David Gizzarelli

For in depth coverage of this scam, please read  

The Real Charlie Story


On Monday August 6, 2012, this aspiring actor/musician was walking his pit bull, Charlie at Crissy Field when he decided to let Charlie off the leash. Charlie ran towards the police horse, bit him, the horse threw the officer and then the chase was on. The police horse did manage to land a kick, too bad it wasn't a fatal one. Gizzarelli claims his one and a half year old pit bull has never shown any signs of aggression before (that's cuz your dog is only 18 months old!) and is friendly to people and animals but Charlie never saw a horse before and that's the apparent justification for his berserking moment. Gizzarelli was arrested and charged with four separate FEDERAL crimes.

C. Marabito of the Ladder Killed Darla Napora fame came to Charlie's defense, stating the rookie police horse's inexperience at being around an off leash park must have provoked the mutant.

There's a couple of little problems here:
Based on the video and story at KTVU, it appears Gizzarelli was not in a designated off leash area AND
The west end of Crissy Field is closed to dogs most of the year due to the presence of endangered plovers. The attack on the police horse occurred during a time of year when dogs are not allowed off leash.

Marabito also felt the need to point out that Charlie was in danger because the city animal shelter euthanizes one third of all unclaimed animals. (?!)

An on-line donation website has been set up to help the frankenmauler out since the actor/musician is broke.

A sample of Grizzarelli's acting might explain why he can not afford an attorney.

hmmm...I wonder why Gizzarelli didn't use his frankenmauler for this 90 second video short.


KTVU

KCBS

Help Save Charlie Con

IMDB

Crissy Field

youtube

gizzarelli.org

and Gizzarelli appears to be an "experienced" pit bull owner.

William Faversham

February 12, 1868 - April 7, 1940

Legendary british film and stage actor William Faversham had a passion for fighting dogs and when he came to America, he brought them with him. Faversham was a significant player among bull terrier breeders. He was a breeder and judge of bull terrier show dogs.

During his early years in the America, Faversham was at times homeless and spent his sundays pitting his bull terrier against laborers' dogs in Harlem. Faversham's pit dog was a champion.

On August 3, 1891, two of Faversham's 30+ bull terriers SOMEHOW managed to escape their kennels and go on a mauling spree. The bull terriers attacked 2 women and 3 kids and when William Truss came to their aid, they mauled him. Faversham responded and called the dogs off. Truss' flesh was tore from both arms and the back of his legs.

Mayor Thomas H Leonard ordered the man biters removed from the town within 24 hours, not culled.

In September 1897 when he was starring in a Chicago play, he found being apart from one of his dogs unbearable so he wired his friends in New York and asked them to ship one of his dogs. It died en route and Faversham wept and stated he was heart broken.

Faversham died in poverty at the age of 72 in a New York rooming house.

Links

New York Times September 20, 1897

New York Times August 4, 1891

The Outing Magazine 1912

New York Times April 5, 1914

New York Times May 6, 1917

http://www.wayneturney.20m.com/favershamwilliam.htm

Adele Rowland and Conway Tearle

Adele Rowland

July 10, 1883 - August 8, 1971

Conway Tearle née Frederick Levy

May 17, 1878 - October 1, 1938 (heart attack)

Four year old Jacques Weinberg was walking past the Chappaqua, New York home of Hollywood's dashing leading man Conway Tearle and his actress wife, Adele Rowland when their cook called to the boy to give him an orange. The four year old was promptly greeted by their gripping dog which resulted in a trip to the Babies' Hospital in New York. Jacques' scalp was so badly torn, he was listed in critical condition. Max Weinberg fought to have the dog shot. Tearle and Rowland fought the Weinberg's demands for destruction but it is not clear if the gripping dog was eventually destroyed. The Tearles japanese cook committed hara kari and 4 years after the attack, the Weinbergs were awarded $20,000.

To my knowledge, this is the earliest documention of a pit bull scalping.

links

new york times 12.22.1921

new york times 05.12.1925

www.digitaldeliftp.com