Two Robbers Point Out Defendant as Mastermind

Two young brothers pointed out Robert (Fat Bobby) Paduano during his preliminary hearing Monday as the man who sent them on several robberies of suspected drug dealers in an effort to expand his own drug operations.

Matthew Tia, 23, and Rodney Tia, 19, both serving prison sentences for a Newport Beach robbery a year ago, testified that they met with Paduano and three others at Amelia’s Seafood & Italian Restaurant in Newport Beach on Jan. 24, 1987, the night before their last robbery.

Rodney Tia testified that Paduano told them: “Well, we’ve got another job for you guys; I’ve given Johnny (Mattua) all the information.”

Paduano, 44, who is reputed to have underworld connections and has been a target of law-enforcement agencies for years, was indicted by the Orange County Grand Jury last month on 73 felony counts of robbery, burglary and extortion.

Extortion Claimed

The Tia brothers’ testimony came on the second day of Paduano’s preliminary hearing before Judge Alan N. McKone in West Orange County Municipal Court in Westminster.

Prosecutors claim that Paduano was the mastermind behind several robberies, primarily in Newport Beach, and that he used the robberies as a way of extorting the victims to work for him selling drugs.

Paduano, who runs an investment firm with offices in Tustin and Newport Beach, was charged in federal court in 1986 with trying to defraud stockholders of a Montana-based firm through illegal stock transfers. But he was acquitted on those charges after a trial in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.

Paduano was also charged with loan sharking in Orange County in 1981, but he was never convicted. He was convicted of arson in 1973 and on a drug-related conspiracy charge in 1977.

Paduano’s 20-year-old son, Anthony, and 18-year-old daughter, Dina, who have been attending their father’s hearing, characterize his accusers as admitted criminals--like the Tia brothers--and a disaffected ex-girlfriend, Deirdre O’Shea, who testified against Paduano in federal court in 1986 and before the grand jury in his current case.

A close friend of Paduano’s, Dino Sogluizzo, disputed the Tia brothers’ account of the Amelia restaurant meeting. Sogluizzo testified that he was there with Paduano, Mattua and another man--just as the Tia brothers said--but that the Tia brothers were not with them and no robbery discussion took place. Sogluizzo tried to take the 5th Amendment when asked about the other participant’s name. When McKone ordered him to testify, Sogluizzo said he knew the man only as Pygmy.

Last week, outside the courtroom, Sogluizzo described himself as a longtime friend of Paduano and said prosecutors had naively fallen for “a pack of lies.” Sogluizzo described his occupation as “a consultant.” Asked what kind of consultant, he said, “just a consultant.”

The Tias claim that the Jan. 24, 1987, meeting led directly to the robbery of Vinnie St. John the next night. The Tias and Johnny Mattua were arrested a short time later. All are now serving seven-year prison sentences for that robbery.

Each of the Tias admitted a separate robbery with Johnny Mattua. Rodney Tia said he and Mattua were responsible for the Jan. 19, 1987, robbery of Eric Mendel, a small-time drug dealer, at his Newport Beach home. But Tia said Paduano later criticized the handling of that robbery because the robbers failed to find Mendel’s secret cocaine cache.

‘You Guys Did a Good Job’

Matthew Tia said he and Mattua were responsible for a robbery at the Marilyn Jean DeFalco home in Fountain Valley a year earlier. Returning from that robbery, they called Paduano, Matthew Tia testified. He said Paduano told them: “You guys did a good job; thanks for the help.”

Matthew Tia said Paduano promised the two brothers a share of the profits from the robberies and promised to take care of them if they got into trouble.

Said Deputy Dist. Atty. Christopher J. Evans, “The message from Mattua at each of these robberies is basically the same: ‘we’re from the Mafia, we’re taking over drugs in Newport Beach,’ or ‘you’ve burned us on drugs.’ ”

Because the Tias are already serving time for the St. John robbery, prosecutors did not have to grant them immunity to testify against Paduano. But prosecutors say they have told the two brothers that if they testify truthfully the district attorney’s office will inform officials about it if any motion is made to modify their sentences.