Neighbors rejoice at deportation of 'North End Terrorist'

Connecticut Post ^ | August 1, 2002 | DANIEL TEPFER

[Dimensio]

Neighbors rejoice at deportation of 'North End Terrorist'
By DANIEL TEPFER

BRIDGEPORT -- Maria Costa, the North End woman who has harassed, threatened and assaulted her neighbors for more than a dozen years, was ordered out of the country Wednesday.

"Everybody in the neighborhood is very happy,'' Debra Albert said. "We have a normal neighborhood again, where people can walk and children can play."

Standing demurely before Superior Court Judge Burton Kaplan, the 59-year-old Costa pleaded guilty to risk of injury to a minor, threatening and disorderly conduct for threatening her neighbor's 6-year-old grandson, the latest case against her.

But instead of the usual probation, this time Kaplan ordered Costa jailed until Friday afternoon, taken to Kennedy International Airport on Saturday morning and put on a plane bound for her native Portugal.

"I hope this is the last time our paths cross," the judge told the woman known as the "North End Terrorist" as she was led away.

"We just needed to put the Atlantic Ocean between Mrs. Costa and her neighbors to promote lasting peace in the community," Assistant State's Attorney Charles Stango said later. "This has been a long-standing blood feud between this woman and her neighbors and her lawyer, Adrian Rebollo, and the judge should be commended for bringing it to a conclusion."

Neighbors claim that for nearly 20 years Costa has been the cause of numerous problems, stealing flowers from their gardens, scratching their cars and harassing their children, among other things.

Recent court documents show Costa has been arrested a number of times since September for offenses such as putting nails under car tires, blowing leaves into yards, peeking into windows late at night and, in one incident, throwing trash cans at young children.

Just two weeks before her most recent arrest, Costa was placed on probation after pleading guilty to charges relating to incidents involving neighbors.

Stango said as part of the plea agreement Costa and her husband have put their Lourmel Street home up for sale and purchased a home in Portugal, where they are citizens.

"She is never to set foot again on Lourmel Street," he added.

Daniel Tepfer, who covers state courts and law enforcement issues, can be reached at 330-6308.

[Dimensio]

Apologies if this has been posted before, but I searched and didn't see it. Nice to see that some people are willing to treat disruptive non-citizens as they deserve -- I don't even see any liberal whining about the "mistreatment" of the poor immigrant woman.

[martin_fierro]

Connecticut (I even spelled it right!) ping

[APBaer]

I usually have trouble spelling it, and have often just say the "Nutmeg State."

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Nice to see a judge with 'nads.

[martin_fierro]

mmmmmmmmmm ... eggnog.

Check out this article for some nutmeg trivia:

THOUGH IT'S unclear when nutmeg became so intimately connected to the eggnog tradition, it's even less clear why. Sure, a smattering of nutmeg tastes good, but the powdery spice is pure poison. Really. Originally grown in Indonesia, the oil of the nutmeg tree contains myristicin and elemicin, two dangerously powerful substances that, in sufficient quantities (one to three whole seeds, about half an ounce) will cause feelings of euphoria, flushed skin, a floating sensation, visual and auditory hallucinations, vomiting, complete circulatory collapse, and painful death.

Merry Christmas.

[Publius6961]

And it only took 20 years?
No, I won't ask why she might have left Portugal.

Or why she was admitted to the US.

[2Trievers]

Why is Connecticut sometimes referred to as the "Nutmeg State"?

According to the book State Names, Flags, Seals, Songs, Birds, Flowers, and Other Symbols by George Earlie Shankle (New York: H.W. Wilson Company, 1941):

"The sobriquet, the Nutmeg State, is applied to Connecticut because its early inhabitants had the reputation of being so ingenious and shrewd that they were able to make and sell wooden nutmegs. Sam Slick (Judge Halliburton) seems to be the originator of this story. Some claim that wooden nutmegs were actually sold, but they do not give either the time or the place."

Yankee peddlers from Connecticut sold nutmegs, and an alternative story is that:

"Unknowing buyers may have failed to grate nutmegs, thinking they had to be cracked like a walnut. Nutmegs are wood, and bounce when struck. If southern customers did not grate them, they may very well have accused the Yankees of selling useless "wooden" nutmegs, unaware that they wear down to a pungent powder to season pies and breads." Elizabeth Abbe, Librarian, the Connecticut Historical Society; Connecticut Magazine, April 1980.

That being said ... we are ALSO known as the "Constitution State;" supposedly we had the FIRST written constitution; and the "Land of Steady Habits."

Put that ALL together and you come out with ...

A state that is full of NUTS who CONSISTENTLY keep electing moroons to represent us, and insist on RUNNING AS FAR from the Constitution as possible, every time the state legislature meets.

Merry Christams to you too! &;-)

[martin_fierro]

They're coming for you next. <|:)~

[2Trievers]

The Connnecticut Post is in a more "conservative" area of the state. When the Hartford Courant gets upwind of the story, just wait. We will probably end up compensationg her with a new home, waterfront of course, and monetary damages for her pain and suffering.

Now that the Skakel trial is quiet, what is Mickey Sherman doing these days? ... he might be able to help her out.

This judge is an abberation, to be sure. &;-)

[2Trievers]

Gee ... why would you say that? I STILL have my Christmas tree up and we turn our Christmas lights on EVERY night. How could THAT bother anyone? This is AMERICA, right? &;-)