The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 378

I' THURSDAY, JANUARY I B7 VALLEY NEWS Questioning Grows Heated in Extortion Trial i mmis ADVHRTISKMKNT FIRESTONE Threats: A prosecutor admits he "fired no fatal arrows" during the trial of two men who are charged with mailing hundreds of "pay or die" letters. by "Pfditk I'M BROOKi mtiTONE WMV YOU'RE tNJOYINO area with friends 1 WITH A SOatKINO 1HVUOHT GIV YOURSELF A BREAK ABOUT 0K from Connecticut on Oct. 31, noting the acquaintance told investigators that Faroni left a message that the call was urgent but then "just talked about the weather." "Isn't it a fact that you wore trying to establish a telephonic record of your whereabouts, an independent record with an independent witness?" Cooley demanded. "I don't see why I would do that," Faroni responded. Cooley cited preliminary hearing testimony by Faroni's father, Richard Faroni to attack Faroni's assertion that his father asked him to come home in a phone call a week before the trip.

The elder Faroni did not mention ask ing his son to visit, testifying that the younger Faroni gave no prior warning other than a phone call Oct. 25 announcing he would be arriving in two days for his first visit since May, 1985. The discrepancy shows the trip was intended to provide an out-of-town alibi, Cooley said. Judge Ronald S. Coen questioned Faroni about his possession of two CB radios of the type victims were instructed to purchase in the extortion letters, which demanded millions of dollars.

No money was ever collected. Faroni testified Tuesday that he bought the radios as gifts for family members in Connecticut but forgot to bring them. space technician who faces charges of attempted extortion and conspiracy along with former coworker Roman Makuch. Defense attorney William A. Clark said the prosecution assault backfired when Cooley produced phone company records to counter Faroni's claim that he called his parents frequently.

Faroni responded that he had used a long distance company; Cooley later conceded that investigators had not obtained records for that company. Clark said: "I call that putting yourself out on a limb and getting it hacked off by someone with a chain saw." Cooley's duel with Faroni, who served as an Army communications expert because of his exceptional intelligence and memory, produced the most exciting day of the month-old trial. Cooley hammered away at the account of a trip from Las Vegas to Connecticut, where the defendants spent about 10 days, putting them out of town on Oct. 31, 1988. Prosecutors believe an accomplice mailed the letters that day after Makuch and Faroni had prepared them.

Cooley suggested it was more than coincidence that Faroni called an acquaintance in Los Angeles 'OlVe YOURSELF A PREMIUM By SEBASTIAN ROTEM.A TIMI-S STAI-T WRITER A prosecutor spent throe hours Wednesday grilling one of two men accused of mailing hundreds of extortion letters to prominent Antelope" Valley residents last year, alleging that the defendants made an abrupt trip to the East Coast in order to construct an alibi. At one point during several combative exchanges in San Fernando Superior Court, defendant Richard Faroni appeared to contradict testimony by his father that the defendants gave little advance notice of their trip to Faroni's Connecticut hometown during the period in late 1988 when the letters were mailed. But Deputy Dist. Atty. Stephen L.

Coolcy acknowledged Wednesday that he "fired no fatal arrows" during the cross-examination of Faroni, a former Lancaster aero iw. in LOW AS 1930, low as 2995 Enclosures. Sunrooms I gr. i FRIB IN-HOME ESTIMATES 100 FINANCING AVAILABLE I1CUI Now Available, R-24MalalHoof llCn You Can Walk On II Or Danes On It I WE WILL NOT BE UNDERSOLD! Oaal Direct Wllh Ownar andSAVEl FAMILY LEISURE CENTERS 8822 RESEDA BLVD. Z07, NORTHRIDQE 18181 993-8844 1-800-72-PATIu or 1-800-727-2846 IWW) 1'ifL-nlinitf St l-lukhcr llrcwinn Co.

CuDaDGOcSQ-DD 1 KAMA "SS5S5SV I tiw- X. Rotates the Food So You One Touch Door Latch HI I 0 I III I Ik 1 4 iw lii I 15 Min. Timer No Slick Interior I SSSSm BUILT-INS yvy also Lggl 1 i iNklX NNw mm QZ SHARP MICROWAVE OVEN BSBSSESgl i tfly I I 1 A YD mm CSl'fllll tm I 0 fj fll 11 I aSlata Capacity HA vaaS A I I I WAAItVmBATK I II I mrn MaW 4 A A fill I Modern Maid has cleaned I rl I unuf OMLV I rta Mr i 1 upthedirtiesliobinlhe I Biaiaaaal Biaaaaa I Vaa. 1 ay ay r1 jf JStaaaKHIM kitchen wilh Ihe PHOI03 tW If If ilaaailliBalallaialaaialaaiiBaallatal.a BnHaKaiiS Gas Self Cleaning Wall Vaw. If 11 I I MUtmmaaammmmmmm LtmmJ.

Zlg I Urlrir CAROUSEL II CONVECTION rT ove- nn.i.M.riEi.Arurii. XV. microwave oven l2rT ffivtSjaigk or Griii indoors, year On selected Floor Models I SS. SomeScatched.SomeDented THE ULTIMATE A 1 with the exclusive I Regrigerators, Ranges. Built-ins I 1 1 Iwisp-Air-vemsyster, The Savings Are Fantastic.

COOKING MACHINE I ALL ARE BRAND NEW -pl Model No. PHO 1 03 Model No. PFT193 AkinPADDV nil I Gas Sell Cleaning Wall Oven 36" Downdraft Cartridge ftINU lyftnh I rULL, 1 TwoOversized3.3cu.lt. Sell Cooktop FACTORY WARRANTY 1( II a OVER THE RANGE Cleaning Ovens Exclusive Wisp-Air- Downdrall Vent SysU in fO JVnnAIHI I. II fnmBmmmmm insnnnvB Electronic Timing Center Three Interchangeable i 1 A MICRO HOOD COUBO Gourmet Broiler in Upper and Accessories 1 I XI 1 I Lower Ovens Griddle If' I "SST MAGIC CHEF Fits Ordinary 27" Wall Oven Gas Burners rTTT NOW jfe Cavily Exclusive Easy Dishwasher hi i i 11 Au.

mimmmmmmmmmm ReB" 89 UllLT 0 af I LARGEST DUILT-IN DISPLAY IN THE VALLEY CALORIC 2 BUTTON, 5 CYCLE UNDERCOUNTER DISHWASHER 24" Gas Wall Oven 27' Combination Wall Oven IT aft A I dishwasher or clothes washer Your Choice ONLY 3 it" rf Pots Pans Short Wash Rinse and Hold Soft Food Disposer Energy Saver Reg. $348 SAVE $100'l 12-2299 Clock 4-Hour Timer EACH SelectroTemperature Control Electonic Ignition Lilt-Off Oven Door with Visualile' Window Glide-Oul Broiler Drawer 1.3 Cu. Ft. Microwave Upper Oven with Browning Element and User-Controlled Turntable Self-Cleaning Electric Lower Oven with Electronic Digital ClockTimer SAVE MITSUBISHI 50" STEREO KOh'ITOR RECEIVER Take your choice of a KitchenAid dishwasher or clothes washer for the same low price and get the same outstanding value as well as these KitchenAid performance, durability and quality features. $388 30" Gas Slide-In Range 36" Gas Cooktop Model KUD8220T Built-in Dishwasher ENERGY SAVER DRY Option SURE-SCRUB Multi-Level Washing Triple Filtration and Soil Collector no prerinsing TriDura Porcelain-on-steel tank and Inner door Oak vinyl Brightness: 240 FootLamberts 6-element fl 10 All Glass Lens System (better than part plastic) for sharper, clearer image Dichroic Coating (for superior color reproduction) VS582 I TJtpptn 36" Cooking Surtace with 4 Staggered Burners Sellings for Low, medium and High Heat Energy-Saving Pilotless Ignition Removable Chrome Spillover Bowls Convenient Lift-Up Top ML.

Lid 'N Lock Top LiltOIIDoor Model KA WE450V Clothes Washer Extra capacity for extra-large loads SURE-SCRUB" Clothes Mover Agitator with Double Action Movement QUIET SCRUB" sound reduction system TriDura porcelain-on-steel inner basket SAVE SAVE SAVE Complete Line of Mitsubishi Big Screens on Display Now. SAVE SAVE ma amimmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmimmmmmmmmmm ammmmmmimmimimmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmimwmmmmmmmmmm ammmmimmmimm fflmmmmmmm.