New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-12


'Seph POSenzweig, "Joe the Greaser, W
Acting Commissioner in the absence or
Commissioner Woods.
September Is last" he said. 'Dopey
Benny was arrested on n charge OF eX-
tortion. the complainant being Ben
jamin Solomonwitz. He threatened to
llll Solomonwitz unless he gave him
$50. Solomonowitz told US, we gave
him three marked bills. and had men
waiting to grab 'Dopey Benny when the
money passed.
His bail was fixed at $500. Friends
Of his got busy and raised that
amount. But Commissioner Woods
! heard OF this, and at my request, Judge
Wadhams raised the bail TO $4,000.
We had information that Benny was
about 70 squeal. and that II he was
kept in Jail a while longer he would
tell all he knew.
THE raised bail did keep him in Jail
with the result that he has told US
durin- the last six months a wonderful
story of East Side gangdom. murder
and other crime perpetrated for hire
for the unions. Detective Wood was
given each chapter of this serial CON
fessiOn as Benny made il day by day,
and, armed with the facts in il, went
among the gangsters and the employers
and storekeepers they intimidated
by his foxy work Wood did the
rest. When the gangsters learned that
'Dopey Benny had confessed. and Wood
was able TO prove il By his facts they
became panicstricken and gave up in
formation themselves, and we were able
to get some indictments as starter,
and when the intmidated storekeepers
learned that we had the indictments
and had their intimidators under sur
veillance they were no longer afraid
TO tell all they knew. In that way
Wood built up the cases contained in
to-dsy's indictments.
"Dopey Benny was a great figure IN
the East Side That Is why Wood was
able to do so much with his confession.
The rest Of gangdom, when they real
lied 'Dopey' had given in, knew the
game was up and followed suit.
'Dopey' in his confession tells how he
operated his crime syndicate.
Thugs Hired for Strikers.
"If the unions wanted 8 scab beaten
or killed. or a non-union shop proprie-
tor intimidated, they came 70 Benny
for handling the job He got sl2 day
for himself. and the unions had TO pay
So apiece a day for each operative he
supplied. These operatives did the
actual thuggery.
And TO show you how perfectly
'Dopey' had his business organized, it
was always stipulated that in case an
operative got caught and sent to jail,
his per diem was to go on during his
jail sentence. II was paid TO his sweet.
heart or wife or family.
His great rival for this business in
the East Side was Joseph Rosensweig,
called 10 the Greaser,' now In the
'Pinchey' Paul. We were able to play
information we got, or feigned to get.
from him against that we got from
Benny, which helped in the collapse of
the gang system. With the gangsters
convinced these two great leaders had
cayed in, it was comparatively easy.
System Rule on Fast Side
$40 the Greeser' was not as power
ful nor could he command as high
price for his operatives as Benny, but
ne was coming up fast on the heels OF
Benny. They divided the field between
them.
Another way In which we have been
able to put crimp in the gangs was
the shutting down on their rackets.
When they were not making money on
strike jobs, they gave these rackets,
which really were methods of Wholesale
eXtortion from the intimidated East
Side.
When all the warrants are served
there will be in the Tombs a leader, or
member of every gang known as such
in the heart of the East Side, with the
eX option Of one. We could get moth
ing on that one gang. We are inclined
10 think II simply recruited for the
others.
The first arrest last night under the
indictments was that of Philip Cos
seen. a reporter on the Jewish Daily
News" living AZ s95 Kelly Street, The
Bronx. He was arrested at 1872 Franklin
Street on two bench warrents, charg-
inE assault in the first degree and az.
tempted extortion.
The schedule of indictments was as
follows: First. eight men for murder
IN the first degree; second, three men
for attempted eXtortion and assault for
beating an employer on his refusal to
pay union initiation fees and weekly
dues for two Of his employees; third.
three men for assault and robbery in
fic'ed upon a member Of union who
refused 10 attend an afternoon meet
iug.
The sixth charges two gangsters with
beating non-union men for refusing TO
JOIN the union. The seventh charges
SIX union men with extortion and using
violence 10 collect "a fine Of 800 i'm
posed upon an employer by union.
The eighth charges n similar crime
against three men. and the ninth
charges assault upon n factory fore
man and the destruction of $1,000
worth Of goods against three men.
Riot Charged in Indictments.
District Attorney Perkins said last
night; 81 want to make 1t absolutely
plain that this is not a crusade against
unions or their activities. There are
lots OF good men in the unions be
licye that such acts as those set forth
in The indictments are agains. the
wishes Of the mass Of the union work
crs.
Others arrested were William Fro
mopsky, 30 Montgomery Street. a
pugllst. attempted extortion: Jacob
Halpren. 1l77 Longfcllow Avenue. The
Bronx. attempted eXtortion: Harry
kleinman. 80 Second Avenue. attempted
o%tortion; julius Woolf. 53Os Thir-
tcenth Avenue. Brooklyn, organizer in
the cloakmakers' union. murder in the
FIRST degree and attempted eNtortion. ar
vested Rroa