The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-15
CHILD AS SLAYERS
OF HOLBACH COUPLE
Police Say Youthful Gunner
Admit Murder Of Road
house Keepers.
PRISONERS ARE INDICTED
After Shooting Ozone Park
Man and Wife Robbers
Fled without Loot.

After following trail which led
through half a dozen States the police
have run to earth and pried confessions,
they say, from the gang OF weasel faced
young gunner who murdered Jack Hol-
bach and his wife Helen in their road
house at Ozone Park. Queens, the night
of january 20. Until the Grand Jury in
the Supreme Court at Long Island City
returned indictments yesterday charging
irst degree murder against the six pris-
oners arrested in connection with the
Staying II was supposed that the crime
was listed among the unsolved murder
mysteries OF New York.
Robbery was the object OF the shoot
Ing. but the gangsters were frightened
away before they even had time to open
the drawer of the cash register behind
Holbachs bar. Slowed away in the ice,
box upon which the cash register rested
were Liberty bond coupon books and
checks totaliing well over $1,000 and
$3.50 In cash. Not a penny was missing
who the Prisoners Are.
The Indicted men are:
Michael Casalino, %, OF 14e Ciasson
avenue, Brooklyn. who was arrested
on a farm at Fairport, n. Y. He Is ac-
cused Of the actual killing and has
admitted II. the police say.
Tony Bruno. 20, Of 328 Hudson ave-
nue.. Brooklyn. He was captured near
his home and Is said to have told the
police that he carried a blackjack to
the roadhouse and acted as lookout.
Nicholas Chrusano. 10. OF so Emer-
son place, Brooklyn, arrested in a sa-
loon at SO Maverick Square, East Bos-
ton. Mass.
Paul Ricci. 80. a farmland who
worked near Holbach's hotel and who
told the gunner that there was money
there. He was not present at the muir
: der, the police say.
Frank Riolo, 81, of ISL Classon ave-
nue., Brooklyn. He was arrested in
his home and is credited with having
admitted that he gave a blackjack to
Bruno.
Rocco Braccia, az, Of e41 Kent ave-
nue.. Brooklyn, a bartender, said by
the detectives to have given the three
gunner 81 each to take them to Ozone
Park. He Is the only one OF the six
who has not signed a written confess
sion. the police say.
The shooting took place on a Sun
day night and the police assert tha
Ricci met Casalino that afternoon anC
told him Holbach was making $500 oil
500 a week and that money was al
ways kept somewhere about his road
house-a three story, wooden building
well known to motorists and frequently
the scene Of small dancing parties. The
two men entered the establishment ant
Casalino bought several drinks and care
fully noted the arrangement Of thu
rooms. Detective Michael F'laschetti
from Police Headquarters in Manhattan
the man who Is largely responsible fol
running down the gang-said yesterday
According to Ffaschetti, Ricci agreet
to join In the killing and TO meet Cash
limo that night But Riccfs courag,
n lied and he did not appear. g.,
After leaving Ozone Park that after
noon the detectives say Casalino hur
ried back to Dominick Mesciano's Trans
fer Cafe. at Flushing and Franklin ave
nues, Brooklyn. where he met Bruno anc
Chrusano. The three decided upon tn,
final details while in the back room
there, Detective Fiaschetti said yester
day. BrRccia was tho bartender. AL
though he denies II, the police say tina
Bra ccia handed one of the three @ revol
yer.
Two or three couples were dancing IL
the back room of Holbach's roadhous,
when Casalino, Bruno and Chrusano en-
tered and ordered beer. Before lonl
the dancers left and Holbach, who wa!
81 years old. came ambling TOWARD
them with a smile. Casalino jumped Il
proprietor.
Throw up your hands and keel
quiet - he commended.
Flee After Double Shooting.
But Holbach jumped toward the tire,
youths, swinging lusty right which
caught one OF them on the jaw. Casa
limos .3S calibre revolver barked thre,
times and Holbach reeled. One OF tn,
bunets-the one which killed him-en
tered his liver. A second penetrated hi
chest and a third lodged in one arm.
Mrs. Holbach came running in from
the kitchen and fusillade greeted her
One hit her in the right breast and sh
fell backward under the battered CRANE
piano in one corner. She was dead be
fore the ambulance from st. Mary
Hospital arrived. ten minutes later.
Hoibach tottered through the door o
his barroom and made his way fit.
erny's house. The gangsters scattere,
without even waiting to scoop up tn
loose change in the cash register. Hol
bach died In st. Mary's Hospital a few
hours later. Casalinos visit to the road
house that afternoon was what ulti
mately led to the arrest of the murder
ers. for Holbach remembered his fac
and told the police on his deathbed 4
search for some friends of Ricci, tn
farmland, who had been drinking witt
him. @
Working on this slight clue. Queen
county detectives learned of Casalino'
identity and that he was employed Il
a Brooklyn factory. AS they entere
the young gangster leaped through
window and escaped, 1t was after thi
that Detective Fiaschetti from Manhat
tan and Detectives Louis Dardis an
William Quinn from Brooklyn Head
quarters were assigned to the case.
They trailed Casalino to Bayonne, I
Staten Island, to Philadelphia. back I
Bayonne and then to Philadelphia agar
They always arrived a few hours afte
he had left, After leaving Philadelphi
for the second time Casallno went I
Rochester and finally he went to Fair
port y. Y, where he found work as
farmland under the name OF Fran
Riley.
The Dnlina arras,ad Hhrusano in To