Two Yankees in Legal Trouble

Apr. 2, 1965 - A second New York Yankee player may be arrested and charged with assault and battery in the same case that Roger Maris goes to trial on in Fort Lauderdale Municipal Court Tuesday morning. Jerome Modzelewski said today that two Yankees assaulted him outside a bar in Fort Lauderdale early Tuesday morning.

“I knew at the time I got beaten up that one was Maris,” Modzelewski said. “The other one I didn’t recognize. But witnesses have told me who he was. I plan to check further with my attorney before pressing charges against the second one.”

The second player is reportedly Clete Boyer.

While Maris stuck to his story that “I didn’t hit anyone,” he added today, “I can’t say whether the guy who did the hitting was in our party. There was a scuffle, and I tried to break it up, but I was too late. The guy tangled with the wrong guy.”Other Yankees admitted today Maris was not alone in Nick’s, the tavern where the argument developed. Also present were Joe DiMaggio, Boyer, and Hal Reniff. DiMaggio, who has served in Yankee training camps as a batting instructor, left early today on a business trip to Los Angeles and was not available for comment.

Reniff said: “I didn’t see any fight, and if Maris needs me for a witness, I’ll be one for him.” Boyer, who also admitted he was in Nick’s at the time, said: “I didn’t see anybody get hit. It happened so quick. Boom boom.”

This afternoon, the 25-year-old Modzelewski’s lips were badly swollen and discolored. 

“It took 11 stitches to close them,” he said. “I lost one tooth and may have to lose two more.” A professional model and insurance man, he spends four months a year in Fort Lauderdale. The rest of the year he lives in Chicago.

Modzelewski cleared DiMaggio of any blame. “I recognized Joe,” he said. “He sat there and didn’t move a muscle or say anything. There were five people at their table. DiMaggio, a girl with him, Maris, and another Yankee whom I’ll call Mr. X with a girl I know.”

According to Modzelewski, he was leaving the bar with a date, Angela Dellavedova, just after midnight. “As we passed their table near the door,” Modzelewski said, “Mr. X let out with an obscenity directed toward us. I looked at their table, recognized DiMaggio and the girl sitting next to Mr. X as Janie Howard, a local girl.”

“I was shocked. I took Angela outside and told her to stay there and that I’m going to ask this guy for an apology.

“I was told by Mr. X that I wasn’t getting an apology from him. I was boiling, but what could I do? I didn’t say anything more and had left again when Mr. X leaned out the door and shouted the same obscenity.

“After asking for the apology a second time, Maris stood up. That’s when I recognized him. He said, ‘Let’s get this guy.’ I consider Maris the instigator of the whole thing. Mr. X had the foul mouth, but there might not have been any more trouble than that. 

“Maris and other guy hustled me out by the arms. They began slugging me. When they had me down, they kicked. Two local guys came out from the bar, and it stopped. I was walking away when one of the two attacking me came up from behind and roundhoused one into my mouth.

“That was the punch that did all the damage. I didn’t see who threw it, but Angela said it was the guy I’m calling Mr. X. I went down and out for a while.”

Modzelewski has engaged James Fanseen as his lawyer. Maris’s attorney is Bill Leonard.

“There is no chance I’ll drop my charge,” Modzelewski said. “I think Mr. X will be added to it before long. As far as I’m concerned, these two athletes are low life. They have to learn they are ordinary people with a talent. They can’t get away with insulting behavior and an attack like that. If they can’t take their talent in stride, they deserve all the trouble I plan to give them.”

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