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THURSDAY. JANUARY 17, 1963
Di Tardo Won't Accept Release
From San Quentin Prison Cell
By WEBSTER K. NOLAN
Unittd Preii Inlerneiional
San Quentin, Calif. - (UPD -in
(he annals of crime and
punishment, Tony di Tardo
ranks as a maverick.
The aging convict, who
celebrated his 88th birthday
Thursday by blowing out the
candles on his prison-baked
cake and puffing contentedly
on a big cigar, flatly refuses
to leave San Quentin Stale
Penitentiary.
Us enough to make any
other convict weep with dis
belief, but that's the way
Tony wanU it. And that's the
way it has to be, because Call
fornla law ays no prisoner
can be paroled against his
will.
Tony was sent to prison for
murdering his wife. That was
in 1920. In 1D4S, the state
adult authority offered him
his freedom.
Praters Prison
But Tony pulled the sur-
prise prison reverse - play of
the year with this "thanks-
but-no" reply: . -
"When I leave here, it will
be fect first."
To prove that fie means
what he says, Tony has re-
fused parole on eight other
occasions. The adult author
ity doesn't even bother to
offer him his liberty anymore.
Tony tolls reporters fre
quently that he won't leave
the "Big House" becar.se he is
too old and too comfortable.
For the past three years he
has occupied a private room
in the prison hospital and,
within that limited area, he
does pretty much as he
pleases. '
"A good pair of boots," he
smiles, "and a good heart and
a home like this is all that a
man can want. I stay here,
come hell or high water. This
place has everything to give
me a good life." '
Born in Italy
Tony di Tardo's "good life"
began In 1875 In Cappuccio,
Italy. He migrated to Buffalo,
N.Y., In 1002 and came to
San Francisco as an iron
foundry worker two years
later.
At the age of 45, the proud
lather ot three children, he
nhot his pregnant wife to
death.
During the trial, Tony con
tended that he had been
drinking and that somebody
slipped something into his
wine. He said he didn't know
what he was doing. But the
court sentenced him to death
by hanging.
The sentence was later
commuted to life In prison
and Tony began his long,
lonely residence at San
Quentin, across the bay from
San Francisco.
The short, stocky Italian
was assigned the tasks of cell
tender and supply distributor.
He performed his chores -maintaining
the cell blocks
and assisting the guards on
Jiffy Toe-Toasters
I
3
Elderly Warned
Against Schemes
To Filch Money
Washington - OIPD - Chief
Postal Inspector H. B. Mon-
taguc has warned elderly
citizens that all manner of
crooks arc out to filch their
money with schemes ranging
from land fraud to fake youth
nostrums.
Montague testified before a
special Senate committee on
aging which is conducting
hearings on frauds and quack
ery atfccling older persons.
lie said mail fraud is on
the increase and "experience
has shown that certain
schemes . have particular ap
peal to elderly citizens, many
of whom have been victimized
by these promotions."
524 Convictions
There were 524 convictions
for mail fraud during 10112,
an increase of 21.6 per cent
over the previous year, Mon
tague said. Federal Investiga
tors have adopted new tech'
niqucs to catch these "white
collar bandits" but they are
still at work in large numbers
bilking the public of millions
of dollurs every year, he said
Montague listed these
frauds as having particular
appeal to the elderly:
Advance fee rtu'kel: Own
ers of small businesses are in
duced to soli property to se
cure loans they never receive.
Vending machine schemes
Swindlers offer part-time em
ployment for persons wanting
in supplement family income.
The victim is Induced to buy
the machine that brings him
no money in return.
Sewing machine promo
lions: Housewives arc talked
into buying machines at ex
cessive cost to make money at
home making garments.
Worthless Lots Sold
Land frauds: Retired per
sons are sold worthless lots
, as far away as Brazil through
beautifully illustrated bro
chures sent through the mail.
Medical frauds: Elderly
persons arc sold nostrums ad
vertised to restore youth.
Dr. Ronald W. Lamont
Havers, national medical di
rector for the Arthritic and
Rheumatism Foundation, told
the committee Tuesday that
arthritic sufferers are con
stantly subjected to fake gud
KCt.i and medicines adver
tised as a cure.
"The publication of hooks
mid magazine articles (report
ing alleged rules) is one ot
the greatest frauds being per
petrated on the American
public today," he said.
Surprise the "bare-foot"
set with slippers that are fun
to wear - snug-fitting, too.
Jiffy knit slippers, each
flat piece plus ribbed cuff.
Felt, beads turn pompons into
pets. Pattern 7466: directions,
sizes 4-6; 7-0; 10-12.
THIRTY - FIVE CENTS
(coin;)) for this pattern add
10 cents for each pattern for
lsl-class mailing. Send to
Alice Brooks, care of Mod-
lord Mail Tribune, Needle-
cratt Dept., P.O. Box 163, Old
Chelsea Station, New York
11, N.Y. Print plainly NAME,
ADDRESS, PATTERN NUMBER.
1963's Biggest Needlccraft
Show stars smocked accesso
ries - It's our new Needle-
crafv Catalog! Plus over 200
frcsh-to-you designs to knit,
crochet, sew, weave, embroi
der, quilt. Plus free pattern.
Send 25 cents now!
their rounds, for 34 years.
He became a trusted Inmate
- so much so that he was
even allowed to keep the key
to his own cell.
Lilians to Opera
Tony's pleasures In life
were the occasional visits
from his family and the soli
tary moments in his cell when
he listened to Italian operas
and waltzes on his antiquated
Victrola.
After a few years passed,
the family visits ceased. As
Tony remembers it: "Children
stop coming long time ago.
Brother stop sending me
money in 1047. Maybe he's
dead now. I don't know why
they no come.
"I don't give a damn."
But the while-thatched con
vict with the crusty manner
still enjoys listening to his
Caruso records, even though
his opera house is a drably-
painted Infirmary and his
companions are professional
attendants.
"Why for I wanna go out?"
he once asked. "I intend to
live to 100 and I'll celebrate
that birthday here to. I just
wanna sit here in my rocking
chair. I'll stay here until the
Big Boss calls me.
"When St. Peter tells me,
Come on Tony,' I go quick.
Grange News
Phoenix Grange
The recent meeting of Phoe
nix Grange opened with Mas
ter Lioyd Whiteside presiding.
Among guests was State
Overseer Roscoe Roberts, who
was escorted to the master s
station. Other guests were
from Ft. Klamath Grange.
Mervin Hixon reported that
milk producers will be unable
to stand much more reduc
tion in prices. He also told of
a chemical for root crops that
should be applied between
March 10 and 20.
Charles Hockersmith said
many Oregon counties rated
high in farm products with
pears getting the credit for
Jackson county, The pear de
cline situation of Washington
and California was reported
by Charles Johnson.
During the insurance re
port, Roberts noted the re
quirements necessary to quali
fy for Grange insurances. .
A letter from the Grange
Insurance association was
read regarding returned re
fund checks for lack of proper 1
addresses or other causes.
Resolutions read were those
concerning subordinate
Grange members receiving
the Pomona degree at the
state convention; the amend
ment to the school reorganiza
tion law and the resolution re
lating to Phoenix - Talent
schools.
A county conference will
be held at Central Point
Grange at 8 p.m. Wednesday
Jan. 30.
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