about it, and then in that way they will be able to come up with some kind of an answer. They may come up with a negative one; possibly they will. Senator DANIEL. Have you, in your experience with drug addicts, ever seen any that you thought would be better off by maintaining them in their addiction by continuing to give them the drugs? Mr. TERRANOVA. Well, I have talked to several oldtimers that we might have arrested on forging scripts and were outside painters, where they felt as long as they had it, they kept a day's work up. These fellows had been using them 40 years. Of course, we shouldn't do that with the younger element, positively not. Our weak point, as the Commissioner said, is our aftercare treatment here, no matter what treatment, even our local or our Government-if you take these youngsters and kids and send them back to the same neighborhoods and the same environment, it is inevitable what is going to happen to them, because they are weak people, and weak children, and it is just on a dare or association, and they start and become addicted, and then they get so bad they want to get off it and, perhaps, if they want to, and after 4 or 5 months at Lexington, Ky., they can stop it if they want to stop it. Ninety percent of all such things are I mean 97 percent of all such things we know there is no such thing as a cure-but 97 percent of all these people, if they want to stay off it, it is willingness themselves to stay away from it, and if you haven't got that willingness, there is nothing that you or I or any doctor or hospital can do anything about. But if we can take them and send them some place else, which is, of course, another budgetary question, whether we could do something like we did years ago with the kids, send them on out to do something worthwhile, get them out in the country, perhaps it is a little farfetched, I suppose-if we could get them away from it, that would be fine. I have just one small tiny case in evidence as proof of that. Of course, it is only one isolated case. We had a Catholic Brother come to us, a boy that was using narcotics, just started. He had not really become addicted, just about joy-popping and a user. They took him away from the family, and finally sent him to Jersey. His family caught up with him and he came on back home. Well, the environment was mother and sisters prostitutes, and father in jail for breaking into a safe; and the grandfather was an alcoholic; that was the environment of the boy. Finally they took the boy and sent him on upstate. Today the boy is upstate, doing very well, got a little bit of a bank account, and doesn't want to come back to New York at all. As I say, that is only one little isolated case; that is all it is. Senator DANIEL. Well, it may not be such a farfetched recommendation, because from what has been before this committee, it would seem to be pretty reasonable, a pretty reasonable recommendation, that these addicts ought to be gotten out of the environment in which they would return to it, or be likely to return to the drugs. Mr. TERRANOVA. You go back into the neighborhood; naturally they are of an economic level where they just cannot move too far out of 71515 56-pt. 5-23 their neighborhood. They get closed in in there, and the same people and same crowd. They are not going to be squares, as they call them, not going to be chicken, so they go right back on the stuff, or to associate with the old boys and girls again, they have got to do it. One particular kid we had in the Bronx, after staying there a while with these people coming up there to make a score-I was talking to some of them, 21-, 22-year-olds, and I asked them why they didn't go down to Lexington, and they said, "What for? And come right back here again?" That was their answer. Senator DANIEL. Well, Inspector, we are certainly familiar with your long experience in this, and if you have any other suggestionscommission-if any of you have any other suggestions to give the committee as we pursue our work during the rest of this year, we would certainly appreciate hearing from you. We thank you for your cooperation with us. Mr. KENNEDY. We are very happy to do it, Senator. Senator DANIEL. Salvatore Santoro. Do you solemnly swear the testimony you are about to give to this subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? Mr. SANTORO. I do. TESTIMONY OF SALVATORE SANTORO, LEONIA, N. J. Senator DANIEL. You may be seated. Will you give your full name! Mr. SANTORO. Salvatore Santoro, 132 Longview Avenue, Leonia, N. J. Senator DANIEL. That is S-a-l-v-a-t-o-r-e Mr. SANTORO. That is correct. Mr. SANTORO. That is correct. Senator DANIEL. New Jersey. Are you the same Salvatore Santoro who entered a plea of guilty in a narcotics case in 1942? Mr. SANTORO. I refuse to answer Senator DANIEL. In Tucson, Ariz. Mr. SANTORO. I refuse to answer any questions on the grounds that may tend to incriminate or degrade me; that is, from here on in, Senator. Senator DANIEL. How is that? Mr. SANTORO. That is from here on in, I invoke the fifth amendment. Senator DANIEL. You mean you are going to refuse to answer all questions that might be asked, regardless of what they are? Mr. SANTORO. Yes, sir. Senator DANIEL. You mean even if we ask you a question as to whether or not you are married? Mr. SANTORO. Yes, sir. Senator DANIEL. You would claim the fifth amendment to that? Mr. SANTORO. I claim the fifth amendment from here on in. Senator DANIEL. Without hearing the questions. Do you have legal counsel here with you? Mr. SANTORO. No, sir. Senator DANIEL. Do you intend to claim the fifth amendment, regardless of what we ask you; is that correct? Mr. SANTORO. Yes, sir. Senator DANIEL. Whether you think it might tend to incriminate you or not? Mr. SANTORO. Yes, sir. Senator DANIEL. I just want to say to you that I think you would be in contempt of the committee if you do that. We certainly have the right to do it. Mr. SANTORO. You, the doctor. Senator DANIEL. Well, I say you certainly have the right to do it on anything that you think honestly might tend to incriminate you, but if you are going to take the attitude of doing it on all question, regardless of whether you think they might tend to incriminate you, it is my judgment that you would be in contempt of the committee. Mr. SANTORO. All right, give me the questions. Senator DANIEL. And I just wanted to warn you of that for your own good. Mr. SANTORO. All right. Senator DANIEL. Are you also known as Tom Mix? Mr. SANTORO. I refuse to answer the questions on the ground it might incriminate me. Senator DANIEL. Do you know Joe Vento? Mr. SANTORO. I refuse to answer the questions on the ground it might tend to incriminate me. Senator DANIEL. Were you convicted along with Joe Vento in 1952? Mr. SANTORO. I refuse to answer Senator DANIEL. On a narcotics charge? Mr. SANTORO. I refuse to answer on the grounds it might tend to incriminate or degrade me. Senator DANIEL. Have you ever pleaded guilty on a narcotics charge, violation of the narcotics law? Mr. SANTORO. I refuse to answer on the grounds that it might tend to incriminate and degrade me. Senator DANIEL. On the same basis that we decided a moment ago that that could not tend to incriminate you, to show that you were or had been convicted or had pleaded guilty on a previous charge, I am going to instruct you to answer that question. Mr. SANTORO. I refuse to answer on the grounds that it might tend to incriminate or degrade me. Senator DANIEL. You understand that if we are correct in instructing you to answer, regardless of your claim of the fifth amendment, if we are correct in that, we are entitled to have the answer on that question, that you may be held to be in contempt of this committee? Mr. SANTORO. Yes, sir. Senator DANIEL. And in spite of that warning and having been cautioned and having been asked the question again, you still refuse? Mr. SANTORO. I refuse to answer. Senator DANIEL. To answer on the ground, that it might tend to incriminate you? Mr. SANTORO. Or degrade me. Senator DANIEL. Well now, this committee does not recognize the last part, so you can leave that off, "or degrade you." Mr. SANTORO. All right, sir. Senator DANIEL. But on the ground that it might tend to incriminate you, the committee will, of course, respect your right under the fifth amendment to refuse to answer some of these questions. Do you know John Ormento? Mr. SANTORO. I refuse to answer on the ground that it might tend to incriminate me. Senator DANIEL. What business are you now engaged in? Mr. SANTORO. I refuse to answer on the ground that it might tend to incriminate me. Senator DANIEL. Are you engaged in a business of selling heroin? Mr. SANTORO. I refuse to answer on the ground that it might tend to incriminate me. Senator DANIEL. Are you engaged in the business of selling other narcotic drugs? Mr. SANTORO. I refuse to answer on the grounds it might tend to incriminate me. Senator DANIEL. You feel that by telling this committee as to what business you are engaged in you might incriminate yourself? Mr. SANTORO. I refuse to answer on the grounds it might tend to incriminate or degrade me. Senator DANIEL. Do you know Lucky Luciano? Mr. SANTORO. I refuse to answer on the ground it might tend to incriminate me. Senator DANIEL. Have you been engaged with him in any type of activity whatever? Mr. SANTORO. I refuse to answer on the ground it might tend to incriminate me. Senator DANIEL. I believe that is all; you are excused. Joseph Bendinelli. You do solemnly swear the testimony you are about to give to this subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee will be the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth, so help you God? Mr. BENDINELLI. Yes. TESTIMONY OF JOSEPH BENDINELLI, MALVERN, LONG ISLAND Senator DANIEL. Will you state your full name? Mr. BENDINELLI. Joseph B-e-n-d-i-n-e-l-l-i. Senator DANIEL. And your address? Mr. BENDINELLI. 1441 10th Avenue, Malvern, Long Island. Mr. BENDINELLI. I plead the fifth amendment. Senator DANIEL. Sir? Mr. BENDINELLI. I plead the fifth amendment on everything. Senator DANIEL. You mean you refuse to testify as to your age on the ground it might tend to incriminate you? Mr. BENDINELLI. That is right. Mr. GASQUE. Mr. Bendinelli, in order that this committee may be absolutely certain that it is within its legal rights in asking these questions, and that there is a legal foundation laid, I would like to make this comment: That this committee will respect your rights of the fifth amendment as to any questions that might tend to incriminate you. Senator DANIEL. That could tend to incriminate you. Mr. GASQUE. Or that could tend to incriminate you; but that on any question where there is no conceivable means that it might or could tend to incriminate you, then the Senator, the chairman, orders you to answer that question. If you fail to answer it, you may be held in contempt of the Senate of the United States. Mr. BENDINELLI. Yes. Senator DANIEL. You understand that, sir? Mr. BENDINELLI. Yes. Mr. GASQUE. With that in mind Mr. BENDINELLI. You want to ask me a question? Mr. GASQUE. We should appreciate it if you would weigh the questions carefully in your mind to determine whether it would incriminate you or would tend to incriminate you. Mr. BENDINELLI. All right. Senator DANIEL. All right. What is your age? Mr. BENDINELLI. I refuse to answer on the ground it might incriminate me. Senator DANIEL. Now, in view of the caution that has been given you by counsel for this committee, and because of the fact that the committee is not of the opinion that that could, under any circumstances, tend to incriminate you, I hereby order you to answer the question. Mr. BENDINELLI. What I am going to say? I am going to refuse to answer on the ground it might incriminate me. Senator DANIEL. You still refuse to answer, in spite of the fact that you have been ordered to do so, after the caution that has been given to you that you might be held in contempt of this committee if you claim the right under the fifth amendment on questions which, under no circumstances, could possibly tend to incriminate you, you still refuse to answer? Mr. BENDINELLI. I refuse to answer any questions that might incriminate me. Senator DANIEL. Well, you refuse to answer the question as to your age? Mr. BENDINELLI. I refuse to answer the question, that it might incriminate me. Senator DANIEL. Because it might incriminate you? Mr. BENDINELLI. The fifth amendment on these things. Senator DANIEL. Where were you born? Mr. BENDINELLI. I refuse to answer that question. It would tend to incriminate me. Senator DANIEL. The chairman orders you to answer that question. Mr. BENDINELLI. I refuse to answer any questions that might incriminate me. |