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 837-4663.