SIC Chief Raps Prosecutor
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3 of 7 Regional Budgets Downed SEE STORY BELOW Sff- Windy, Very Cold FINAL Cloudy, windy and very told today. Cloudy, colder tonight. EDITION Cloudy, cold tomorrow. I -asf / TLuvJlOlU/il (Be* DltlUi. P«j. 2), Monmouth County's Home Newspaper tor 92 Years VOL. 93, NO. 151 KKD BANK, N. J., WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, J970 28 PAGES 10 CENTS SIC Chief Raps Prosecutor By JAMES II. RUBIN Keuper indignantly denied that he had any responsibility' In fact, LoBiondo testified, he never filled out a written TRENTON (AP) - The State Investigation Commis- for administering the emergency fund which paid off infor- report in any of his Investigation work and related all his sion called additional witnesses today to support its charges * mants. findings orally to Keuper. LoBiondo denied that he was that the Monmouth County Prosecutor's office lacked a He said that Gawler was supposed to account for ;he hired as a political payoff for working for the Demo- cohesive program for fighting organized crime. money to the Monmouth freeholder Board but that the cratic Party in the shore area. Julius Cayson, a special agent for the commission, and fund was never audited. He said he was fired by Keuper last Sunday because State Police Investigator Lt. Clinton Pagano were scheduled Keuper conceded that he didn't know what happened to the SIC had exposed him as a confidential agent, thereby to testify on the operations of the Monmouth prosecutor's the $58,000, but that he had complete trust in Gawler's rendering him useless for undercover work. Office. ,» competence and integrity. Other witnesses yesterday testified that Gawler was the William F. Hyland, chairman of the SIC, charged yes- He said he signed his name to blank pay vouchers for real power in the prosecutor's office and directed his terday at the conclusion of the first day of public hearings informants which were later filled in by Gawler. The subordinates out of fear and not respect. that Monmouth Prosecutor Vincent P. Keuper could not prosecutor said he had no knowledge who the informants Albert McCormick, who replaced Gawler in December explain what happened to $58,000 allegedly used to pay off were and whether they were paid by Gawler. as chief of county detectives, said that Gawler prohibited Informers. "I don't know where the money went," Keuper said. members of his staff from talking directly with Keuper DRAWN OVER YEARS Gawler committed suicide three days after the SIC and ordered them to withhold all information from investi- Hyland said the money was drawn over the past 10 launched its probe of the Monmouth prosecutor's office gators for the SIC. years from an emergency cash account by John M. Gawler, while investigating organized crime and official corruption McCormick, who worked as a detective in the prosecu- toe chief of county detectives who committed suicide last in Long Branch and the nearby shore area. tor's office for 13 years, said he knew of no staff meeting Oct. 23 shortly after the SIC began looking into the Mon- He killed himself by carbon monoxide poisoning In the ever called by Keuper to map a plan for'fighting organized mouth prosecutor's office. garage of his Atlantic Highlands home less than 24 hours crime in Monmouth. Hyland said the "most important and long range im- after he was subpoenaed to testify before the SIC. Both McCormick and Keuper said they had no direct plication" of the SIC's investigation was that "no one could There has been no official explanation of Gawler's personal knowledge that the Mafia operated in Monmouth. point specifically to a concerted attack on organized crime" suicide. His death is under investigation by the state police. "I'm not sure there is organized crime in Monmouth," In Monmouth. James LoBiondo, who was paid $4,800 a year for the Keuper said. But he said he had heard and read such re- Keuper, the prosecutor in the shore county for the past 12 years as a special confidential investigator to ports in the news media and "we've indicted and convicted" KEY WITNESS — Monmouth County Prosecutor Vin- past 14 years, vigorously defended his record against Keuper, testified that he was unable to recall an instance individuals "who are reputed members of the Mafia." accusations that Monmouth was a home for the Cosa Nostra. in which his work ever led to an indictment. The testimony was believed to be in large part a cent Kaupsr waits fo tastify at a State Investigation "Gentlemen, I think I've done everything I can do," he LoBiondo, a representative of the International Ladies reenactment Of private hearings held by the SIC last sum- Commission h»aring. Kauper'i office is the main sub- told the four-member commission. "I have exhausted every Garment'Workers Union, said he had no formal training as mer and fall. However, Hyland refused to say if the testi- ject of the hearing, the first SIC session to be open. possible investigative means to ferret out organized crime." an investigator and admitted that most of his knowledge of mony went beyond or was not as extensive as that given in Under questioning by the commission and Its attorney, crime came"by reading the papers." private. (AP Wirephoto) Sinatra Loses in Court TRENTON '(AP) — Backed commission, said the court's Kauffman, told the U.S. Su- from consideration of Sina- by a U.S. Supreme Court rul- action meant the commission preme Court that the subpoe- tra's plea. The justice gave ing, the State Investigation was now free to decide if the na against his client was il- no reason, but it may have Commission is free now to case should be referred to a legal and that the commis- been based on the fact his decide if the Frank Sinatra county prosecutor's office. He sion was unconstitutional- son, William J. Brennan III, case should be referred to a said such a determination ly created. is a former New Jersey assis- county prosecutor's office. would be made privately He said Sinatra would be tant attorney general. Last In Washington yesterday, without public announcement, faced with false and mali- year the son made headlines the high court refused 4 to 3 Sinatra's lawyers had con- clous statements purportedly and stirred up a controversy to b&i the arrest of Sinatra tended the SIC would move to connecting him with organ- when he alleged that some for refusing to answer a sub- have the Mercer County ized crime and racketeering New Jersey legislators were poena from the commission, grand jury indict Sinatra for were he to appear. ''too comfortable" with or- which was set up to probe or- contempt. That could; pave Kauffman said the subpoe- ganize'd crime. ganized crime in New Jersey, the way for extradition pro- na was a "fishing expedition" Chief Justice Warren E The SIC subpoenaed the Ceedings to compel Sinatra-to that could cause the star R, » ,„.,:„« ,„,,„ „' New Jersey-born singer last return to New Jersey to an- grave and irreparable injury. „ lr)T,8 r anr™f , I" n "' June while he was on his swer an indictment. He .is The plea was put Monday Harlan> lotter Stewart and yacht off Atlantic Highlands, presently believed to be in to Justice William J. Bren- By™1 R- White voted against The Supreme Court's decision California. • nan Jr., who has supervisory Sinatra. Justices Hugo L. was the latest result in a se- Sinatra's press secretary in authority over judicial pro- Black, William O. Douglas ries of legal moves taken by L 0 Aneeles said the pntpr ^edings in New Jersey. But and Thurgood Marshall said Sinatra's attorneys since the . * * ,. „„ ,,„„'" Brennan turned the matter they were of the opinion "that subpoena was issued. lalIler W0U1Q nave no com over to the seven other jus- ment at " the application should be Andrew Phelan, executive present." tices. granted." Sinatra thus failed director of the four-member Sinatra's lawyer, Bruce W. Brennan excluded himself by one vote. Court Weighs Police Files JUST THE BEGINNING — High temperatures and rain yesterday morning produced this foggy scene irt Keans- By DAVID M. GOLDBERG Matthews ordered the files that violate the Constitution- . But Morris Stern the --which police claim' they burg, similar to scenes throughout the Shore area.. Dropping temperatures changed the rain to sno-w and ice, TRENTON (AP)-The del- alright of the persons on American Civil Liberties oausing harardous driving conditions this morning. (Register Staff Photo by Don LordiI SfSMXS SLSZSZ were New Jersey's highest court. m™m reserved decision ^ ££, W°W court to define the line be- tWnk ll s &hsura t0 < nSt Uutional a d un For more than an hour and ""uurLThe hearine Chief "* ' ^ T, r° 1 " " Freehold Fire Rules Don *t a B> Chle f a half yesterday morning, the . ;, "* , f ™ u the police can't act unless constitutional surveillance. State Supreme Court heard Justice JosePh Weintra«1' they know a crime is about to And he described the files arguments on an appeal by continually defined the issue be committed," he •-'•' • us?d bv tne attorney gener- the State attorney general's as this: Where do you draw uty Attorney General Stephen al's office as "garbage" that office of a decision by Su- the line between information Skillman, adding that hu ue- coul(t seriously jeopardize the A Her Policy, Official Says careers perior Court Judge Robert A. that could help the police lieved they had the right to fd lives of numer- Matthews.