Woman is on trial in husband's murder and her defense attorney is 97 years old

The Bergen County Courthouse in Hackensack, where a woman is on trial in the murder of her husband, and her brother is accused of dismembering and disposing of the corpse.

Editor's note: The Covid-19 pandemic led to the suspension of the murder trial of Adrienne Smith and Orville Cousins. 

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Defense attorney Frank P. Lucianna likes to say he has been "69 years a lawyer."

Indeed, at 97, Lucianna is the oldest lawyer still practicing in Bergen County -- if not in the state.

And on Tuesday, the well-dressed attorney was in a chilly courtroom in the Bergen County Courthouse, defending Adrienne Smith, who is accused of killing her husband, Randolph, in Bergenfield, and recruiting her brother to dismember and dispose of the corpse.

"I'm very lucky," Lucianna said during a break, referring to his being alive and able to practice at his age.

The Englewood native turned 97 on Jan. 11.

He said he gave the opening statement to the jury, cross-examined the medical examiner and will cross-examine the "important witnesses."

Asked his defense, Lucianna said, "She didn't do it," referring to client Adrienne Smith and the December 2016 murder.

His junior partner, Frank V. Carbonetti, is assisting Lucianna, and a lawyer from another firm represents Orville Cousins, Adrienne Smith's brother.

Cousins and Smith have been in jail since authorities discovered Randolph Smith's body parts in 6 containers in Burlington in January 2017.

The Record of Woodland Park and NorthJersey.com ran this photo of defense attorney Frank P. Lucianna, with his signature red pocket square, when he was 94 years old.  

Entering evidence

On Tuesday morning, in contrast to the drama of trials shown on "Bull" and other TV shows, the proceedings couldn't have been duller.

The prosecutor referred to numerous photos of the crime scene and the Smiths' two Mercedes-Benzes parked outside their Morgan Street home, and asked a detective on the witness stand if they looked the same as when he executed a search warrant.

"I'm going to show you what has been marked as 462...," she said.

There are 5 men and 11 women on the panel (a jury of 12, plus 4 alternates).

The prosecutor then moved to enter the photos into evidence, and if there was no objection from the defense lawyers and the judge approved, the photos appeared one by one on a flat-screen TV on the wall opposite the panel.

"How's everyone doing?" Superior Court Judge Christopher Kazlau asked the jurors at one point. "OK? "It's a little cold in here."

Traces of blood

The photos entered into evidence included those of a toilet, a wall inside a shower, a door leading into the garage and a washcloth, all with traces of blood.

Before the lunch break, Lucianna's partner, Carbonetti, began to cross-examine the county homicide detective, asking if was aware Bergenfield police officers twice visited the home and examined the crime scene.

$5,000 rebate for buying or leasing an EV in N.J. is in effect now, official announces

SOLAR CHARGING: I often draw the energy to charge my Tesla Model S from the 60-plus solar panels on the roof of my home. I bought a used 2016 Model S 75D (all-wheel drive) from Tesla last November, below, to replace my first Tesla, a Model S 60, above.

FIRST WASH: My Tesla Model S 75D at Always Clean Detailing Services in Fair Lawn, N.J.

All-electric cars, plug-in hybrids must have MSRP below $55,000

Editor's note: The first rebate program ended in December 2020, but a new program is set to launch on July 1, 2021. See the news release in the Comments section below.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Governor Murphy made it official today, announcing that the electric-vehicle incentive law he signed on Jan. 17 became effective that day.

There was lots of confusion about the vehicles covered and whether the rebates would go to buyers as well as those who lease, thanks to sloppy news media coverage.

Some reports suggested the law wouldn't go into effect for 3 months.

Today, the governor announced that plug-in gas-electric hybrids, as well as all-electric cars, are covered, whether you buy or lease.

The MSRP must be below $55,000, and the rebate is figured based on the EPA-rated electric-only range -- $25 per mile -- up to a maximum of $5,000 per vehicle.

Electric cars from Tesla, Chevrolet, Nissan, Hyundai, Kia and other manufacturers cost less than $55,000 and qualify. 

"A fully electric car with 200 miles of range will qualify for a $5,000 rebate," Murphy said. "A hybrid electric car with 20 miles of electric range will qualify for a $500 rebate."

The New Jersey incentive is especially welcome after the expiration of the $7,500 federal tax credit when a company has sold more than 200,000 of a certain model.

In December, Tesla's website listed EV incentives in other states, and all of them are lower than New Jersey's rebate:

• California offers a $2,500 state rebate, and PG&E offers an additional $800 rebate for applications submitted on or after January 1, 2019.
• Connecticut customers are eligible for a $2,000 rebate for new Model 3 RWD vehicles, as well as exemption from state emissions testing and a reduced vehicle registration fee.
• Massachusetts offers rebates up to $2,500 for new EV purchases.
• New York offers rebates up to $2,000.
• Colorado offers tax credits up to $5,000.
• Pennsylvania offers rebates up to $1,750.

Read: Governor's statement
 on electric vehicle rebates

Bumps in the road, a glitch in the kitchen in pursuit of 2 bargain Manhattan lunches

FOR SEAFOOD LOVERS: A whole local Black Sea Bass (Spigola Nero in Italian), above, and a Mediterranean Sea Bream, below, were highlights of bargain lunches at Manhattan fine-dining restaurants during the NYC Restaurant Week promotion -- 2-courses for $26 and 3-courses for $32, plus tax and tip.  

MOB SCENE: The service at Estiatorio Milos, a Greek restaurant in midtown Manhattan that seats about 200 on three levels, was excellent despite a packed and noisy dining room. I was impressed that the whole fish I ordered was butterfield and deboned, and loved the bread service with extra-virgin olive oil and fresh oregano.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Twice a year, I get such a big kick out of making reservations for bargain lunches at some of Manhattan's most expensive restaurants.

The NYC Restaurant Week promotions in January and July are intended to drive business to hundreds of fine-dining restaurants during their slowest periods, and I've been a loyal fan of these great deals since the early 1990s. 

In keeping with the low prices, I have always taken mass transit into the city, but this time, I encountered a couple of bumps in the road -- literally -- when taking NJ Transit buses from Hackensack to the midtown Port Authority Bus Terminal.

The round-trip fare for seniors is a mere $4.10.

Milos and Esca

I met a friend for lunch at Estiatorio Milos, a Greek restaurant where fresh whole fish is displayed on a bed of ice and sold a la carte for more than $60 a pound.

And I took my son to lunch at Esca, where seafood dishes that normally cost $27 each "are rooted in Italian flavors," according to the website.

In 2019, Esca's Executive Chef David Pasternack parted ways with Chef Mario Batali, who had a financial interest in the restaurant until reports that Batali had sexually assaulted and harassed women.

Esca closed, then reopened last September after Pasternack found new partners. 

Overcooked fish

During Restaurant Week, 2-courses lunches are $26 and 3-course lunches are $32, plus tax and tip. Dinners are $42, but the menu is similar to what is served at lunch and they aren't as good of a value.

The winter promotion ends on Sunday.

The only glitch I experienced was that the kitchen at Esca overcooked the monkfish in my entree, reminding me of a disastrous Restaurant Week meal I had there in July 2011.

At that 3-course lunch, which cost $24.07, my entree was a whole John Dory, one of the ugliest and boniest creatures in the sea. 

Bad news. After I posted this, I got an email from Esca, which is unveiling a 2-course lunch for $34 on Feb. 18, and the first fish entree listed is "Whole roasted John Dory." 

NJ Transit

Despite the astronomical property taxes we pay, our streets and roads are in terrible condition, and I felt every bump and pothole riding what appeared to be a decades-old NJ Transit 165 local bus with screeching rear brakes into Manhattan on Jan. 30 for lunch at Milos.

The return trip was equally agonizing, and the beaten-down seat cushions provided no comfort on the noisy, herky jerky ride.

This week, the express bus to Manhattan and the local bus returning to Hackensack my son and I rode were in a lot better condition, and the seats far more comfortable.

Neither here nor there

Speaking about great food, did you see The New York Times' Food section on Wednesday?

In a clear sign of desperation among the editors, the cover story focuses on nudists in Lutz, Fla., who cook, and there's a big color photo of three men and and a woman at a dinner party from more or less their sagging midsections up.

I stopped reading after the woman, who looks like she is in her 60s but still eats artery clogging bacon,  is quoted as saying this:

"Embracing the nudist lifestyle has given me permission to feel my feelings."

This ridiculous article "gave me permission" to turn the page, and shake my head over another Times pasta recipe with 2 tablespoons of artery clogging butter that the dish absolutely, positively doesn't need (Page D3).

GRILLED CALAMARI: At Esca, my son loved his appetizer of grilled local squid with hot red pepper, arugula and radish.

SARDE: I chose House Marinated Sardines with a Salad of Italian Greens dressed in a Caper Thyme Vinaigrette.

PESCATRICE: The kitchen at Esca overcooked the relatively small pieces of local Monkfish in my entree, in contrast to the juicy whole Sea Bass served to my son, who gave me some of his fish. And there was a long stretch of time between appetizer and entree I hadn't encountered at previous Esca lunches. Below, my son wanted a 3-course lunch, so I paid $6 more for his dessert, Chocolate and Blood Orange Cake with Cocoa Whipped Cream and Roasted Hazelnuts.

OLIVE SERVICE: We were served a dish of olives at Esca and 2 kinds of bread, but the complimentary crostini with white beans I had enjoyed in the past was missing.

MORE SEATS: The renovation at Esca opened a wall to a second, smaller dining room, and added seats, but I guess I'll have to warm up to it.

GREEK MEZE PLATE: My appetizer at Milos -- tzatziki, taramosalata and htipiti (whipped feta cheese and roasted red peppers) -- with warm pita and marinated vegetables. I followed with that butterflied whole Mediterranean Sea Bream, and didn't have room for a 3rd course.

TOASTED BREAD: Fresh oregano was snipped at the table as part of the bread service.