Still fired up

[Times photos: Michael Rondou 2001] Hazel and Preston Nall say the end of the football season hasn’t made it any easier to live next door to three cannons, and they continue to keep records of their neighbors’ explosive celebrations of Buccaneer touchdowns.

Carl and Joanne Biamonte, annoyed that many who read about their unusual way of marking Buccaneer scores sided with their neighbors, the Nalls, aren’t talking to the media these days, but they appear to be keeping their powder dry.

LARGO -- The cannons are quiet for now on this cozy block. But the tempers are continuing to flare, and sometimes explode, long after football season.

We visited the neighborhood last November to write about Carl and Joanne Biamonte's special way of celebrating Tampa Bay Buccaneer touchdowns and victories -- by firing three little cannons from a 13-foot by 5-foot replica of the big-cannon pirate ship at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

The Biamontes -- Carl, 65, and Joanne, 51 -- and many friends reveled in the ear-piercing blasts of 10-gauge shotgun blanks. But next-door neighbors Preston and Hazel Nall, both 78, cringed. The shots shook them up, so they called the Sheriff's Office and environmental management agents.

A Hatfield-McCoy feud broke out. The Nalls built a 36-inch fence to muffle the cannon fire; the Biamontes dragged over their picnic table and lifted their pirate ship onto it, so the cannons could fire above the fence. The Nalls videotaped the blasts for evidence, but the Biamontes fired on.

The day the story was published, both couples were deluged with requests for local and national television and radio interviews. The Nalls received 36 calls the first day alone -- many from supportive friends and strangers, but also from the CBS Evening News, CBS's morning show, even The People's Court.

But the Nalls and Biamontes appeared only on local TV news. That's because Carl Biamonte quickly grew tired of the negative attention. A lot of people were taking the Nalls' side over his.

Contacted by the Times, he complained that the story had generated angry calls and letters, and that it should have focused on the fun aspect of their Buc cannon celebration, not any controversy. When a reporter visited, he refused to comment.

But what about the Nalls? Their life has gotten worse, they say. The reason is that the Biamontes kept firing the cannons -- even after an environmental officer cited them in November for exceeding the allowable decibel level and threatened a fine of up to $500 for future infractions.

Scrimmage in Largo A couple finds a new way to salute notable Bucs game moments: three cannons. Their next-door neighbors want to lower the boom.

Hazel Nall has a journal in which she keeps meticulous cannon notes: Shots fired on Dec. 2, Dec. 9, 14 times on New Year's Eve, six times for the Bucs wild card game -- 43 times in all, she notes.

The Nalls say they called the environmental office constantly but got nowhere. Bob Mortoro, code enforcement administrator, says his officers monitored the situation but never witnessed any more cannon blasts, thus took no further action.

On Valentine's Day Hazel Nall had a panic attack and was rushed to Morton Plant Hospital. "The doctor says she's in a depressed state," says her husband, who suffers from hypertension.

"It just isn't fair, it's not right," she says.

Still, the Nalls haven't lost hope. During the Bucs' wild card game Jan. 12, Preston confronted Biamonte, who he says was firing the cannon from the neighbor's yard on the other side of the Nalls. He says he told Biamonte to stop, and when he turned to walk away, Biamonte fired the cannon at his back.

The Nalls reported the incident, and now the state attorney's office is investigating. The Nalls have been told the case is not strong. But they have drawn special interest from sheriff's Deputy Chief Jim Coats, who says he will respond immediately if cannons are fired again: "Should the perpetrator continue on with this activity," he says, "we will work with the complainant to try to resolve this. I wouldn't want that thing going off next to my home."

"I'm not sure he's going to give up, though," says Preston Nall of Biamonte. "He may just get smaller cannons. He doesn't want to lose."

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