United States v. Cioffi

• Decision Date: 01 April 1957
• Docket Number: No. 249,Docket 24428.,249
• Citation: 242 F.2d 473
• Parties: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Joseph CIOFFI, Defendant-Appellant.
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — Second Circuit

242 F.2d 473 (1957)

UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Joseph CIOFFI, Defendant-Appellant.

No. 249, Docket 24428.

United States Court of Appeals Second Circuit.

Argued February 5, 1957.

Decided April 1, 1957.

James J. Hanrahan, New York City, for defendant-appellant.

George C. Mantzoros, Asst. U. S. Atty., S. D. N. Y., New York City (Paul W. Williams, U. S. Atty., New York City, on the brief), for plaintiff-appellee.

Before CLARK, Chief Judge, MEDINA, Circuit Judge, and SMITH, District Judge.

CLARK, Chief Judge.

This is an appeal from a judgment of conviction after verdict of a jury for dealing in narcotics and conspiring to violate the narcotics laws. The principal claims on appeal concern an alleged variance between the indictment and the proof submitted to the jury; an asserted error in the charge; and a failure to declare a mistrial because a coconspirator and prosecution witness, in answer to a question by the court, stated that he had pleaded guilty.

The single appellant, Cioffi, was indicted, together with Moscatelli and Jackson, in a three-count indictment alleging (1) that Cioffi and Jackson dealt in narcotics on May 5, 1956; (2) that Cioffi and Moscatelli committed a similar offense June 9, 1956; and (3) that the three men "and others to the Grand Jury unknown" conspired to violate various federal narcotics laws from May 5, 1956, until the date the indictment was filed, June 27, 1956. The other defendants having pleaded guilty, only Cioffi stood trial. The first count was dismissed; he was found guilty and sentenced to $1,000 fine and four years' imprisonment on the second count; on the third count he was found guilty and given a four-year sentence, to run concurrently.

1. The Facts. Two separate sales of heroin were proved, on May 5 and on June 8. On the case for the prosecution Jackson was a leading figure in obtaining the heroin on May 5, the purchaser being a government agent. When told by the agent that heroin was wanted, Jackson made a telephone call to La Pupps Bar. After making the call Jackson told the would-be purchaser when to meet him and how much money to bring. The purchaser was taken by Jackson to La Pupps, where Cioffi greeted Jackson and called him into the rear of the bar. A few minutes later Jackson reappeared, joined the agent, and took him to a near-by building where Jackson obtained a package containing heroin which he gave to the agent.

On June 8-9 Jackson, recently arrested, was again instrumental in obtaining heroin for a government agent pretending to be a purchaser. Jackson again called La Pupps and spoke to Cioffi, who told him to come to the bar the next day. When Jackson complied he was greeted by Cioffi, who led him into an adjoining dining room. Jackson was seen by the government agent to be seated in the dining room with Moscatelli, who was heard to tell Jackson that everything would be the same as before and that he, Moscatelli, was handling things for Cioffi. Moscatelli asked Jackson if he had the money, and Jackson handed over $1,500 in marked bills. Then Moscatelli instructed Jackson to go to a near-by building at 11:00 that evening.

During the conversation Jackson requested Moscatelli to ask Cioffi for $50 so that he could pay the rent. Moscatelli offered $50 from the roll of marked money, but Jackson advised him to leave that money intact and get the $50 from Cioffi. At that point the telephone rang. Moscatelli answered it and then went to the doorway and called Cioffi. As Moscatelli and Cioffi met in the doorway the roll of $1,500 changed hands and Cioffi answered the phone.

After the phone call Moscatelli and Cioffi walked into the barroom, and when Moscatelli returned a few minutes later he gave some money to Jackson. At 11:00 that evening the government agent and Jackson went to the designated building where they met Moscatelli, who told them where the heroin was hidden in a package under a radiator.

When the agent returned from the building with the heroin Moscatelli and Jackson were arguing about $200 Jackson claimed Moscatelli and Cioffi owed him for getting the customer. Moscatelli replied that he should not worry about his money; Cioffi was not at the bar, but the money would be left there Sunday.

Later, when Cioffi was arrested, the arresting officers found in his wallet a bill identified as one of the marked roll handed to Moscatelli by Jackson.

2. Variance. Upon the facts just stated the sole proof that Moscatelli was a member of the conspiracy prior to June 8 is his statement, overheard by a government agent, that everything would be the same as before and that he was handling things for Cioffi. This could mean either that he had handled things before or that he was a recent addition to the conspiracy. Under the circumstances this was too slim a reed on which to pin a finding that the conspiracy included Moscatelli prior to June 8, but it does support a finding that Moscatelli was aware of the prior business operations of the conspiracy which he joined. It is clear that Jackson was arrested and left the conspiracy before the date when Moscatelli was shown to have joined it. Consequently there is no date on which the evidence is sufficiently substantial to show that all three men were simultaneously conspirators.

The jury could have found, however, that Cioffi and persons unknown were peddling heroin at La Pupps Bar on May 5 and June 9; that Jackson was part of the business operation until his arrest; and that Moscatelli was part of the same operation immediately after Jackson's arrest with knowledge of the prior dealings of the conspiracy. Note, Federal Treatment of Multiple Conspiracies, 57 Col.L.Rev. 387, 388-393 (1957). While some personnel changed, it continued to be the same conspiracy engaged in the same trade at the same stand in the same way. The variance thus consists of the fact that Moscatelli was not proved to be in the conspiracy until the day after Jackson dropped out. There is no claim in the appellant's brief that this slight variance prejudiced him in the preparation of his case or at trial. The trial judge was careful to charge that Jackson's post-arrest statements were not proof against the defendant and there were no statements made by Moscatelli before June 8. The jury did not receive evidence that would have been inadmissible under a more accurate indictment, nor was the defendant tried for...