Italian insult doesn’t excuse murder
An appeals court in San Francisco yesterday upheld the murder conviction of a Sicilian immigrant who asked that the charge be lessened because his Italian American victim had called him a “cornuto,” which means “cuckold” and has homosexual connotations.
A lawyer for Giacomo Bonadonna asked the court to lower the charge to manslaughter, arguing that the shooting death of Roberto Lucarini should be taken in its “cultural context.”
An expert in Sicilian history testified about the implications of Lucarini’s insults.
Because of his background, the defense lawyer argued, the words would have roused Bonadonna to such an irrational anger that his crime was no worse than manslaughter.
In agreeing with the prior conviction, the appeals court said perception of an insult may depend on cultural context, but the appropriateness of the defendant’s reaction is judged by “a purely objective standard without reference to peculiarities of culture.”
June 29: A blazing engine and a section of wing tore loose from an airliner taking off from San Francisco airport yesterday, but the plane landed at Travis airport without injury to the 153 persons aboard.
Charles H. Kimes, the captain of Pan American’s Flight 843, reported simply that “heavy vibration” had developed in the outer engine on the right wing after takeoff, and that the engine and part of the wing — perhaps 18 feet by 6 feet — tore off.
The burning engine smashed a hole in the roof, slashed through a doorway and bounded into a lot between ColWel and Drexler’s Kosher Sausage and Meat Products next door.
The first installment is a mere matter of $4,692,500,000 the last Congress authorized for construction of new warships, airplanes of destruction and the people of San Francisco will learn today just how they are going to foot the bill.
For, if you smoke a cigarette, drink beer, wine or whisky, drive an automobile, play cards or go to the theater, you will pay increased taxes.
Just before Miss Ina Coolbrith was crowned with the laurel wreath of supreme excellence in California letters yesterday afternoon before the International Congress of Authors and Journalists, Professor Dalam Armes of the University of California aimed several derogatory statements at the literary output of writers of the Golden State who at present are popular.
“The old free-hearted devil-may-care California is passing away rapidly,” declared Professor Armes, and with it is passing the old literature of Mark Twain, Bret Harte, Ina Coolbrith, Joaquin Miller and others of the golden era.
Since 1890 the Londons and Athertons and Norrises have entered the field with different subjects and styles.