Press and Sun-Bulletin from Binghamton, New York • 5

Feb. 27, 1975 PRESS, Binghamton, N.Y. 5-A Scout's HonorS Says Son, hut Dad Loses Case lllSif if By CIRO SCOTTI Eugene L. Piatt had his day in court yesterday but it didn't do much to change his opinion of the criminal justice system. i He might have felt differently if he had been acquitted of the charge against him going through a red light.

Despite what he felt was a vigorous defense including the testimony of his nine-year-old son Piatt was convicted of the traffic infraction and fined $10. LN THE SUNDAY PRESS last week, Piatt, of 32 Del- mar Binghamton, aired his gripes about having to post $100 bail in City Court after he failed to appear for a non-jury trial. He had previously pleaded innocent of a charge of going through a red light. Because he did not appear for the scheduled trial on Jan. 23, the 39-year-old heavy equipment operator was summoned to appear before the court to explain his absence.

Piatt told City Court Judge Robert W. Coutant that he did not appear because the notification of trial he received was not correctly dated. It didn't say what year he was supposed to appear, Piatt told the judge. Coutant set bail at $100 because, he said later, Piatt had intentionally failed to appear. He told Piatt another trial would be held yesterday.

It was. But not before Coutant. "I HAVE NO BIAS on the merits of the case," Coutant told Piatt when he stood before the bench at about 1:20 p.m. yesterday, but the judge said in order that there be no "ap-'pearance" or "suggestion'! of bias, he had asked City Court Judge Matthew J. Vitanza to hear the case.

Piatt, who was accompanied to court by about half a dozen friends, defended himself. The first presecution witness to take the stand was Patrolman William L. Grace who had ticketed Piatt after he allegedly went through a red light at Chenango and Lewis streets on Jan. 2. Grace said he had come to a stop in the westbound lane of Lewis Street when Piatt came from the opposite direction.

Grace said Piatt was about 15 feet from the light when it changed to red. UNDER CROSS-EXAMINATION by Piatt, Grace was asked if he had a quota to fill. "Quota? You mean for tickets?" Grace said. "No Sir." When he took the stand himself, Piatt said the light was amber when he passed through it. He said the pavement was Eugene slippery and "with the safety used good judgment" (in not stopping).

Piatt said he was "abreast of the curbs' on Chenango Street when the light turned amber. He also said the intersection was clear and Grace was the third car from the front, not the first as the patrolman testified. SAW AN AWFUL LOT," Assistant District Attorney Gary L. Sharpe said to Piatt. "So did Mr.

Grace," Piatt answered. Sharp asked Piatt how he knew was parallel to the curbs on Chenango Street when the light turned amber. "I'm pretty well aware of where I am most of the time," Piatt answered. "Now you're telling the court," Sharpe said, in reference to other testimony, "that not only did you look at the light, but you looked both ways to see if any traffic was coming? You looked up, left and right and down at the ground all at once?" "My vision allows me to do that," said Piatt, who had previously testified that he hadn't noticed a car to his right on Chenango Street because it didn't concern him. "YOU HAVE SUPERB VISION, Mr.

Piatt," Sharp said. Piatt then called a witness to the stand who made general observations about red and amber lights. Vitanza told Piatt most of the testimony was irrelevant. Piatt's second witness was his son Gregg, a passenger in his truck when it was stopped. The neatly-dressed, red-haired boy stood looking solemenly up at the high bench be- hind which Vitanza was seated.

"Do you know what an oath is?" Vitanza asked him. "Yes sir," Gregg said. "You understand that you have to tell the truth?" asked the judge. "Yes sir," Gregg said. Then Gregg took the witness stand and his father began asking the questions.

"ARE YOU A MEMBER of the Cub Scouts?" Piatt asked his son. answered. Piatt then had his boy recite the Scout Promise and the Law of the Pack. "Do you go to church regularly?" Piatt asked. "Yes," Gregg answered.

Piatt asked Gregg if he knew what it meant to place 1 one's right hand on the Bible and swear to tell the truth. Gregg said he did. TI Piatt then produced what he identified as his son's own to Bible Gregg said he didn't know his father was bringing it and placed it on the witness stand. "WAS THE LIGHT EVER RED when we traveled through that intersection?" Piatt asked the boy. "No," Gregg said, his hand still resting on the Bible.

Sharp said he had no questions for Gregg. Piatt rested his case. In summation, Sharpe said "Mr. Piatt would have the court believe he looked right and let to observe traffic on Chenango Street" but did not see the car Grace said was 1 stopped at the light to his right. A few moments later, pointing out that red light cases are often "difficult," Vitanza found Piatt guilty.

Later, Piatt said he did not think the prosecution had proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt. He said Vitanza told him after the trial that if he had been represented by a lawyer he probably would have won the case because an attorney would have pursued some points that Piatt missed. Piatt said maybe someday he'll go to law school. Architectural Check Offered Cost Study May Spur Restoring of JC Arch L. Piatt factor involved I feel I the approval of the 'village board and an estimate of the sum to be raised.

COUGHLIN, A former Jaycees president who suggested the idea to the organization; met with the village board and Village Engineer Walter Sleeper to discuss it. Coughlin said the study now in progress will include recommendations about the lighting of the arch whether to restore the old neon lighting or to install lights less easily damaged by vandals. The service organization "very definitely" intends to see the arch restored, Coughlin said. Suggestions for restoration of the arch have been put forward periodically. The last time was in May, when village Trustee Louis P.

Augostini called for community help in such a project. rnWMw--. -www. 'MWiU'ltUj II 00 ly deteriorated arch. Rudy, who is associated with a Vestal architectural firm, is expected to' make a report in about two weeks on the cost of restoring the half-century-old structure.

THE ARCH SPANS Main Street at the Binghamton line. It was built about a half-century ago with money contributed by Endicott Johnson Corp. workers. "Our object is to restore it and try to bring back up to what it was," Mayor Michael R. Savich said today.

Timothy C. Coughlin, a bank executive who represented the Jaycees at a recent meeting, with village officials, said the organization plans a fund drive throughout the village. The group has a specific, idea for raising the funds but needs two things before mak-, ing it public, Coughlin said: Broome County Automobile Dealers Council Tailor Familiar to City, Frank Casella Dies at 92 By BOB DOLAN A bicentennial year project for renovating the Main Street Arch has been moved to a front burner in Johnson City. Sparkplugging the project are the Johnson City Jaycees and the village board. Other community groups also have indicated they will participate.

William P. Rudy of 12 Pearl Ave. has volunteered to do an architectural study of the bad- Robbe ry Just Isn't In Cards A would-be robber, swathed in a red, white and blue scarf, late last night was foiled by plastic money in his attempt to hold up the Royal Coachman Motel, Main Street, West Endicott. Broome County Sheriff's deputies reported a man entered the main lobby of the motel about 11:30 p.m., with his right hand in his pocket as if to conceal a weapon, and told clerk Dorothy Duran: "This is a holdup. Give me all the money in the register." He lost his composure when Mrs.

Duran told him she had no cash and worked only with credit cards, deputies reported. "Well, I guess you've got me this time," Mrs. Duran told deputies the man said. He fled the motel. The robber was described as a white male, about 6 feet tall, heavy built, wearing a khaki parka with fur-lined hood, bleached blue jeans, the scarf and sneakers.

Cyclist Now Listed Fair Sharon 'Meskowitz, the 19-year-old Johnson City woman who was hurt seriously last Friday when she fell from her bicycle, is now listed in fair condition at Wilson Memorial Hospital. Miss Meskowitz, of 88 Thomas had been listed in serious condition since the accident. She spent five days in the hospital's intensive care unit. Vestal police said she was riding her bicycle down the exit ramp from the Vestal-Johnson City Bridge to Old Vestal Road, applied the brakes and was thrown, striking her head and suffering neck injuries. Correction Vestal School Board member Joseph Broderick today clarified a comment attributed to him in yesterday's Press story about a board discussion of a two-year contract for paraprofessionals in the dis-, trict.

He said today he questioned the desirability of setting a precedent for other negotiat-, ing units by offering a 10 per 'cent increase in the second year of the pact, which would be in 1976. He said he did not object to the granting of a 10 per cent increase this year. You can put your confidence in the Automobile Dealer that displays the Code of Ethics Seal of good advertising practice. ethics ByTOMCAWLEY He used to sit in his tiny tailor shop at 126 Chenango Binghamton, the treadle of his sewing machine whirring like a meadowful of grasshoppers, and say of his sons, "They're good boys." At the time, one of Frank Casella's sons was executive vice president of the Radio Corporation of America and was to come home to reorganize the Endicott Johnson a coup that put the ailing industry back on its feet. Another son was making his reputation as a special state attorney general and was to become Broome County's first public defender.

Another was a dentist. Another a college teacher. The four sons and one daughter were there Tuesday night when, at 92, Frank Casella died in the Willow Point Nursing Home. He had come to the United States as a poor immigrant from St. Donato, Ninea, Italy, went back home to serve in the World War I Italian Army for 43 months and then returned to his adopted land permanently in 1920.

Casella was a familiar downtown figure for more What The Code Of Ethics Means To You The Consumer. The recommended standards of practice in the Code of Ethics set forth basic principles in the advertising, selling, rental and leasing of new and used automobiles and trucks. The foundation for these standards lies in the Broome County Automobile Dealers Council "Code of Advertising." FRANK CASEILA at work in shop in 1 960 than 40 years in his small shop, which was a crossroads for thousands of travelers living transiently in the two major hotels nearby. Just before his sons forced him to retire at 79 he was stubborn about it as he unpacked his garden-grown lunch to talk to a reporter and carefully sliced a cucumber and offered a cube to the interviewer he said: "I don't make any more money here, but I've been here 40 years. Press suits, fix clothing for the hotel guests.

I was a tailor when I was 11. 1 can't retire. I can't stay home because me wife won't even let me wash a dish. I'd just have to sit." In the 1920s and 1930s, Casella worked 18 hours a day tailoring clothing, mending it, pressing it to bring up a family of five children, and most of them were able to get to college. Pride beamed from dark eyes as he looked up from his sewing at a question, "How did a poor tailor manage all that?" "Not me," he said.

"I didn't have any such money. Pat, he's the one. He took care of everything." short time in 1973 by radio station WKOP, which is in the fourth floor of the building. The fire damaged a third-floor area. The radio station was off the air for a short time, and Weeks Dickinson received slight damage, mostly from water, in the two-alarm fire.

i Fullam was represented by Public Defender Alan S. Phillips. Broome County Dist. Att. Patrick D.

Monserrate prosecuted the case. in His eldest, Pasquale, had taken a job in the 1930s as a Montgomery Ward floor clerk Binghamton and in 10 years was vice president of the nationwide corporation. He moved to RCA in 1954. The father lost his struggle against retirement in 1961 when he won one concession from Pasquale, from County Defender Louis, from Dr. Anthony, from college professor Francis and from daughter Marie Cheevers.

He said, all right, he'd retire if he could pick his successor as owner of the tailor shop. He had turned down many offers to buy the shop. Dry cleaners wanted the choice location, but the old man either said no or just lapsed into silence. He wanted an Italian boy who would be a tailor and he wanted him brought here and installed in the old shop. The sons found the one in Robert Anzalone.

He matched the qualifications. He was a 25-year-old tailor from Sicily. He flourishes today, in a new location in Binghamton. "I gave it to liim," the old tailor had said, "because he's a fine boy, Italian, and a good tailor. You don't see good tailors any more." His old customers are saying they lost another good tailor Tuesday night.

The Mass of Resurrection will be at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow at St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Binghamton after an earlier service at 8:45 a.m. at the James DeMarco Son Funeral Home, 199 Court Binghamton. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Johnson City.

Besides his sons, all of whm live here, and his daughter, of Endicott, Casella's survivors are his wife, Felice, of Binghamton; two brothers, Luigi Casella of Binghamton and Ralph Casella of Baltimore, and a sister, Mrs. Philomena Artuso of Binghamton. MEMBER DEALERS: WiH not advertise statements which are untrue, misleading, deceptive, fraudulent or disparaging of competitors, or insincere offers to sell. MEMBER. DEALERS: be prepared to substantiate any claims or offers made "Before publication or broadcast and.

upon request, present such substantiation promptly to the advertising medium or the Belter Business Bureau. MEMBER DEALERS: ill advise customers of fads and qualities of a product that will allow a more intelligent choice. MEMBER DEALERS: Pledge not to omit or obscure material facts as to mislead a customer in their advertising. JC Man Guilty of Arson, Gets Up to 3 Years in Jail These standards were developed by The National Automobile Dealers and adopted bv the County Automobile Dealers Council to assist new and used car and truck dealers, advertising media ai Better Business Bureau in its efforts to implement effective gelf-regulation for fair, accurate and tr roome and the truthful advertising and selling Remember When you're ready to deal look for the Seal displayed by member of the Broome County Automobile Dealers Association listed below: practices. Gardner Motors Inc.

Gault Chevrolet Inc. Haick-Skeirik Inc. A 21-year-old Johnson City man has pleaded guilty in Broome County Court to second degree arson and was sentenced to an indeterminate term of up to three years in state prison. Michael Fullam, formerly of 253 Burbank was sentenced this week in connection with the Oct. 27, 1974, fire that damaged the Weeks Dick-sinson building at 34 Chenango Binghamton.

Fullam was employed for a Arrow Ford Inc. Botnick Chevrolet Inc. Jack Corey American Inc Matthews Chrysler Plymouth Inc. Miller Lincoln Mercury Inc. Miller Motor Car Corporation Schumann VanAtta Buick Inc.

Scoville Ford Inc. Jack Sherman Toyota Inc. 1 i uietzscn romiac-Ladillac Inc. Haidinger Ford, Inc. Public Service Chrysler Plymouth Ken Wilson Chevrolet Inc.

Roger Kresge Inc. Ken Wilson Chevrolet Inc..