Illegal wagers
stir isle violenceThe rise of gambling halls
causes more fights over providing
security, a lawyer says
A former U.S. Organized Crime Strike Force attorney, who helped prosecute one of Hawaii's most notorious crime syndicates, said he is not surprised that the fight to provide protection at the state's gambling houses has become so heated and public.
"Every so often, they do want people to know they're willing to do whatever, and they have the muscle to do it," said Michael Sterrett, who helped put former crime leader Wilford K. "Nappy" Pulawa away in the 1970s for income tax violations.
"Sometimes it really backfires. Sometimes it doesn't."
Sources close to the investigation of a fatal shooting at Pali Golf Course on Wednesday have told the Star-Bulletin that the display of violence was the result of a turf war between two factions vying to provide security at underground gambling clubs around the state.
Sterrett, who has also prosecuted a number of gambling cases in Manhattan and San Francisco, said providing protection at gambling halls becomes more important as the illegal operations grow.
"Pretty soon, you're getting relatively low-level people who have larger and larger sums of cash," he said. "Bad guys know that. Rather than take a chance on betting, they just rob the guy."
In 1975, Sterrett helped secure a then-record 24-year sentence for Pulawa, who was convicted on three counts of tax evasion and filing false returns. Pulawa had never reported any income from his years-long gambling enterprise, which took in an estimated $1 million annually.
"If a guy's making a million bucks a year off of his illegal gambling operation and then buys the corner clothing store, suddenly the whole scheme begins to become very dirty," Sterrett said. "You never know who's doing what."
He said local, state and federal law enforcement agencies will likely be looking at every aspect of the shooting to determine why it occurred and possibly trace it to a few high-level gambling house organizers.
The shooting occurred in the course's parking lot just before 1:15 p.m. Wednesday and continued into the clubhouse area and onto the fairway near the first hole. Police have said between 13 and 18 rounds were fired from two handguns, which have not been recovered.
Lepo Utu Taliese and Lawrence "Romilius" Corpuz were fatally shot. Taliese's brother, Tino Sao, was also shot.
Police homicide Lt. Bill Kato said yesterday that Sao was "not so serious" at the Queen's Medical Center, but could not confirm he had been upgraded from critical to serious condition.
Murder charges in the case were filed Friday against Rodney V. Joseph, of Waianae, and Ethan Motta, of Hilo. Kato said yesterday that neither Joseph nor Motta is talking to police.
Sources have said the shooting was one of several violent confrontations in a turf war. One occurred July 30, when police say 29-year-old Solomona Nakagawa and 33-year-old Robert Holi Kaialau III entered a Young Street gambling house and severely beat two security guards.
Nakagawa and Kaialau were charged with multiple counts of assault, and Sao is scheduled to testify Feb. 9 against the two, according to Jim Fulton, spokesman for the city prosecutor's office.
Meanwhile, the search for a third suspect in the golf course shooting continued yesterday as police received a number of tips, none of which panned out, Kato said.
As of last night, 33-year-old Kevin A. "Pancho" Gonsalves was still on the loose. Police have said Gonsalves frequents Waianae, may be armed and should be considered dangerous.
Some Waianae residents were concerned about the possibility of having a "dangerous" fugitive in their area.
"I have a senior in high school," said Alvin Awo, a member of the Waianae Neighborhood Board for the past 10 years. "I keep telling her, 'You never go out alone.'"
Awo said he has seen an increased police presence in Waianae since officials announced Gonsalves could be in the neighborhood, and has heard concerns from several residents about the possibility he is hiding in the community.
Anyone with information on the shooting or on Gonsalves' whereabouts is asked to call the police Criminal Investigation Division at 529-3115 or CrimeStoppers at 955-8300.