Bellingheri v. Aliosi
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Tort for slander, the plaintiff alleging in substance that the defendant stated “of the plaintiff in the Italian language substantially as follows: ‘Maria Bellingherie e buttana’ (meaning in the English language that ‘Maria Bellingheri is a whore’).” Writ in the Municipal Court of the City of Boston dated September 3, 1918. The material evidence at the trial in the Municipal Court is described in the opinion.
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Tort for slander, the plaintiff alleging in substance that the defendant stated “of the plaintiff in the Italian language substantially as follows: ‘Maria Bellingherie e buttana’ (meaning in the English language that ‘Maria Bellingheri is a whore’).” Writ in the Municipal Court of the City of Boston dated September 3, 1918. The material evidence at the trial in the Municipal Court is described in the opinion. At the close of the evidence, the defendant asked the judge to rule that, (1) on all the evidence the defendant was entitled to a finding, and that (2) a finding for the plaintiff could'…
1Opinion of the CourtDe Courcy, J.
In this action for speaking slanderous words in Italian concerning the plaintiff, the declaration properly set out the words as spoken in the foreign language and also their meaning in English. Romano v. De Vito, 191 Mass. 457. There *147was evidence that the defendant called the plaintiff “Maria Bellingherie e buttana;” that “buttana” is a word in the Sicilian dialect meaning “whore” in English; and that it was spoken in the presence of others who understood its meaning.
The evidence on behalf of the defendant was that she called the plaintiff a “banniana;” meaning, in a Sicilian dialect, “either…
2Cases cited3 opinions
- Downs v. HawleyMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1873
- Rutherford v. PaddockMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1902
- Romano v. DeVitoMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1906