Joseph N. Lattanzio v. United States

Appellant, Joseph N. Lattanzio, was indicted and found guilty by jury of transporting, on or about September 27, 1955, a woman, Ernestine M. Noland, from Los Angeles County, California, within the Central Division of the Southern District of California, to Yerington, Nevada, for prostitution, debauchery and other immoral purposes in violation of Title 18, Section 2421 of the United States Code, commonly referred to as the “White Slave Traffic Act.”

Two points are raised on this appeal.

Denial of Motions for Judgment of Acquittal.

Appellant argues that his motions for judgment of acquittal, interposed at the end of the government’s case and after all the evidence was in, should have been granted. He argues that the evidence was insufficient to warrant submission of the case to the jury.

The woman, Ernestine M. Noland, was known by several aliases, including Teen Howard, Teen O’Neil and Lee Thornton. Teen testified that she had been a prostitute before and after she met Lat-tanzio, the appellant.

On September 26, 1955, Teen went on a double date, and late in the evening, the two couples went to the “Keynoter Bar” in Los Angeles. Teen went up to appellant (whom she had not known…