Milantoni v. Berardino
Milantoni v. Berardino
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The plaintiff’s action was for the wages of manual labor. The contract of employment as set up was oral as was also the testimony in support of the claim. The defendant denied that the plaintiff was ever in his service as did also the witness, Stante, called by him. The appellant alleges that there was not sufficient evidence to justify the submission of the case to the jury on the question of employment, but we cannot sustain this position. The evidence is specific that work was done by the plaintiff; that it was done under the direction of Stante with the knowledge and approval of the defendant and that Stante was the manager of the defendant’s business at the place. The services were rendered during a period of about sixteen months. To have given binding instructions for the defendant or to have entered judgment non obstante veredicto in the face of the testimony would have been erroneous. The case was clearly one for the jury on the contradictory testimony offered by the plaintiff and the defendant. The first, second, third, fourth, sixth and seventh assignments are therefore overruled.
Stante was called by the plaintiff to testify as if under cross-examination. The action of the court in permitting this to be done is the subject of the fifth assignment. It is not at all clear that Stante was not interested in the business carried on at the commissary. He admits that he was a partner with the defendant in the bread business and that was one of the things about which the plaintiff was employed, as appears from the testimony
The judgment is affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.