Narc Bust Nets 5 Local Men

By E. J. DUFFY CAPE MAY — Local, state and federal lawmen arrested three Sewell Avenue men and two from Lower Township izvpre-dawn drug raids Friday on eight area homes or

Four other men were arrested in Glassboro, Cherry Hill or Voorhees while a

News—it—,

Digest

Week's

Top Stories

alien remained fugitives Monday. The nine arrested were arraigned Friday in Newark before federal Judge Robert Cowan. Five are charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin, four with conspiracy to distribute cocaine. According to the county prosecutor’s office, the arrests resulted from a six-month investigation “and led to the recovery of heroin and cocaine having a street value of approximately $2 million." Arraigned on heroin charges were Antonio Gambino, 30, of Apartment B, 944 Sewell Avenue', his brother, Mario, 23, of 200 Suzanne Avenue, North Cape May; An-

thony Spatola, 29, of Apartment A, 944 Sewell Avenue; Rosario Gambino^’, of 5 Logan Drive; and his brother-in-law, Erasmo Gambino, 36, of 16 Holden Road, both of Cherry Hill. Also charged is Giovanni Bdsco, identified only as an illegal Italian alien, still at large. IN THE COMPLAINT against the six, AssisUpt U,S. Attorneys Marianne Espinosa Murphy and Eduard J. Bilinkas alleged that “between October, 196? and March, 1964, these defendants agreed ... to distribute heroin in the south New Jersey area and elsewhere and made three separate sales of heroin to uildercover

ng^ntK Airing thU period. The complaint further alleges that “court-authorised electronic surveillance was nHiirAfi to monitor certain of the ntiHmrt by the defendants during the course of the conspiracy,” the county prosecutor’s office noted. “During an electronically-surveilled conversation on Jan. 19, 1964, the complaint further states, defendant Antonio Gambino spoke to Erasmo Gambino and addressed the latter as ‘godfather.* ” Lawmen have tagged Erasmo and Rosario Gambino as soldiers in the New York organized crime family once headed (Page 20 Please)

Mar-Tee Stays Open { COURT HOUSE - Superior Court Judge L. Anthony Gibson decided Monday that Mar-Tee landfill in Middle Township, which handles some 60 percent of the county trash, can continue to do so until May 15 when a new county landfill is scheduled to open. The county freeholders, county Municipal Utilities Authority and local leaders have been fighting state Department of Environmental Protection demands that Mar-Tee permanently close its gates. Mayor Bows Out VILLAS — Mayor Peggie Bieberbach resigned from the Lower Township Municipal Incinerator Authority cm Monday night, citing conflicting commitments as her reason. She recommended Township Committeeman Robert Fothergill to replace her as authority chairman and Jim James, a self-employed business man from the Sunset Beach area, to fill her seat on the newly-formed five member authority. No official action was taken on the recommendations, however. Where’s the Raft? CREST HAVEN — Drivers will pay at least 10 cents more after April 30 to cross each of the five Ocean Drive bridges, the county Bridge Commission decided last week. Tolls increase from 30 to 40 cents (Page 20 Please)

Middle Cuts School Tax

COURT HOUSE — Middle Township taxpayers will receive a tax cut of 9.7 cents per $100 of assessed valuation this year. The school board last week approved an $8,301,480 1964-85 budget, up $516,597 over last year. But that was offset by a $375,000 iricrease in state aid, use of a $200,000 surplus, and additional revenue from tuition and accrued interest, according to Theodore B Johnson, superintendent. The tax rate will be reduced from $2,283 pa- $100 of assessed valuation to $2,186. Voters will be asked to approve a $4.6 million current expense budget on April 3, with polls open firom 5 to 9 p.m The current expense budget includes employe salaries, texts, transportation, medical care, building maintenance, equipment, fringe benefits, athletic and student food programs, Johnson said.

WHEEEE! — Spring officially arrived yesterday and the Charles Kirner family of Mayvilie went out to greet it. Kevin, 4, and Mom, Patricia, donned roller skates; 2-year-old Holly got a

Doris War* free ride. Roller skates are no problem for this family because dad owns "Chuck’s Cheap Skates" in Sea Isle Chy.

Water Salty?; Relax

By JOE ZELNIK Cape May cardiologists Robert Sorensen and Suketu Nanavati, personal and professional antagonists, agreed on something last week. Each said county Health Department reports of high sodium levels in barrier

Sodium Problem Denied

By JOE ZELNIK Avalon and Ocean City have challenged the Cape May County Health Department’s warning of high sodium in their drinking water. The department last week alerted county physicians and all harrier island municipalities that their sodium reading exceeded SO mg/l (milligrams pa- liter), the state-set maximum. It based its conclusions on samples foh«»n Feb. 28. County Public Health Coordinator Louis J. La manna had reported March 8 that Avakm’s wells averaged 85 mg/l and its distribution system 104.1. Avalon responded by having samples taken at each of its four wells on March 13 and sent to Mae Malloy Memorial

Laboratory in North Wildwood, and samples taken March 15 and sent to Elson T. Killiam laboratories in Milburn. Mae Malloy reported the sodium averaged 39.8 mg/l; Killiam reported 43.2. “These confirm what we’ve been getting all along, said Alvin Herman, borough engineer. “I don’t have 50 mg/l to get everybody all excited.” Avalon also had Killiam test the samples for chloride, the indicator of salt water. They averaged 26.3, and that shows, Herman said, that, “We don’t have a salt water intrusion program.” Rather, he said, the salt in the borough’s water is coming from the natural flow of groundwater. “This is very confusing,” said Avalon (Page 21 Please)

island drinking water are nothing to worry about. But the American Heart Association appears to contradict them. - The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) says 50 mg/l (milligrams per liter) is the maximum?allowable level. When the county Health Department found distribution system readings running as high as 159.7, it alerted all county doctors “so that physicians can be guided accordingly in the treatment at their patients on salt- * restricted diets.” 'FEDERAL REGULATIONS say thaL for persons on salt-restricted diets, “wharf the sodium content exceeds 20 mg/l, the physician must take this into account fb modify the diet or prescribe that distilled water be used.” “I don’t know of anyone that considers drinking water as part of a program for a low-sodium diet," said Sorensen. “The amount of sodium in a titer is infinitesimal. No one will have to change their drinking habits. If it tastes salty, people won’t drink it.” Sorensen, who said he has hundreds of patients on low-sodium diets, said they should “relax. Their illness will not be aggravated. It (Hie sodium) has probably been there a couple years. I think

everybody’s safe.’’ Sorensen said a "severely-restricted” low-sodium diet allows 2,000 mg/l of sodium a day. A SPOKESMAN for the American Heart Association (AHA) in Dallas said a severe-ly-restricted low-sodium diet permits only 500 mg/l, a “moderately-restricted" lowsodium diet permits 1,000, and “mild” would be “above 1,000." Federal drinking water regulations quote the AHA as saying 500 » strict. Mm moderate, and 2,400-4,500 mild. "If anybody I knew was on s low-sodium diet, I would want sodium in the water to be considered,” said Georgette Kerch, dietician with the state Health Department's hypertension program. KORCH USED an example of a 1,000 mg/l low-sodium diet which she called "fairly common.” She said “typiad" water consumption per-person is two liters a day, which includes beverage, beverage component, and meal preparation If the water contains 120 mg/l of sodium, as an example, then the person would have used up 240 mg/l and have only 700 remaining for food. “And that’s not much for one day," said Korch “But only physicians can prescribe * (Page 21 Please)