Daily News from New York, New York • 469

CO weirs hrlbfaaSL By BOB KAPPSTATTER Caught unawares by the sale of Martins department store to a private developer, Alexander's department store indicted yesterday it has just about given up the idea of locating on Fulton Street rah two Jim Mooney Daily News Marcello Coluzzi, 7, from Rome, at St. Francis Hospital, Roslyn, L.I., after open heart surgery. With him are his parents Mr and Mrs. Mariano Coluzzi. Rotaiy.

opens heart for siek children The department store chain had hoped to lease a new facility on the Martin's site from Rentar Development which had been inactive negotiation with Martin's owners. That fell through early this week when private developer Richard Carroll announced he has purchased the site for a reported $3.5 million. "It may have blown the whole project out of the water," said Robin Farkas in charge of real estate operations for Alexander's. 'Even more difficult" "If it were difficult before, this makes it even more difficult" Martin's closed its doors last May, citing declining sales in its quality-oriented merchandise operation on Fulton St A short while later, Rentar reported a "handshake agreement" with Times Square Stores, owners of Martin's, to buy the store, demolish it and erect a store for Alexander's. The agreement was based on Rentar meeting a purchase and construction price that would have made a feasible rental rate for Alexander's.

Farkas said he had already talked with Carroll, a private developer who already owns two buildings on Fulton St Carroll said at the time of purchase that he intends to renovate the present six-story building into separate stores, each with its own outside street entrance. 'Is there a deal' Farkas said that in his conversation with Carroll he asked "is there a deal that's makeable?" "I also said, 'you sure have complicated everybody's life, Mr. Carroll." Asked what Carroll's response was, Farkas said "I won't repeat it" Farkas indicated there were no other sites that Alexander's was strongly interested in along Fulton St "We sort of had an eye on downtown Brooklyn for quite a while, so I guess we've looked at everything you can look at Location is important "With a department store, or any retail entity, location is a large part of the battle. You can be on the wrong side of the street, you can be on the wrong quadrant of an intersection." He indicated that available urban renewal property at the Flatbush Ave. end of the street had been looked at, but rejected.

Nab 2 boys in By THOMAS RAFTERY Two youths seized in dawn raids at their homes yesterday have been charged with the murder of a 66-year-old Bay Ridge liquor store proprietor, said 11th flomicide Zone detectives. The youths, David Garcia, 16, of 250 57th St and Pedro Vasquez, 18, of 272 55th St, both Sunset Park, additionally were charged with attempted robbery and criminal possession of a automatic, said Detective Bill McGroar-ty. Police said two. youths had walked into the Liquor Store at 7618 Fifth Ave. on July 20 at 1 p.m., after making sure that the proprietor, Nicholas Lipsky, was 4 -r'Thfr-two' announced-s stickup.

The' in muggings By THOMAS PUGH Two Brooklyn youths, who police say have admitted to at least 25 previous pocketbook thefts in the Ridgewood-Glendale area, were arrested early yesterday following a foot-and-auto chase by police as-- signed to the thefts. For the past two months the Glen-dale precinct has been plagued with a rash of early momrning attacks on elderly women by two and three men who knocked them down and ran off with their pocketbooks. Precinct Captain Thomas Moehring ordered two police teams to work special shifts in a 10-block area that had been hit the hardest Arrested and charged with grand larceny, possession of burglars tools, robbery, possession of stolen property, reckless endangerment and resisting arrest were William Ernest of 2181 Strauss and Berry Hollis, Jr. 19. of 79 Waverly Place, both Brooklyn.

The pair struck twice early yesterday, first taking a pocketbook from Philame-na Tortora, 65, of Ridgewood. Then, a few minutesls later they grabbed a pocketbook from the Alice Lehmann, 56. Both women were approached from the rear, knocked to the ground and robbed of their purses. Team effort It was while questioning Lehmann that the cop teams spotted Ernest and Hollis driving by in a stolen auto. The chase was on.

Hollis, who leaped from the car, was picked up by officers Al Cafferatta and Sal Conigliaro near Forest Ave. and Linden St, Ridgewood. where the first attack took place. Officers James Desters, Peter Falkenhausen and Sgt John Guit-tari joined the chase which led for five miles through Glendale and Ridgewood streets. Ernest then fled the car on foot and chase continued on foot through back yards and railroad freight yards 5 until they caught him at 77th and 79th Place, Glendale.

store Icillin; old man, who was hard of hearing, apparently attempted to grab the phone. He was shot to death by a single bullet i which first pierced his hand before lodg- ing in bis heart The youths fled empty handed, leav- cf ing a few hundred dollars behind in the 2 unopened cash register. Detectives said they broke the case after checking with store owners in the area who described two youths who tended to loiter, apparently awaiting criminal opportunities. The suspects are being investigated in connection with up to 15 other store robberies. Lipsky, well known in the area, had worked in bis store for 25 years.

By ALBERT DAY! LA Last Easter little Marcello Coluzzi was playing with his cousin in an empty lot in Rome when, suddenly, he collapsed. "He looked like he died," his father, Mariano Coluzzi, said the other day through an interpreter. "It was his heart," Coluzzi said. "I knew he had a problem with his heart from the day he was born. Ke would have this dark, blueish areas under his eyes." The distraught father rushed the 7-year-old to a hospital where his worst fears were confirmed by a doctor.

"The doctor said he had a congenital heart defect," said Coluzzi, a ca-rabiniere as some Italian police are called. "The doctor said I should take him to America where he could have open heart surgery," Coluzzi said. Fortunately for the carabiniere the Italian doctor, Mario Gentile, was a Rotarian who knew about a program established by 43 Rotary Clubs in Brooklyn, Queens and Nassau County to help 10 children from foreign countries receive heart surgery here. sent us Marcello's record about three months ago," said Frank Regnante, who is chairman of the program and a vice president at St Francis Hospital in Long Island, where the surgery is performed. "We quickly established that the child could be helped and advised Gentile to send us the boy," Regnante said.

"This whole thing was a surprise to me," said Coluzzi, whose interpret- -er, Ben Barbanti, is the president of the Brooklyn Rotary Club. "I never realized that all my problems would Simon Gordon of Guyana rests after surgery be solved in such a way with all the courtesy the Rotarians and the hospital have offered me." In recent months a boy from Guyana and a Polish girl received open heart surgery, thanks to the Rotary program. "It was interesting how we came across the boy from Guyana," said Stanley Zerner, former president of the Brooklyn club. "The boy's aunt, who lives in Brooklyn, read about the program last March in the Daily News," he said. "She told her brother in Guyana about it and he in turn got in touch with the local Rotary club." The boy was flown here last month and underwent successful surgery at St Francis.

He is now reportedly in excellent condition and recovering at the hospital. And this weekend, the 18-year-old Polish -girl will be the guest of honor at a party on Long Island. She has fully recovered. The Rotary's "Gift of Life Programs" is financed by contributions from club members as well as from persons not affiliated with the club who wish to donate money to help the children. One way the Brooklyn and the Verrazano clubs pick up the tab, for instance, is by selling "I Love Brooklyn" buttons from $1 on up.

Other clubs seek direct contfibutions from their club members and friends. Under the program the Rotarians pick up the cost of hospitalization and treatment at St. Francis. Air transportation, meals and hotel accommodation for the child's guardian or parents is usually paid by the Rotary club in the country sponsoring the child. Physicians at St Francis offer their services free.

Jim MoonevDaily News at St Francis Hospital. ffl yj.