Firearms: Have Gun, Will Travel

To Robert Luongo, a Kennedy-assassination buff from Florida, it seemed only natural to tell a policeman that he had Jack Ruby's pistol in his suitcase as he strolled near the U.S. Capitol. But when Luongo offered to show the historic weapon to House Speaker Tom Foley a few moments later, the cop arrested Luongo.

It turned out that Luongo is an associate of Anthony Pugliese, the previously unidentified collector who bought the gun at auction last December for $220,000. Luongo had taken the pistol to Washington to display it on a cable-TV show about Ruby's shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald.

Luongo may eventually stand trial for possession of an unlicensed handgun. The fate of Ruby's pistol also will be decided by the courts. Illegal or unlicensed weapons that are seized in Washington are usually melted down.