‘Springfield Sam’ takes plea deal

Erica D. Johnson

Thursday, Jan. 9, 2003 | 9:20 a.m.

Moments before his attempted murder trail was expected to begin Wednesday, an elderly reputed mobster accused of shooting up a local car dealership took a deal that will guarantee he spends at least two years in prison.

Samuel "Springfield Sam" Manarite, 84, pleaded guilty to one count of battery with a deadly weapon pursuant to the Alford Plea, which means he does not want to risk going to trial and being convicted on a greater charge.

Manarite entered his plea Wednesday before Chief District Judge Gene Porter, who was sitting in for District Judge Michael Douglas, who was ill.

In exchange for Manarite's plea, prosecutors dropped two counts of attempted murder and burglary charges.

Also as a result of the plea agreement, prosecutors agreed not to report a charge to federal authorities of an ex-felon with a firearm.

That charge alone would have guaranteed Manarite a 25-year federal sentence given his extensive criminal record, said Manarite's attorney, James "Bucky" Buchanan.

Manarite would have faced a two to 10-year sentence for the battery with a deadly weapon charge, but prosecutors agreed to a maximum of eight years as a result of the deal.

Manarite also faces a federal parole violation charge, which carries a maximum 24-month sentence.

Manarite's sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 20. It will be up to Douglas to decide if the sentences will be served concurrently or consecutively.

Buchanan said he took the deal to avoid the federal firearm charges, which would have been filed even if Manarite had been acquitted in District Court.

"I think we could have won this," Buchanan said. "But at his age, a 25-year federal sentence would have been a death sentence."

Manarite, who has a pacemaker, diabetes and other ailments, will receive better medical care in a federal facility, Buchanan said.

On Jan. 16 Buchanan will ask Douglas to release Manarite on his own recognizance so that he can appear in U.S. District Court, Buchanan said.

Deputy District Attorneys Victoria Villegas and Linda Lewis said they could have proven the case, but they considered a deal because of the age and health of the defendant.

"He's 84 years old," Villegas said. "Why waste the taxpayers' time and money going to trial?"

Dino Boggiano and John Pasqualone, the two men at whom Manarite allegedly fired shots at Astro Auto Sales, were prepared to testify, even though the two didn't show up at the preliminary hearing, Lewis said.

"We had met with all our witnesses," Lewis said. "They would have all testified. In fact, they're all waiting for us."

Villegas said she had an additional witness who heard Manarite threaten to kill Boggiano over a car he sold to his son.

But Buchanan said Manarite fired the shots at the two men in self-defense, hitting Boggiano in the wrist. Manarite was shot in the shoulder during the incident.

Buchanan said Manarite had found the gun in the alley and went into the car dealership to give it to Boggiano, who collects guns.

"Dino shot first and my client emptied the gun in self-defense," he said. "There was just no motive for Sam to go in there and shoot up the place."

Buchanan said his client is not a member of organized crime.

He said Manarite was once associated with members of the mob in New York, but he no longer is associated with them.