Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-31
months the meeting place for young tia
ian gamblers and criminals.
Was Intimate With VeFrelIa.


'Dago Frank who was one of the best
known figures among the frequenters OF
the place. was on intimate terms with
Verrella. He considered Verrella his best
friend, and took him entirely into his con.
fidence. Verrella had been acquainted
with every movement of "DagO Frank
since the murder of Rosenthal. Many OF
the young Italians who made the place
their headquarters We're quite well in
formed as to the hiding place of Frank.
When the word went out that the police
wanted ''Dago Frank detectives began
to haunt the Dante Cafe. One of these
member of the Italian squad under
Petrosino and Vachiris, and who speaks
Italian as fuently as he does English
Upton and others, familiar with the hab
it's of Italian criminals, were quick to gel
on the trail Of ''Dago Frank Within a
few days he was found at 533 West bath
street in room, where he lay in a stupol
from smoking opium. The arrest was
made by Upton and Policemen McKenna
and Cassassa.
Became a Marked Man.
Friends of "Dago Frank" and gang
sters interested In silencing informers
Immediately cried treachery. The in
formation that caused the arrest of
the young Italian gangster was traced
to Verrella. and he became a marked
man.
Verrella, who had been in fear for q
day or two after the arrest of "DagO
Frank" had begun to feel safe by yes
terday morning. when four days had
passed since Frank had been landed
in the Tombs. Yesterday morning at
100 o'clock he was sitting in the card
room. adjoining his bedroom, on the
hi I'd nf nj virc "a q
with his clerk. John Pizza.
Four men came along Thirty-fourth
street from 7th avenue. Two OF them
were Italians. The four men went
room and ordered four glasses of
beer. The Italian who paid for the
drinks took the change and showed 20
cents toward the waiter When the
waiter started to pick it up the Italian
leaned toward him and said:
Touch that and I'll kill you.
AS the waiter moved away he added:
SHOW me the way upstairs.
The two Italians went upstairs 10
the third floor. where Verrella and his
clerk sat. The visitors broke into the
room, both with revolvers drawn.
Drops With Bullet in Heart.
You will squeal. you -" shouted
one. firing at close range at Varrella-
The other also fired. Varrella jumped
up to wrestle with his assailant. but
after taking a step or two he put his
hands to his chest. staggered and
caught hold of a half-open folding
door leading into the adjoining room.
He supported himself for moment
and then slipped to the floor. dead, with
a bullet in his heart.
Jack Pizza got up from the table
when the first shot was fired and ran
into the hall to the head Of the Stairs
after the two Italians, who We're run
ming down. They stopped when they
saw Pizza and began shooting at him.
He pitched forward in heap when two
bullets took effect, one in the left
ankle and the other in the left knee.
When the last shot was fired at Pizza
scream, hit in the thigh by bullet
from the weapon of his companion,
who stood below him on the stairs.
Then both ran down the stairs, the
wounded man hobbling from the pain
of his wound in his efforts to escape.
Served Time for Murder.
The Italian who was wounded was
taken to Bellevue Hospital. He said he
was Albert Contento of 30 West 10th
street. an Italian twenty years old Be
cause of Contento's wound Detective
Trojan made no effort to take him to
police headquarters and look up his
record.
The other Italian is we'll known as a
gunfighter. He said he was William
Lorenzo of aO5 West 9th street. He has
served term of several years for MUIR
der, besides a number of short sentences
on Blackwell's Island for assaults and
petty crimes. He was formerly a news
boy In the time that he has spent out
of Jail Lorenzo has been the associate of
criminals and guntighters. and is SO well
known as a dangerous man that he was
arrested and held yesterday morning on
no evidence except that of his record up
to the time he was induced to confess.
The two other men who were with the
italians were well known In the tender
loin. Both We're gamblers. One was q
morphine fiend. Ex-Policeman Cain re-
membered that they had frequented the
Dante Cafe. although he did not recall
their names. Detective Trojan said last
night that he had learned all about the
pair. and would have no trouble in ar
resting them.