Internet material copyright © 2009 by Hugo S. Cunningham
Offered free for use or revision by anyone (especially the authors) assembling reference guides to A Criminal Injustice
Material from book copyright © 2008 by authors Richard Firstman and Jay Salpeter
Richard Firstman and Jay Salpeter,
| date | event | page |
|---|---|---|
| 1971, 0829 | Martin Harold Tankleff born | 43 |
| 1971, 0901 | MT adopted by ST and AAT | 43 |
| 1971 | Tankleffs acquire lot at 33 Seaside Drive | 46 |
| 1984, late | ST sells Tankleff Associates (insurance) to Tom Ness and (Lufthansa cargo pilot) for $1 million. | 88 |
| 1984 | After marital crisis, AT forces ST to cut Shari out of will. | 54-55 |
| 1985, Jan 31 | New will signed | 56 |
| 1985, 0502 | JS borrows $200,000 from ST on harsh terms | 104 |
| 1988/0629 | ST demands payment of $50 K note dtd 1986/0602 from JS. | 110 |
| 1988/0822? | MT given nose job "a week before he turned seventeen", still recovering on 0906. | 6 |
| 1988, Sep 6-7 | Arlene Tankleff is murdered; her husband Seymour Tankleff is left comatose and mortally injured. | |
| 1988, Sep 7 | MT calls 911 reporting parents' condition. Reports TV was on and burglar alarm was off. MT is detained as suspect. | |
| 1988, Sep 7, Afternoon | Bob Gottlieb engaged as MT's attorney. | 58 |
| 1988, Sep 8, Thursday | JS withdraws 15K of 20K from joint horse account with ST and AT. | 130 |
| 1988, Sep 15 | Bari Steuerman reports father as missing person. | 132 |
| 1988, Sep 21 | State Supreme Court justice James A. Gowan rules MT can be released on bail, $1M bond or $500K cash. | 137-138 |
| 1988, Sept 27 | Doyle, McCready, and Jablonsky find JS at Holiday Inn near Long Beach CA airport. JS claimed he had intended life-insurance fraudulent claim. | 139-140 |
| 1988, Oct 6 | ST dies. | 149 |
| 1988, Oct 13?(ca.) | MT released on bail after family pledge cash, homes. | 149-150 |
| 1988, Oct 14? | MT attends ST's funeral, postponed six days for his sake. | 150 |
| 1988, Oct 15? | Gottlieb gets favorable crime lab reports. | 163 |
| 1988, Oct 16? | Arlene T's relatives hold press conference at Gottlieb's office, offer $25,000 for info leading to actual killer(s). Seymour's relatives were in 7-day mourning. | 164 |
| 1988, Oct 30? | Jablonski removed as prosecutor because he will be witness in hearing on suppressing MT "confession" | 164 |
| 1988, Dec 13 | Newsday ignores work of Joe Demma, runs major article for prosecution, "A Child of Suburban Wealth: Martin Tankleff's House Was a Place of Luxury -- and Tension." | 157 |
| 1988, Dec, "a few days before XMAS" | Shari Rother kicks MT out; he moves in with Ron Falbee. | 169 |
| 1989, March 8 | LA police publicly accuse Lyle and Erik Menendez of murdering their parents on 1988, August 30. Lyle arrested, Erik to be arrested a few days later. This case would color media and public opinion in the lead-up to MT's trial a year later. | |
| 1989, April 23 | Joe Creedon reports being shot by Todd Steuerman. | 221 |
| 1989, April 24 | SIC condemns KJM's perjury in Diaz case, deeply imbedded misconduct of homicide squad. | 193-196 |
| 1989, May 8 | Judge Alfred C. Tisch refuses to suppress "confession" of MT. | 192 |
| 1989, November | James Catterson wins DA race against Bob Gottlieb | 197-199 |
| 1990, April 2 | Jury selection begins for trial of MT | 199 |
| 1990, April 23 | Judge Tisch swears in 12 jurors and 4 alternates | 201 |
| 1990, June 20 | Lawyers prepared to give summations | 303 |
| 1990, June 28, Thursday | MT found guilty on 8th day. | 325, 331 |
| 1990, Oct 23 | Judge Tisch rejects mistrial motions, sentences MT to maximum two consecutive 25-year-to-life terms. | 356 |
| 1991, Jan | Prisoner MT moved to Auburn Correctional Facility. | 361 |
| 1992, July | Mark Pomerantz and Warren Feldman file appeal with Second Department of the Appellate Division of the NY Supreme Court. Issues (1) "Confession" should be suppressed; (2) Collins' misleading summation remarks about failure of Tankleff relatives to testify. | 363 |
| 1993? | Prisoner MT moved to Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora | 376 |
| 1993, September 27 | Case argued before 4 judges. | 364-365 |
| 1993, December 27 | Panel votes 3-2 to affirm convictions. Dissenting Judge Cornelius J. O'Brien signs order granting "leave to appeal" to State's highest court. | 365 |
| 1994, November 30 | P and F bring case to 7-judge Court of Appeals. | 366 |
| 1994, "week of Christmas" | Unanimous affirmation of conviction. | 367 |
| 1995, spring | Laura Taichman, formerly 2 years ahead of MT at Vandermeulen High, now 3rd year law student and intern, interests Barry Pollack in MT's case. | 380 |
| 1997, January | Judge Thomas C. Platt, one of 3 judges of US District court's Eastern NY District, rejects appeal by Steve Braga and Barry Pollack on (1) confession and (2) exclusion of Afro-Americans from jury. | 383 |
| 1997, early August | Braga and Pollack argue appeal before 3 judges of 2nd Circuit: Guido Calabresi, José Cabranes, and Fred Parker. | 384 |
| ? | 2nd Circuit panel rejects appeal on legal grounds, but imply there were issues of actual innocence not before them. | 385 |
| 2000, Dec. 21 | Date of MT's letter to investigator Jay Salpeter, asking him to look at case. | 404 |
| 2003, Oct ? | Salpeter engages Lonnie Sourie and Eric Friedman to present case to public. Sourie was good with media, while Friedman would build pro-MT website. | 435, 478 |
| 2003, Oct. 2 | Motion for new trial filed at Suffolk County Courthouse | 435 |
| 2003, Oct | DA Spota assigned assistant DA Leonard Lato to re-investigate case. Lato would engage police detective Walter Warkenthien. | 436, 440 |
| 2004, April | CBS 48 Hours Mystery gains national attention with episode on case. | 454, 457 |
| 2004, July 19 | Beginning of hearing for new trial before Judge Steven Braslow | 467 |
| 2005, Feb | End of hearing for new trial | 517 |
| 2005, Dec | Joe Guarascio testifies | 528-531 |
| 2006, March 17 | Judge Braslow affirms conviction | 534 |
| 2007, Sep ? | Appeal argued before 4 judges of Appellate Division's Second Department in Brooklyn: Justices Reinaldo E. Rivera, Gabriel Krausman, Mark C. Dillon, and Anita Florio. | 557 |
| 2007, Dec 21, Friday | Appellate judges vacate MT's conviction. | 562 |
| 2007, Dec 27, Thursday | MT released on bail | 566-577 |
| 2008, Jan 12 | Gov. Elliot Spitzer announces appointment of AG Andrew Cuomo as special prosecutor to decide on direction of case. Cuomo would appoint chief trial counsel Benjamin Rosenberg as lead investigator. | 572 |
| 2008, June 30 | Rosenberg recommends dismissal of charges against MT ("'after twenty years the evidence is insufficient'"), but smears him anyway as still the most likely suspect. | 573-577 |
| Name | category | Notes | page references |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baczynski, Peter | JUR | troubled by deliberation process | 334 |
| Barket, Bruce | T-DEF | litigator in "new evidence" appeal, 2002-2008. | |
| Bove ("Bové"), Vinnie | POK | wholesale nursery | 4 |
| Brafman, Ben | T-DEF | preps MT on being cross-examined | 282 |
| Braga, Stephen | T-DEF | lead attorney in Federal appeals 1995-1998 and in "new evidence" appeal 1999-2008 | |
| Braslow, Stephen | S-JUD | hearing judge 2004-2006 | |
| Capobianco, Peter "Cappy," (1911? - ) | POK | Cappy's Carpets | 4 |
| Catterson, James | S-P | Suffolk DA, 1990 - 2001 | |
| Cecere, Joe, 35 | POK | Goodyear Tire franchise, also builds high-end homes | 4 |
| Ceparano, John | POK | lawyer | 4 |
| Chichester, Fred | Likely victim of false conviction in Suffolk County, aided by Salpeter's investigation in 1997-1999, but not released. | 398-400, 432-433 | |
| Collins, John | S-P | Succeeds Jablonski as prosecutor | 180, 199, 432-433 |
| Creedon, Joe "Joey Guns" | JS | hit man for Todd Steuerman | 221, 373 |
| Demma, Joe | MED | 1988 work ignored by Newsday | 154-157 |
| Doyle, Bob | S-P | Sergeant, Suffolk P.D. | 20 |
| Falbee, Marcella "Mickey" | T-FAM | AT's (half?) sister, 8 years older. | 20 |
| Falbee, Ron | T-FAM | Son of AT's older sister Marcella, brother of Joy Piccirillo, husband of Carol; would become Marty's legal guardian. | 23, 48 |
| Feldman, Warren | T-DEF | Appeals attorney with Pomerantz, 1991-1994 | |
| Fisher, Joseph | JUR | Pro-defense juror removed under questionable circumstances | 323, 337 |
| Fox, Myron "Mike" (MF) | T-BUS | Tankleff business lawyer | 23 |
| Gottlieb, Bob | T-DEF | MT's trial lawyer | 58 |
| Hayes, Dan | T-BUS | fitness center owner, witness helpful to MT | 110, 240 |
| Henry, Patrick | S-P | Suffolk DA 1975-1989 | 66 |
| Jablonski, Ed | S-P | Chief of homicide bureau; prosecutor of MT | 83 |
| Lato, Leonard | S-P | ADA named to uphold conviction, 2003 | 436 |
| Maier, Thomas | MED | Newsday reporter co-wrote 1986 expose of homicide squad. | 76 |
| McClure, Marianne Alt | T-FAM | AT's sister, 10 years younger; Mike's wife; mother of Jennifer by first marriage. | 76 |
| McCready, Kevin James (KJM) | S-P | Suffolk Country P.D. homicide squad | 17-19 |
| McMillan, James | JUR | originally favored acquittal | 339 |
| McNamara, John | T-NE | witness for prosecution about 0907; arch-swindler | 210-213 |
| Montefusco, Bob | POK | contractor. | 4 |
| Murtagh, John | T-DEF | private investigator 1990-1994 | |
| Mutschler, Julie | ST | worker at Strathmore Bagel, witness to JS-ST tensions. | 110 |
| Namm, Stuart | S-JUD | reformist judge | 68, 330 |
| Navarra, William "Bill" | T-DEF | investigator hired by Gottlieb after MT's conviction, 1990-1994 | 334 |
| O'Brien, Henry | S-P | Reformist Suffolk DA, 1973-1975 | 66 |
| O'Connor, Jennifer | T-DEF | principal author of final appeal brief, 2006-2007 | |
| Oliveto, Frank | POK | Orthopedic surgeon | 4 |
| Platt, Thomas | JUD | US District Court, Eastern District of NY, 1997 | |
| Pollack, Barry | T-DEF | co-counsel in Federal appeals 1995-1998, and litigator in "new evidence" appeal, 2002-2008 | |
| Pomerantz, Mark | T-DEF | Appeals attorney with Feldman, 1991-1993 | |
| Quigley, Teresa "Terry" | JUR | originally favored acquittal | 333, 344 |
| Raskin, Al (1893?-) | POK | used to own shoe company | 4 |
| Rein, Norman | S-P | cop at murder site; McCready's partner | 253 |
| Rother (later Mistretta), Shari Tankleff | T-FAM | MT's half-sister | 23, 328 |
| Rother, Ron | T-FAM | Shari Rother's husband. | 166 |
| Salpeter, Jay | T-DEF | Private investigator, retired NYC detective, took up MT's case in 2001. | Pp. 393 ff |
| Smith, Rex | MED | Newsday reporter co-wrote 1986 expose of homicide squad. | 76 |
| Spiegel, Dr. Herbert | T-DEF | Psychiatrist, expert on false confessions | 290 |
| Spindel, Frank | JUR | prosecution activist, suspected of fingering Joe Fisher | 335 |
| Spota, Thomas | S-P | Suffolk DA, 2002- | , 432 |
| Sternlicht, Leo | POK | Ford dealer. Away weekend 1988/0906. | 4 |
| Steuerman, Bari | JS | daughter of JS | 132 |
| Steuerman, Glenn (1960? - ) | JS | JS's oldest child | 134 |
| Steuerman, Jerry (1939? - )(JS) | JS, POK | half-dozen bagel shops | , 130, |
| Steuerman, Todd (1966? - ) | JS | JS's younger son; drug dealer. | 102 |
| Sussman, Ron | T-DEF | partner of Bob Gottlieb | 188 |
| Tankleff, Arlene Alt(AT) | T-FAM | second wife of ST, mother of MT | |
| Tankleff, Martin Harold "Marty" (MT) | T-FAM | adopted son of AT and ST | |
| Tankleff, Norman | T-FAM | Seymour's older brother, Ruth's husband | |
| Tankleff, Seymour (ST) | T-FAM | ||
| Tisch, Alfred C. "Al" | S-JUD | MT's trial judge | 175-178 |