Murder trial defendant ready to represent self

Friday, June 14, 2002 | 9:59 a.m.

A former New Yorker who will be representing himself during his murder trial next week promised a district judge Thursday that he wouldn't appeal a conviction to the Nevada Supreme Court on grounds that he had a bad lawyer.

Anthony Cuccia Jr. also told District Judge Jeffrey Sobel not to worry if the jury later sentenced him to 40 years to life.

"I can do it, don't worry, your honor," Cuccia, 60, said, claiming he'd live to 100.

"Don't worry about me, your honor," he said. "You'll be sitting on my next case."

Cuccia turned down Sobel's offer to postpone the trial for six months to better prepare his defense. He said he wasn't worried about the case or about jury selection Monday morning.

"One person is as good as another," Cuccia said. "If I don't like the way one looks, I say goodbye."

Cuccia is accused of shooting New Yorker Philip Greenspan to death on Feb. 7, 2000, inside the sports book at the Stardust, in front of several patrons.

Sobel reluctantly told Cuccia he could represent himself in May, just weeks after a panel of doctors found him competent to stand trial. Sobel kept defense attorney Jay "Chip" Siegel on the case as stand-by counsel.

Siegel told the court he "was on a need-to-know-basis" in aiding Cuccia's defense. Cuccia said he will argue self-defense, claiming that Greenspan was a mob hit man ordered to kill him because he, too, was a former mob hit man. Cuccia fired his public defenders because they wanted to tell jurors he is delusional.

Sobel dismissed several motions filed by Cuccia Thursday, including requests for transcripts and a motion to dismiss his charges.

Cuccia asked Sobel to dismiss the case against him, claiming his former defense attorneys, prosecutors and the judge conspired to delay the trial.

"These motions disturb me," Sobel said. "What they show me is that you are eager to help yourself but you don't understand the law."

Cuccia also asked Sobel to produce a letter he wrote to the judge in October 2001 that said he was innocent but would plead guilty to the murder charge on the condition that he be sent to fight in Afghanistan.

In the motion, Cuccia wrote that Sobel sent a distorted version of the letter to the media that was "extremely prejudiced and damaging to this defendant."

Sobel dismissed the motion. He said he sent nothing to the media but made the letter part of the clerk's file.

Sobel did approve Cuccia's request that the state pay for his ex-wife of 20 years to travel here from Florida as a witness in his defense.

"She knew who I stood with years ago," Cuccia told the judge. "She might have even known Philip (Greenspan), I don't know."

Cuccia was referring to his reputed former Mafia connections. In a 52-page voluntary statement, Cuccia told police that Greenspan worked with Nick Corazzo, an alleged associate of late mob boss John Gotti.

Cuccia also asked for a federal investigation of the district attorney's office in April after he claimed a friend warned him prosecutors had ties to the Gambino crime family. Police have not been able to substantiate any of his claims."