People v. Vetri

178 Cal. App. 2d 385, 2 Cal. Rptr. 795, 1960 Cal. App. LEXIS 2607
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 25, 1960
DocketCrim. 6687
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 178 Cal. App. 2d 385 (People v. Vetri) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Vetri, 178 Cal. App. 2d 385, 2 Cal. Rptr. 795, 1960 Cal. App. LEXIS 2607 (Cal. Ct. App. 1960).

Opinion

VALLEE, J.

A jury convicted defendants William Peter Vetri and John Rodgers Kiley of conspiring to violate Penal Code, sections 266h (pimping) and 266i (pandering) and section 41.08 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code (prostitution —procuring). Proceedings were suspended and Vetri was granted probation. He appeals from the verdict, the judgment, the order denying his motion for a new trial, and the order granting probation. An appeal does not lie from the verdict, and that appeal will be dismissed. We construe the appeal from the judgment as an appeal from the order granting probation. The order granting probation is deemed to be a final judgment for the purpose of appeal. (Pen. Code, § 1237, subd. 1.)

*388 The information charged that on July 26, 1958, and on August 1, 1958, Vetri and Kiley “did wilfully, unlawfully and feloniously conspire, combine, confederate and agree together to procure a female person to commit acts of prostitution ; to induce another person to patronize said female person as to acts of prostitution; and to receive compensation for soliciting said patronage for said female person; that thereafter, at and in the County of Los Angeles and pursuant to said conspiracy and to effect its object, did commit the following overt acts. ...” Ten overt acts were pleaded.

In July, 1958, Bernard Cohen lived at the Algiers Hotel in Hollywood. Carol Tuttle, called Lee Tuttle, also lived at the Algiers. Cohen first met Kiley in the bar of the Algiers and they became “chummy.” Cohen introduced Lee to Kiley and told him they were living together. In the conversation Lee said she had “turned a trick” for $22.50 in the hotel with another man. Prostitutes use the word “trick” to mean “a man with whom they engage in an act of sexual intercourse.” Kiley turned to Cohen and said, “Bert, ain’t you got no sense? Can’t you send her out on something better? She can make $50.” At the end of the conversation Kiley remarked that he wanted to talk to Cohen the next day about a “good deal,” that if he knew “a few girls maybe” they “could make some money.”

Cohen and Kiley left the hotel and drove to a market. During the ride they talked about how to “hustle girls.” Kiley told Cohen he knew some pretty fine girls that were “hustling” out of a place on “Restaurant Row” who were making pretty good money, and that if Cohen were smart he would turn Lee over to him to make some good money. Cohen said he would think about it and let Kiley know later.

On returning to the hotel Cohen and Kiley went to Lee’s room. Lee asked Kiley if he was sure she could “make 50 bills for each trick” she turned. Kiley replied she could. Lee told Kiley to “Do it.” Kiley told her he would talk to her about it the next day.

Cohen and Lee saw Kiley the next afternoon in the Algiers bar. Kiley asked if they had “thought about it.” Cohen said they would give it a try. Kiley stated “there was a bar on La Cienega that she could work out of and turn 50 dollar bills a trick.” That evening Cohen, Lee, and Kiley went for a ride in the latter’s car. They drove down La Cienega and Kiley pointed to a bar called Vetri’s as being the one he *389 had referred to earlier as the place where Lee would go to work. Cohen asked Kiley how they would split. Kiley replied it was 60 per cent for the girl and 40 per cent for the men, and they would split the 40 per cent between themselves. Cohen asked Kiley about Yetri’s “cut.” Kiley said he would take care of Yetri.

The next day at the Algiers bar Kiley made a phone call and told Cohen that “Bill [Yetri] would like to talk to your girl.” Kiley, Cohen, and Lee drove to Yetri’s bar. Kiley introduced Lee to Yetri. He introduced Cohen to Yetri as Lee’s “boy friend.” After some small talk “the conversation came around to prostitution.” Kiley told Yetri he had told Lee that Yetri owned a bar and restaurant and that he had asked her if she would like to work in the bar. Yetri told Lee the girls would fill out a form stating they were cocktail waitresses in the bar and if someone came in and wanted “a girl for the purpose of prostitution she would be there, and if the place should ever get raided or busted, then the girl would have a legitimate excuse for being in the bar.” Yetri explained to Cohen there were signals for the girls respecting their “tricks.” Yetri asked Lee if she understood she was not to take any “tricks” other than the ones he pointed out to her or for which he gave her a signal. Lee replied in the affirmative. Yetri told Kiley to bring Lee back later that night. A few days later Lee went to Yetri’s bar, met a man, “turned one trick,” received $15, went to the Algiers, gave Cohen the money, and he gave Kiley some of it.

About a week after Lee was introduced to Yetri, Cohen told her she was wanted at the Hollywood Police Station, that if she would not go willingly they would come and get her and she would be under arrest. Cohen and Lee went to the police station. Cohen’s explanation for taking Lee to the police station was that he went for his “personal benefit,” he wanted to get her “off his back,” he could not keep her from following him around 24 hours a day, that “she would think twice about coming back and probably she would straighten up and walk away from me.” He told the police about the conversations and activities we have related. Lee was introduced to Charlene Holtzfaster, a policewoman. Miss Holtzfaster was introduced by the name “Chari.” Lee was told to introduce Chari to Kiley as a “hustler” whom she had known about five years and who had been working in Washington.

*390 The following day Kiley, Cohen, Lee, and Chari were in the Algiers bar. Lee introduced Chari to Kiley and told him she had known her about five years, that she was a “hustler” and had been out of the state. Because two officers were in the hotel lobby, they went outside to a car with Washington plates. Cohen told Kiley that Chari was the girl he had been telling him about, she was new in town, “a sophisticated prostitute,” and asked what he could do to fix her up. Kiley said he would see what he could do “about fixing up to introducing her,” and that he had a friend named Bill Vetri who owned a bar on La Cienega who was interested in getting “hustling girls” to work solely out of his establishment. Chari told Kiley she had worked the Washington and Oregon “circuit,” she was in need of work, wanted to make some money in a hurry, and wanted the split1 ‘ 60-40 ’ ’ her way. Kiley said that would be fine, and he and Vetri could split the 40 per cent.

The next day Kiley, Cohen, and Chari went to Vetri’s bar. Kiley and Chari went in. Kiley introduced Chari to Vetri. Vetri remarked that Chari looked familiar. Chari took off her sunglasses and said she had never had the pleasure of meeting him before. Kiley said to Vetri, “Bill, I knew you would be interested in meeting Chari; she’s got a nice fresh look about her, a lot of class, and I think she would work out well here.” Vetri told Chari he was “one of the oldest residents on the street and he had been there about 18 years; that he had never been arrested.” Chari said she “could not stand any heat,” she “never had a bust,” and she could not afford to get arrested. Vetri told Chari the girls usually took their “tricks” to the Melrose Motel where a woman named Bea would arrange for a room.

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Bluebook (online)
178 Cal. App. 2d 385, 2 Cal. Rptr. 795, 1960 Cal. App. LEXIS 2607, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-vetri-calctapp-1960.