New-York tribune., 1901-01-06
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HAZEN MAKES BIG HAUL.
EIGHT ITALIANS HELD ON CHARGE OF
COUNTERFEITING.

William P. Hazen. an agent of the United
States Secret Service. yesterday rounded up
what he believes to be gang of counterfeiters.
He considers the arrests the most important
that he has made in many years. There are
seven men and one woman, and, according 70
Mr.. Hazen. they nave flooded the country with
counterfeit quarters. This denomination seems
70 have been the principal coin which they made.
The coins were cleverly made and would
easily pass for the genuine article. They
made from sheet silver. The gang had two
places fully equipped for doing the work. None
Of the prisoners have been arrested before, so
far as Chief Hazen knows. They had agents
all over the country and sent the money 10
them as rapidly as it was made. 1t is estimated
that they have been in business for two ars.
and they must have coined many thouss .ds -
ouarterT.
Chles fIazeI. aad his men arraigned th2 pris-
oners before United States Commissioner Shields
late yesterday afternoon. They described them
! selves as Michael Otervo. OF No. 1SI Gr&nd-st.;
Godel Giudice, otherwise known as Pho Paris %
No 81 Sullivan-st; Giacomo Piscopo, OF No: :I44
Baxter-st.; Achilles Chicherio OF No. 1sS sum-
mit-st, West Hoboken; Pietro Pesapia and his
wife. Josephine. of No, 112 Mulberry-st.; sylves-
ter Acunto of No. 50 Fourth-ave.. and AmeIIo
Arboit. Of No. 421 Adams-st. Hoboken They
are all Neapolitans. Pho Paris is the recognized
leader and has the brains of the combination.
The men were held in $1,000 bail each. and the
woman in $500 for examination on Tuesday
at p. In default Of bail they were COM
mitted TO Ludlow Street Jail
WORKED ON CASE FIVE WEEKS.
Mr. Hazen said that he and John j. Henry.
Frank Burke. Matthew Griffin. Edward Tyrrell.
William Cannon and Benedict Peake agents,
had been working on the case for FIVE weeks.
He had received complaints from all parts Of
the country that % cent counterfeit pieces were
being circulated. He received complaints from
the Metropolitan Street Railway Company and
the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company that the
coins were in circulation in this city He traced
the prisoners to No. Ill Mangin-st He had
been informed by Platte & Co, of this city.
large dealers in sheet silver and gold that two
Italians had purchased thousand ounces of
sheet silver. One OF the men was noticed at the
time OF the purchase to compare one of the
sheets with coin which he took from mis- pocket.
1t was also discovered that the gang had an
other house at No 90 Watts-st
Mr. HaZens plans were nearly frustrated by
policeman on Friday morning. person living
in the Mangin-st. house became suspicious that
the men on the third floor were doing some sort
Of crooked work, and he informed policeman.
The policeman went to the door and pounded for
admittance. He was not answered. and soon
went away. At the time Pio Paris and Chi
cherio were in the room. The men fled to the
Watts-st. place, carrying with them many dies,
coins. etc.
THE FIRST ARRESTS.
The first arrests were of Paris and Chcherio.
on Friday afternoon. Paris threw away 800 blank
pieces OF silver ready TO be stamped into coins.
The room in Mangin-st. fitted up a
machine shop. There a screw press. a
hand press, for cutting out planchettes and a
12-foot lathe.
There were also a quantity of cheap silver
of rife haa date
1899 and 1900. At the Watts-st- place, in
basement, there a $500 press for stamping
ters and three sets of dies for stamping the
coins. Several dies were found the faces of
which had been filed off and mutilated Mr..
Hazen says that when the policeman gave the
alarm the counterfeiters began to mutlate the
dies. TO prevent them from being used evil
dence.
place last September, saying that they were
fancy leather workers. The machinery, Mr..
Hazen said, was purchased by Michael Ciervo.
Across the middle of the basement was a
wooden partition with secret opening, so that
the men could escape by the back door in case
of danger.
Pietro Pesapia was arrested at 1 o'clock yes
terday morning i'm his cigar store, at No. IL
Mulberry-st He had a few counterfeit coins In
his possession. His wife found in bed on
the fifth floor Counterfeit coins were found IN
bureau drawer, and about eighty bad quarters
woman was lying A few counterfeit coins
were found on each OF the men VINO We're az
rested.
Mr. Hazen says that one of the gang escaped,
but he thinks he will capture him.
Some of the dies found in Watts-st might
have been used for making dollar d9 and So,oehs shs
silver the Government uses is 300 fine There
was q profit of - TO 10 cents on each 2o-cent
piece The gang since they have been watched.
have purchased on an average fifty ounces OF
silver every day This. it is estimated. gave
them profit OF about $50 day.
rE yOIrs CAN