Tuesday, March 18, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
The Reno Gazette-Journal reported today that references to Anthony Minetto's military honors could not be verified, and at least one family member called him a disgrace to Vietnam veterans.
Fred Minetto, a half-brother who lives in Maryland, said he was sickened by the praise bestowed upon his sibling at his funeral here on Jan. 31.
"He was a disgrace to those who did serve in Vietnam," Fred Minetto said.
Anthony Minetto, 49, was gunned down Jan. 27 on a freeway offramp after rear-ending a Volkswagen bug driven by James Dennis Brown.
Brown, 35, described by authorities as being at the end of his ropes, shot Minetto nine times before killing himself.
At a memorial service attended by more than 500 law enforcement officers, Reno said Minetto served two tours in Vietnam and was awarded the Purple Heart and Silver Star, the nation's third-highest honor for bravery.
"Tony Minetto is what this nation is all about," Reno said during the service.
Information about Minetto was obtained from fellow agents at the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the newspaper said. But family members disputed the accounts, and military records did not verify the honors.
"My brother was never in Vietnam. He never won the Silver Star, he never won a Purple Heart," said Marty Minetto, who lives in Minnesota.
The newspaper said military records showed Minetto served in the Navy and the Army, but did not receive any medals for bravery.
In a statement issued through her office, Reno said she has asked the INS to investigate the allegations, the Gazette-Journal said.
Family members also said Minetto had a temper, and witnesses to the deadly encounter suggest Minetto and Brown may have been taunting each other while driving along Interstate 80 before the gunfire erupted.
"I always felt that Tony was an accident waiting to happen, and it did," Fred Minetto said. "He waved around that badge and gun all the time."
Sparks police last week acknowledged a report of another road altercation involving Minetto, the newspaper said.
Al Martin, a contractor with Harker and Harker Construction, contacted police to relate his run-in with Minetto after hearing of the shootout.
The incident occurred last summer when Minetto began tailgating his company truck, Martin said.
"I guess I wasn't going fast enough for him," Martin told the newspaper.
He said Minetto pulled alongside of him and flashed an obscene hand gesture.
"But it didn't end there," he said. "He got ahead of me and tried to get me to pull over."
When Martin got to work, he learned Minetto had already been there.
"He showed me a badge, but said he was off duty," officer manager Bobby Harker said, adding that Minetto was upset because he thought Martin had cut him off.
Martin said given his encounter with Minetto, he was not surprised to learn of the officer's road-side death.
"I remember thinking one of these days, he's going to do that to the wrong guy and something's going to happen," Martin said.
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