Carlo Frederick "Carl" Fasi's life is a complex puzzle with pieces that just don't fit.

The first son and third eldest of five children from former Honolulu Mayor Frank Fasi's first marriage is 56 years old, has been addicted to drugs for 38 years, and has been in and out of prison and rehab programs since 1970, his attorney said.

He is due to be sentenced for one of 37 convictions, has two trials pending and an arraignment coming up for second-degree robbery.

That's the dark side.

Then there's the Carl Fasi who playfully came up from behind, placed his hands on his attorney's shoulder, and attempted to follow him out of District Court room 7D yesterday. He released the hold at the request of bailiffs and smiled when attorney Michael Green told him they would conference today at the O'ahu Community Correctional Center.

Those who know him say Fasi can be articulate and funny when not on drugs. He receives a generous monthly allowance from a trust fund but chooses to live on the street.

"This is a very sad story," Green said yesterday after District Judge Leslie Ann Hayashi passed Fasi's second-degree robbery case to Circuit Court for arraignment Aug. 8.

"He has an uncontrollable (crack cocaine) drug addiction and a brain injury that affects his ability to control a lot of what he does," Green added. "He recently paid thousands of dollars to get injections that were supposed to relieve his desire to use drugs."

Green continued, "He has means to take care of himself but it's like giving an alcoholic the keys to the brewery. That's when it's not funny."

The former mayor, his current wife, Joyce, and the six children from their marriage have tried to help Carl Fasi but his drug addiction was overwhelming, Green said. The trust fund was set up through the family, which declined comment yesterday.

"He's never hurt a person in his life," Green said, adding he was surprised by the robbery charge against Carl Fasi.

Fasi is accused of confronting Thomas Larkin outside an ABC Store in Waikiki earlier this month, kneeing Larkin in the face and stealing the man's backpack and metal cane when he went into the store to call 911.

At yesterday's preliminary hearing, the prosecution presented its case without testimony from Larkin, who could not be located to be served a subpoena.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Danny Shimizu's argument to justify probable cause for a warrantless arrest was based primarily on Larkin's statement to police and testimony that Fasi was wearing a towel belonging to the victim when arrested. There were no witnesses to the robbery.

Green challenged the time frame of Larkin being in the store making the 911 call when Fasi allegedly took his property and the lack of facial bruising or swelling on Larkin's face when being interviewed by police.

Green said he was contacted to represent Fasi by the accountant overseeing the trust.