Mezzaluna manager John De Bello identified Ronald Goldman and Nicole Brown, described their presence at the restaurant on June 12, 1994, and explained Goldman's work clothes and activities after his shift. He testified that Goldman clocked out at 9:33 p.m., remained about 15 minutes, and likely left between 9:45 and 9:50 p.m., helping establish the prosecution's timeline.
# 1 MR. CLARK: Yes, your Honor. People call Mr. John de Bello.
# 2 THE COURT: Face the clerk, please, and raise your right hand. THE COURT CLERK: You do solemnly swear the testimony you are about to give in the cause now pending before this Court, shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God.
# 3 JOHN DE BELLO: I do. John de Bello, CALLED AS A WITNESS ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE, WAS EXAMINED AND TESTIFIED AS FOLLOWS: THE COURT CLERK: Please be seated. State and spell your name for the record.
# 4 JOHN DE BELLO: My name is John De Bello, J-O-H-N, d-e B-e-l-l-o.
# 5 THE COURT: You may inquire.
# 6 MS. CLARK: Thank you, your Honor.
# 7 THE COURT: Miss Clark.
# 8 MS. CLARK: Thank you.
# 11 Q: Mr. de Bello, can you please tell us what you do for a living?
# 12 A: I'm the restaurant manager of Mezzaluna restaurant, in Brentwood.
# 13 Q: Where is it located?
# 14 A: It's at 11750 San Vicente boulevard.
# 15 Q: Can you tell us, sir, how close it is to the intersection is of San Vicente and Bundy?
# 16 A: About a half mile.
# 17 Q: Now, what exactly are your duties there?
# 18 A: I'm a general manager of the restaurant. I do all the hiring, firing, and make sure that the food comes out good, all the time, consistent. And I'm there from morning to night, usually. And I get a day off during the week.
# 21 Q: When you say "morning to night," sir, can you tell us, what do you mean? Starting when, ending when?
# 22 A: Usually get there at around 10:30 in the morning, and if I'm doing a long day, it's around until 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning, the next day.
# 23 Q: How long have you been working there in that capacity, sir?
# 24 A: For the past year.
# 25 Q: That would mean since June of '93?
# 27 Q: I'm going to show you a photograph that I'd like to mark.
# 28 MS. CLARK: I'll show it to counsel, first. People's 2, your Honor.
# 30 MS. CLARK: and the second photograph, People's 3.
# 31 THE COURT: All right.
# 33 Q: Sir, showing you the photograph that has been marked People's 2 for identification. Can I ask you if you recognize the person depicted in that photograph?
# 34 A: It's Ronald Lyle Goldman.
# 35 MS. CLARK: For the record, this is a certified copy of the D.M.V. license of Ronald Goldman.
# 36 Q: How do you know him, sir?
# 37 A: I hired him approximately about four months ago, as a waiter.
# 42 Q: He worked there for the past four months steadily?
# 44 Q: Showing you now People's 3 for identification, sir. Do you recognize the person depicted in that photograph?
# 45 A: Yes, I do. Nicole brown.
# 46 MS. CLARK: For the record, this is also a certified copy of D.M.V. for Nicole brown.
# 47 Q: How did you know her?
# 48 A: She was eating in my restaurant that night of the murders.
# 49 Q: Had you seen her before that night, sir?
# 50 A: Yes, I have, several times.
# 51 Q: Would you call her a regular in that restaurant?
# 52 A: She frequented the restaurant quite often.
# 53 Q: Directing your attention, sir, to the night of June the 12th, 1994. Did you work that night at the Mezzaluna restaurant?
# 55 Q: What time did you get to work?
# 56 A: I got to work about 6:45 in the evening.
# 57 Q: Did you see Ronald Goldman there when you arrived?
# 58 A: Yes. He was on duty that evening.
# 59 Q: Now, do the waiters in your restaurant, sir, do they wear any kind of uniform?
# 61 Q: And can you describe it for us, please?
# 62 A: The uniform for all my waiters is black pants, dress pants preferably, white shirt, a tie and a vest. It can be a vest of their choice, as long that it's tasteful.
# 63 Q: Did Mr. Goldman wear that uniform on the night of June 12th, 1994?
# 65 Q: If you know, sir, did he live anywhere near the restaurant?
# 66 A: He lived a few blocks from the restaurant, yes, he did.
# 68 A: Within walking distance, yes, he did.
# 70 A: Within walking distance.
# 71 Q: When you arrived at 6:45, did you happen to see Nicole brown there?
# 75 Q: Who was she with?
# 76 A: She was with a party of ten, and they made reservations that evening to dine.
# 77 Q: And the party was already in progress dining then, at the time you arrived at 6:45?
# 79 Q: Can I ask you, were there children in that party, sir?
# 81 Q: Now, regarding the layout of your restaurant, do the customers enter and exit through the front door?
# 82 A: Most of the time they do, yes.
# 83 Q: Is there another exit besides the front door?
# 84 A: There is an exit that we use for our patio dining, and also handicap.
# 85 Q: Where is that located?
# 86 A: That is on the Gorham side of the restaurant, Gorham street side.
# 87 Q: It's a side exit, sir?
# 89 Q: Now, the waiters and the employees, do they enter and exit through the front entrance?
# 90 A: Depends on which direction they're coming from. Mostly the Gorham entrance and exit they come through.
# 91 Q: Meaning the side entrance?
# 92 A: Side entrance, yes.
# 93 Q: Does your restaurant have a bar?
# 95 Q: And where is that bar located?
# 96 A: It's on the west side of the restaurant, which would be the inside, the west side meaning -- the east side would be the side facing the street, and the west side would be the wall with the bar right there.
# 97 Q: Where is that bar in relation, sir, to the side exit you've been referring to?
# 98 A: It's about 20 feet from the exit.
# 99 Q: If you were to leave through that side exit, would you necessarily then have to pass by the bar?
# 100 A: All the time, yes.
# 101 Q: Do you recall who was waiting on Nicole Brown's party that night, June 12th, 1994?
# 102 A: One of our waitresses.
# 103 Q: Were you present when Nicole and her party left?
# 105 Q: What time was that, approximately?
# 106 A: I would say about 8:30, 8:45, within that time frame.
# 107 Q: Now, do the employees in your restaurant punch in and out on a time clock?
# 109 Q: And did Ronald Goldman punch out that night?
# 112 A: 9:33, and I initialed his time card.
KEY QUOTE # 113 Q: If you know, sir, did you observe that he left immediately after he clocked out?
# 115 Q: What did he do, If you know?
# 116 A: Well, he loosened his tie. I think he took off his vest, and he had a drink. I think it was Pellegrino, it's a mineral water.
# 117 Q: Did you have a conversation with him?
# 119 Q: Did anyone else have a conversation with him after you?
# 120 A: A couple of my waiters, bartender.
# 121 Q: Who was the bartender that night?
# 123 Q: Are you familiar with someone by the name of Stewart Tanner?
# 125 Q: Was he in the restaurant that night?
# 127 Q: Who was in the restaurant that night?
# 128 A: Well, there were three waiters, bus boys, myself -- oh, yeah, I'm sorry. Stewart was tending bar that evening. I'm sorry, I got mixed up. Excuse me.
# 129 Q: That's fine, sir.
# 131 Q: Are you certain Stewart Tanner was tending bar that night?
# 132 A: Right. Karen is my assistant on Sunday evenings, that is why I get confused once in awhile. So, she was doing the front door, and Stewart was tending bar.
# 133 Q: Are Sunday nights something different than during the rest of the weekend?
# 134 A: It's usually the night I get to rest a little bit.
# 135 Q: Why is that? Does Karen Crawford take over the managerial duties on Sunday night?
# 136 A: Yeah. She does all my book work, everything for me then.
# 137 Q: Other than Sundays, does Karen Crawford tend bar then?
# 139 Q: When she takes over the managerial duties on Sunday, does Stewart Tanner take over the bar?
# 141 Q: He was tending bar on June 12th, 1994?
# 143 Q: Where was it that you last saw Ronald Goldman, sir?
# 144 A: I was speaking with him behind the bar that evening. That is the last time I spoke to him.
# 145 Q: After he spoke to you, did you observe him to speak with anyone else?
# 147 Q: For approximately how long after he clocked out on the time clock, did he speak to you and other employees, or stay in the restaurant?
# 148 A: I would say about 15 minutes.
KEY QUOTE # 149 Q: So, by your estimate, sir, you would say he left around 9:45 to 9:50?
KEY QUOTE # 151 Q: When he left, was he still wearing his uniform?
# 152 A: He did take his vest off, and his tie.
# 153 Q: But other than that, the shirt and the pants of the uniform, he was still wearing when he left?
# 155 Q: Did you ever see him again after that night?
# 157 MS. CLARK: I have nothing further.