ThUflbDAlf, APRIL 6, 1981
.. Home - wra - a man in a
priest's robes entered a bank,
pulled a submachine gun from
-under, his cassock "and said:
"This- is a ..holdup Don't
.jnove." .' ..a'Vv.i ; , : .
.'. It happened Aug. 20, 1959,
in the north Italian village of
Bevilacqua. The .'ho Id u p,
which netted the phony priest
and an accomplice $747 in
cash and $9,600 in checks,
. was but one of the many in
stances in which Italian crim
inals have disguised them-
serves as priests ornuns. , -'
In a country where Roman
Catholic priests are numerous
... and respected - and where
Criminals Pose As Priests While Executing Some Criminal Acts
they have a-sometimes exag
gerated reputation for influ
ence and power - 'clerical
robes have often proved van
ideal disguise-for thieves, con
men and .other '. small-time
crooks. V - - . . .'. ' ., .! ' ;
The disguise is so effective
that, even he police used it
once, but stopped immediate
ly following outraged shouts
of protest in parliament.
Fal Priest - ... ,
Two crimes by people pos
ing as clerics were reported
in a single day during Febru
ary in different areas of
northern Italy. In Verona
province, a false priest with
a French accent toured the
countryside by taxi and asked
parish priests to contribute
money for "secret charity."
At least three priests were
swindled out of sums ranging
from $8 to $16 each. .
Police said, they thought
the man was an old acquaint
ance who had been posing as
a priest since 1958, when he
swindled a cloth merchant in
a Venice suburb.. ; . ;
The same day,, the 'good
natured owner of a milk bar
in Monza near Milan allowed
two "nuns" fatigued from
alms-collecting to rest and ea
a bite at his place.
&norriy alter iney leit, Dar sam tney saw the two nuns
owner Carlo Mariani found walk quickly around the cor-
that his wife's handbag with ner, board a motorcycle and
$800 worth of Jewelry had roar out of town. - :.
vanished.- Passers - by later That, of course, was small-
Sams 'Valley Pupils Tour Mail Tribune
Pupils of the fifth and sixth'
grades at Sams Valley school
toured the Mail Tribune de
partments early this week
with their instructor,' Niles
Smith. ) ,i.. . . :, ,.
Making the tour 'were Jim
my Bruton, Monty Burreson,
Sue Dessert, Laurel - Miller,
Orrin Frederick, Charles
Mose, Timmy Pleasant, Steve
Jannusch, Joyce McCollum,
Beverly Brown, Diana Crane,
Michael Croston, Jimmy Deck
er, Delia . Fitzgerald, Larry
Fry, Sandy Jacobson, Daniel
Nelson, Mike Shope and Lou
Ann Berkheimer.
! A 1 s o'' accompanying the
group were Mr. and Mrs. Ven
son Hunt and Mrs. G. S. Fry.
time compared with the $10
468 earned at a single stroke
by Romualdo de Fonzo, alias
"Msgr. Mariano de Ceva," be
fore he was arrested in Rome
a few years ago.
Dl Fonzo, then 36, pulled
his elaborate confidence game
on Ma reel lo Luconi, a clothes
merchant in the town of Pra
to, ' to whom he identified
himself as an assistant to
Msgr. Ferdinando BaldeUi,
president of the Pontifical Re
lief Organization (POA).
, An accomplice contacted
Luconi and told him POA
had just been donated large
quantities of coffee and pep
per for distribution to the
poor. POA, he said, wanted to
sell the pepper and coffee to
finance distribution of spa
ghetti, i
Luconi was interested and
"Msgr. de Ceva" sold him the
non-existent coffee and Den-
Iper. .
The fraud was one of many
in which self - appointed
"priests" claimed influence
in big business or politics. In
a country where the clergy's
influence is in fact consider
able - and magnified beyond
reality by popular imagina
tion - most of the con men
found people ready to believe
them.
The one known case of po
lice using a priestly disguise
happened in Rome in 1959,
when Domenico Nonazzani
called a friar to confess his
sins and was handcuffed by
the "confessor."
The phony friar was a mem
ber of the national police
who had chosen the disguise
to shadow Nonazzani, known
as a religious maniac. Nonaz
zani was wanted on a warrant
for insulting a magistate who
once sent him to an insane
asylum.
The "friar" arrested Nonaz
zani without hearing his confession.
; JIENNIEY
Penney's BIGGEST BARGAINS-,
in Belter than Half a Century!
. Year 'Round Famous
DAN RIVER Woven Plaid
SPORT SHIRTS
MEN! Fabulous
Wash V Wear Cotton
OA .v
famous the country over
for extra long wear .
Penney's Townclad
MILEAGE
MAKER
SUITS
No idle boast, this! These , suits of
- sturdy :14-ounce worsted have, been
100 approved by Penney's own
hard-to-please laboratory!- Our' .tests
establish beyond a doubt thatyou get-
, twice the strength and resistance to
abrasion you would normally expectl ;
Stylings great, too! Choose - from :
smart - patterns, weaves; get distinc
tive .3-button tailoring! .
Terrific
Anniversary
j Special!
I66
SLACK
BUY!
' Mr : reaulars. CP" P" I
s$4 ihorts' ,ona OD !
I Jr H II No idle boa t, thi ' These suits of t
;
j I , y !-. Spring
2
pair
For
2 Bias Pockets!
Permanent Collar Stays!
Pearlized Buttons!
Wash 'n' Wearl
Machine
Washable!
Sanforized!
Compare ;
These Features!
The; very latest from Dan-River in new spring woven cot- ,
ton- plaids! Penney's brings you- heap big value! Dan River
cotton plaids ... . . more colorful than an Indian chief's head
dress! Wash 'n wear wonders, too, need little or no ironing! ,
All Penney tailored with permanent collar stays, 2 pockets.
Men's sizes small, medium, large. : . . v
mrnmrnmsmsz
COMBED AND CARDED
BEDFORD CORDS!
Repeat of a Terrific Sellout! Now Select
from 500 Pairs!
Men, stock up -now on cool, washable cotton
slacks for all summer long . . . These are all :
perfectly tailored ... all are "American Made"
built to Penney's own rigid specifications ... .
select several pairs in your size. Fine 9-wale
Bedford cotton cords, combed and carded qual
ity cottons, all in your own favorite tailored .
style. Wash V wear finish. Buy them for lei
sure, casual wear, sportswear, and for work,
but buy them NOW and SAVE!
models:
CONTINENTAL Beltless trouser,
concealed elastic side adjustments,
i pockets, 18 bottoms cuffed.
: UNIVERSITY GRAD Plain front, separate belt
' .loop waistband, tapered legs, conservative cut,
18" cuffed bottoms, - -
colors:
Oyster -fan; willow green.
and new dusky blue!
sizes:
29 to 42 cuffed. Inseam 29 to 34. No chargo
for cuff alterations! .-' ..
MEN'S STORE PENNEY'S STREET FLOOR
plain front
sat in back
charcoaf grey, black
Boys' Sizes
Ages 6 to 18
2 pair $4
r
RICH WOOL and WOOL BLEND
SPORT COATS
Anniversary
Special! .--
Penney's - Big " Anniversary Sport
Coat Buy can't be beat for casual
comfort, good looks, fashion tailor-
! Color has a big punch this
olive tones, burnished ' " ';
browns, subtle greys are all top performers ;;
in new-look checks and handsome plaids.
All 3-button naturals with minimum pad
ding, center vent . . . every detail, j,
BOLD STRIPES SPARK
NEW BOATNECK POLOS
With New Sleeve Pocket
New
V Sleevel
Style extras! Penney's surface interest knits j
are on of the greatest values we've seen.
All quality combed cottons featuring new
look novelty necklines, J4 length sleeves
with pocket and pointed tails. -
Boys' sizes-6 to 18 1.98
men's siies small, medium, large i , j ,
y ..... - m
SAVE! COTTON ' , '
CHAMBRAY S
WORK SHIRTS'
Sanforized standard m
weight chambray With fti
long r stay - put tails, m
shape retentive lined
collars.. Full comfort m
cut-. : .. . ., ; : ; -1
men's sizes v . .
14 to 17 ' I n
r
Penney's
SANFORIZED
COTTON DENIM
BIB OVERALLS
Union made denims
tailored for tough
wear. Get triple needle
stitching, roomy Dock
ets and square cut
back.
men s sizes
32 to 50
329
Sturdy 6-Inch
WORK
SHOES
Anniversary
Priced!
Sizes '
6V4 -1 1
. EE- ' '
Brown Color!
One of the best buys in town
. without reservation.
Penney's work shoes
.. have elk finished
c 0 w h 1 de up
pers, p e rspira
1 1 0 n resistant
leather insoles,
steel shanks for
support. S a n I
tiied. too!
Check the low
price!
Scout the Town! Just Try to beat Penney's Low
Anniversary Price for
COTTON TWILL MATCHED SETS
4
Where, but ot Penney's, con you enoy such special iqv
Incji? Shirt and pants are full cut over Penney's own
graduated pattern! for action-free fill All are Sanfor
ized8," vat dyedl, Choose from khaki or silver flieyl ,
Shirt, sizes 14 to 171.75 Pants, sizes 29 to 42 .2.25
J. C. Penney
Observe 59th Year
With 'Pow-Wow'
The J. C. Penney company
will observe its 5Bth anniver
sary April 7 to 22 with a na
tionwide "pow-wow" to mark
the founding of the company
in Kemmerer, Wyo., in 1902.
Local employees will join
Penney workers throughout
the country in recreating the
"cigar-tore Indian" era '. of
earlier days.
The merchant symbol of the
past was selected as the anni
versary's theme to recall the
period from 1850 to 1890. Dec
orations and memorabilia
from bygone days will be used
in the store during the cele
bration, according to Med
ford Manager Ray F. Baker.
He said the store would wel
come any suggestions or dis
plays to help recreate this
colorful period in American
history.
Founder of Company
The founder of the com
pany, James Cash Penney, was
born in Hamilton,. Mo., in
1875. In 1902 he founded the
J. C. Penney company, -Inc.,
and served as president until
1917. He was chairman of the
board from 1917 to 1958,-and
is presently serving as a di
rector, at the age of 85. '
, A recent book, "View from
the Ninth Decade " is the fifth
autobiographical work he has
written, in collaboration with
other writers.
This year's anniversary
symbol, the "Indus American
us Woodensis," or the cigar
store Indian, is said to have
originated in England and
was first displayed on - the
counter of a London apothe
cary shop in 1617.
The Indian, attired in a kilt
of tobacco leaves, was used to
advertise tobacco introduced
to England by Sir Walter
Raleigh. It is believed to have
first been displayed In Amer
ica in Boston in 1730.,
COMPLETE
Inmates Star on
Television at
las Vegas Jail
Las Vegas, Nev.-HIPD-Asplr-ing
actors take note: One way
to get on . television is to be
arrested in Las Vegas by a
deputy sheriff.: ;
' But your audience on CCJ
TV (Clark County Jail) will
be limited, and Aunt 'Cecilia
back, in Indiana will not be
able to catch the debut. -v
The circuit is closed, and
1 your only critic will be 'an
officer looking in from the
officj of the jail. -
Six cameras in the' multl-milllon-dallor
Clark -County -Court
House are hidden be?'
hind prison-proof glass. Lo
cated Jn strategic positions,
they permit one deputy to
maintain effective., surveil
lance over the three-story jail
wing. . . . :
The officer can sit in the
remote office and Watch six
monitor screens each chan
neled to one of the cameras
recording prison activity.
' Two "cameras are located
on the third floor. Each is
trained on a corridor on
which cellblocks face. Any "
person leaving a cell will im
mediately come into view, on
one of the . screens. , ; ' ,
Two more cameras are on
the second floor to cover the
dlnirig hail' and infirmary. On
the ground floor, there is a
rear door leading to a sub
terranean garage. Through
this door . all prisoners , are
admitted lor booking.
One camera on the ground -floor
watches garage activity
immediately outside the steel
door. The remaining camera
is mounted. Inside the door. .
An organized jail break
with outside assistance would
be seen by officers before the
participants even reached the
only outside door to the, jail.
An' inside job would be spot
ted just as quickly.
CCJ-TV installed a year
ago at a cost of $36,000-wlll
more than pay for itself in
wages saved. One man can
now perform the work of six.
The network is not without
sound.
Sound Available
, A master control board at
the jailer's fingertips can add
audio to the . picture on his
screen. There are 20 hidden
microphones in the jail and
a deputy can, with a flick of
a switch, cut In a mike m a
specific area to monitor con
versation. 1 - c
There also is an inter-alarm
system. ' . ': ' . .
Buttons, some in secret lo
cations, others plainly -marked
In red on corridor walls,
are only a few steps away
from any location in the cell
block, in case a deputy finds
himself in trouble.
When a button Is pushed,
an alarm rings in the jail
office and a sign flashes .on
the wall showing the location
of the disturbance. V
The microphones are two
way so that deputies ) can
carry on a conversation with
t command post in the of
fice. 1