Trouble Continues Over Sinatra`s Jaguar

All she wanted was her own little piece of Ol' Blue Eyes for Christmas. So Angela Pakruda, of Cape May Court House, put in the winning bid of $20,000 on a dark green Jaguar XJ6, originally bought by Frank Sinatra at a Beverly Hills dealership in 1986.

Instead, her bid has landed her in a courtroom after she said the car's owner, Anna M. Capelli of Wyckoff, backed out on the deal. The proceeds raised by the auction, held Nov. 26 by the Rose Hill Auction Gallery in Englewood, were to be donated to the Bergen County United Way's relief fund for survivors of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Pakruda's attorney, Edward A. Jerejian, said Capelli agreed to sell the car as long as a minimum price of $20,000 was met. The bidding began at $10,000 and ended with Pakruda's bid of $20,000.

"The bid was binding, it was accepted. They had second thoughts overnight," Jerejian told The Record of Hackensack for Wednesday editions.

Capelli has refused to comment. But Judith Lipton, Rose Hill's co-owner, said Capelli said the day after the auction that she didn't want to sell the car because it hadn't brought in enough money.

Jerejian said he knew Pakruda was getting a good deal because last year, a 1976 Jaguar owned by Sinatra sold by the famous auction house Christie's for nearly $80,000.

On Tuesday, a state Superior Court judge told Capelli she couldn't do anything with the car until the case is settled. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Friday.

As for Pakruda, she's counting on getting the car.

"I told my husband I want to be buried in it," she said.

(Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Author: 6 - ABC, Action News