Legal maneuvering marks mob trial opening By BARBARA KATELL courtroom and outside the door leading "Cose Nostra." arguments on the issue, the total But yesterday, Imbriani warned he to Imbriani's chambers. The defendants, also face various challenges for the defense could climb to would not allow the trial to drag He FREEHOLD - The underworld con- But the only defendant to put in an other charges including murder, armed 10 and loM for the state. estimated its length at no more than spiracy trial finally moved to the county appearance, AngeJo "Carmen" Sica, sat robbery, extortion, i——•***•§ and Imbriani will also have to decide three or tfour moatfad. He said the Uail ewrthoeaa, here, yesterday And the in the spectator section of the coartroom working tor a lottery. whether be will question potential jurors would be beard five days a week (instead only thingi missing were the defendants, during the morning nnlwi. Than on the Tbt jury, which will number it least individually or in fruit of other potential of the usual four), and he said if the trial the jury and witnesses. advice of his attorney, he went home, It, will not begin to be picked until jurors. And be and the attorneys will began to get bogged down, he would hold Superior Court Judge Michael 1m- leaving the spectator section empty ex- Monday from a pool of 450 potential have to agree on what questions each sessions on Saturdays and until I p.m. brianl spent his first day on the bench In cept for newspaper reporters and an jurors. One of the decisions Imbrlanl potential juror will be asked about any each night, if necessary. Monmouth County hearing tnoUou and occasional lawyer with a few minutes to wiU make later this week is how many knowledge or bias already acquired by Tomorrow, Imbriani will determine argmmenU from the attorneys represen- spare who dropped In to bear the legal challenges to potential jurors each de- reading the newspapers. whether to sever from the trial one of arguments. ting the six defendants. fense attorney and the deputy attorney Jury selection is expected to take the defendants, Louis "Killer Louie" The small coartroom on the second There will be no court session on the general will be allowed. several days, and the trial itself had Ferrari of Long Branch. Last week Fer- floor of the courthouse that has Been" trial today. But by tomorrow, some of According to calculations of Deputy orginally been estimated as lasting three rari's physician testified that his patient assigned to the case was crowded with the missing - the defendant* - will also Attorney General G. Michael Brown, to six months. The attorneys and Im- has such a serious heart ailment be six defense tables and two tables for the be In the courtroom where the state will who Is leading the state's case, the briani have estimated there may be as might drop dead at any time if he is prosecutors from the office of the state try to prove for the first time the ex- minimum number of i hsllaagas will be many as 300 potential witnesses and 77 forced to stand trial now. attorney general. Security guards were istence of a nationwide underworld con- *0 for the defense and U for the state transcripts of wiretaps and tape record- Ferrari is now a patient at Monmouth positioned In the corridor outside the spiracy called "This Thing of Ours," or And if the defense attorneys win their ings as evidence in the trial. See Mob trial, page 4 Judge Michael lmbriaai The Daily Register l*»i& VOL. 102 NO. 210 SHREWSBURY, N.J. TUESDAY, MARCH 4,1980 20 CENTS Peskoe is cleared for judgeship By ROBIN GOLDSTEIN extra time to review the nomination and confer with the governor on some other pend- The county Democratic leadership has ing appointments. cleared the way for the Domination of "Senatorial courtesy" gives s senator Byrne casino bill Florence Peskoe, Colts Neck, to a Monmouth from the home county and political party of County judgeship, according to state Sen. the nominee the option of blocking a nomina- Eugene J. Bedell, D-Monmoutb and Mid- tion when It comes before the Senate for dlesex. "The Peskoe nomination is now confirmation. cleared and ready to go," Bedell said. The Peskoe nomination had also come faces long review And, with the go-ahead on that nomination under some question following reports that secured, Gov. Brendan T. Byrne agreed to the Monmouth County Bar Association had TRENTON (AP) - GOT. Brendan T one has ever Improperly Influenced any sign a bill sponsored by Sen. S. Thomas voted against recommending Peskoe for the Byrne's bill to revamp the Casino Control decision made by the Casino Control Com- GagUano, R-Monmouth, creating two new judgeship, apparently because her 11 years In Commission won't be rushed through s mission," Lordi said. judgeships in the county Juvenile and the legal profession had been spent in ad- legislative committee But Attorney General John Dagnan Domestic Relations court. ministrative, research, and teaching work, After a public bearing on the bill said the commission should be overhauled According to county Republican rather than as a practicing lawyer in a yesterday, Assemblyman Richard J. from Its current makeup of a full-time Chairman Benjamin Danekln, one of those courtroom. Codey. D-Essex, chairman of the As- chairman and four part-time positions to a judgeships is expected to go to James M. But a favorable consideration of Peskoe's sembly State Government Committee, five-member, full-time board. "Chippy" Coleman Jr., a former county appointment would indicate that the state said he Is not sure whan the committee Dagnan said the development pace of prosecutor. Peskoe, who is now deputy ad- Bar Association bad voted in favor of the will vote on the measure casinos in Atlantic City has rendered the ministrative director of the state court nomination. "I have no ijsaifllnns. no schedules," current commission "hopelessly over- system, had been singled out as a leading Bedell said yesterday that be believed said Codey, an opponent of the measure. burdened and underequipped" to meet de- contender for the Juvenile and Domestic that Fiorino and the governor had resolved During the hearing, Casino Control mands of licensing gaming applicants. Relations Court judgeship vacated by Judge whatever differences had been standing In Chairman Joseph P. Lordl defended the Lordi said the Independence of the Leo Weinstein when be retired last October. the way of Peskoe'i nomination. current gaming panel, tainted by allega- gaming board could be "seriously TESTIFYING — New Jersey Attorney General But the nomination was stalled when Fiorino last night declined comment on tions of influence-peddling arising from eroded" if the current body is abolished John Desman, right, and Daniel O'Hern, left, of Red Bedell indicated that be would use senatorial whether the Peskoe nomination had been the FBI'i Abscsm probe of official corrup- He said it would be better to make the Bank, counsel to governor, testify yesterday before courtesy to block the appointment when it cleared and what other appointments might tion current panel full-time. the Assembly Government hearings on a proposal came before the Senate for confirmation have been agreed to by the governor. "I want to emphasis* right now that no See Careful, page 1 casino reform bill. Bedell had earlier said that he considered The Democratic chairman said, however, Peskoe, 49, an "excellent choice" for the that he expected to release a statement "In a judgeship. He later explained that he planned few days" on the matter. to use senatorial courtesy to block the ap- Bedell said be was ready to vote to con- pointment at the behest of Democratic Coun- firm Peskoe's nomination when it conies Beadleston Bedell's ty Chairman John Fiorino, who wanted the See Peskoe, page 4 casino post choice Kennedy hoping By ROBIN GOLDSTEIN reelection in 1(77, might be lured back Former State Sen. Alfred N. into public life by the challenge of having a Beadlaston, a Runuon Republican, Is De- hand In guiding the budding Atlantic City mocratic Sen. Eugene J. Bedell's choice casino Industry. for the revamped Casino Control Com- Whether that's so, however, remained for win at home mission. unknown last night — Beadleston is out of Bedell yesterday sent s telegram to town for the week and could not be reached BOSTON (AP) - Massachusetts De- final days before the voting. "We're going to Gov Brendan T. Byrne supporting bis ef- for comment. mocrats voted today in a presidential surprise some people," be said. forts to make the casino regulatory board The state Assembly committee which primary which Sen. Edward M. Kennedy — Kennedy, a 10-point loser to Carter In New a full-time body and recommending that is pondering the governor's proposed re- on home ground — said be would win over Hampshire, was in the hands of his own Beadleston be appointed to one of the five forms to the casino commission held its President Carter. George Bush and a re- constituents in a primary he bad to win. full-time slots. first public hearing on the measures only INTERESTED ONLOOKERS — New Jersey surgent Ronald Reagan competed for top "I'm confident I will win," he said on elec- Beadleston, 67, has been out of public yesterday, and Byrne's request that the Casino Control Commissioners, from left, Albert spot in a ci uwded Republican field. tion eve in the state that has four times office since his retirement in January 1971, commission's new make-up be changed Merck, Alice Corsev, Prospero DeBona and The first polls opened shortly after sun- elected him to the Senate.