New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-10
boy IN JAIL AS PIRATE
Long Island Youth Said To Be
Hudson River Freebooter.
FICTION SHAMED BY CREW
Stevenson's Peg-Legged Buc-
cancer Paralleled-Tried to
Steal Hammond Yacht.

Another boy alleged to have been in the
gang of river pirates who ravaged this
fall the Rockland County and Westches-
ter shores of the Hudson River, and tried
to steal the yacht of James B. Hammond,
the millionaire typewriter manufactures,
to seek South Sea pearls, was captured
yesterday. when Detectives Kennedy and
Teeven arrested Dominic Cuzio, eighteen
years old, of No. 101 Washington avenue,
Long Island City. and turned him over
TO Sheriff Kilbane of Rockland County.
Cuzlo was found by the detectives at
work in a laundry at seth street and First
avenue, Manhattan. Sheriff Kilbane took
him TO Nyack. where he Will join Doc
Lehman, said TO be the pirate chief, and
Red" Donald, OF Long Island City Chief
of Police Thomas Currsn OF Nyack found
Red" In a cave, where fully 5000 worth
of booty was stored.
According to the stories of the Long
Island City prisoners. their life rivalled
the oldtime dime novel buccaneer stories.
Doc" a paroed prisoner from the Ell
mira Reformatory. was the brains of the
band. they say. He earned the title from
the fact that as hospital orderly at
Elmira he assisted In the amputation Of
the left leg of Angelo Caffone, nineteen
years old, OF Washington avenue, Long
Island City. who was doing time.
Lehman was also a sort of jack-of-all-
trades and was an expert mechanician,
knew how to run an automobile and was
also an engineer. When he obtained his
parole he came sailing into Long Island
waters with a 5000 gasoene yacht said
to have been stolen at Albany from a
man named Sage. The boat was repaint-
ed and renamed the Serpent. Angelo
Caffoae, who had also finished his term;
, his brother Joseph, fifteen years old, and
the other Long Island City boys enlisted
as his crew. and they all sailed away and
up the Hudson. On learning of his pi-
| ratical plans for cleaning up both shores
Of the Hudson, the Caffone boys rebelled
| and were put ashore at Tarrytown. Cuzio
and Romano also left him at Troy, but
Red Donald stuck to the craft.
During the time the cruise was under
way an uncle of one Of the Italian boys
went to Nyack to bring hime his nephew.
1t is told that he found his way to the
| freebooters' cave and that Lehman at
tackled him with knife. The nephew in
terfered and saved his uncle's life.
The band, or It's survivors. came to Grief
when they attempted to steal the $4,000
Hammond yacht, which was moored UNI
guarded in a cove off the Hammond es-
tate on the Hudson and was fully equipped
| for a deep sea voyage with gasolene ard
provisions Lehman started the engines
and sought to run 1t out of the cove, but,
unknown to the pirates, the entrance was
guarded by a heavy cable stretched from
shore TO shore, With her engines racing
at top speed the yacht struck the cable.
rode half her length upon it, and hung
there. II was low tide. and there was
no chance Of dearing the yacht, so the
Adventures abandoned her.
According to postal cards written TO
friends In Long Island City the pirates
intended to load the loot on the Hammond
Yacht and take It into a nearby port to
sell for what they could get. The money
thus obtained was TO be used to finance
the VOYAGE to the South Sea fisheries.
Retribution cam. soon after the Ham
mond reverse. The Rockland authorities
rushed" the cav. and caught Donald
there, The Doc" vas also soon arrested.
Ped and Lehman were held for the
grand jury, which meets on December
in Rockland County.