The New York herald., 1920-01-25
DRY RAID REVEALS
DISAPPEARING BAR
U. S. Agents Find Novel Outfit
in Elevator of Park Row
Cafe.
EVEN LETTER COULD VANISH
Federal Officials Announce Real Cam.
paign Here Will Begin
Tomorrow.
EVEN LETTER COULD VANISH

In making the first raid under their
auspices in New York city since const;-
tutional prohibition became operative the
federal officers OF the In ternal Revenue
forces selected shining mark.
Their efforts were directed at half-nast
three O'Clock yesterday afternoon against
Ranken's cafe, No. % Park row, an estab
lishment which for years has been one OF
the best known in that part of .the city.
1t lies literally in the shadow OF the Fed
eral Building and directly under the win
dows of the United, States courts and
those OF the United States Attorney and
the Department Of Justice.
The raid was conducted by Judge"
William D. Allen. Robert Connolly and
John Fl. Davis. members of the force op-
Grating directly under the orders OF James
s. Shevlin, Supervising Federal Prohibition
Agent for the New York district. Anony-
nous complaints had been received and
Allen. stationing himself in front Of the
Post Office Building. observed day after
day professions of men entering the place
by one door and almost invariably making
their exit from another
Proprietor IL Arrested.
When the raiders entered yesterday they
arrested Sigmund kreuter. who said he
was the proprietor, and Frederick II.
Bruno his bartender. They We're served
with summonses and will have a hearing
tomorrow morning before United States
Commissioner Hitchcock
At the rear Of the ground floor apart
ment, which had been the old barron. the
raiders found the latest device for the
Illicit dispensing of drinks. An incon-
spicions doorway led into d small hallway
and an elevator shaft. with n small ele-
vator running from the basement to the
upper floors of the building In the ele-
vator Bruno presided over a small table
and a neat little cabinet containing
bottle Of spirits which looked like whiskey.
"a pitcher Of water and six small whiskey
glasses
Under patient questioning, the bartender
who protested at first that the one bottle
his home for personal use. admitted final
Iy that there was "one other bottle up
stairs.- So the officers became passengers
in the little rick elevator and inspected the
upper floors carefully. Stored on the
fourth floor they found about seven gal
Ions of what looked like whiskey, but
wasn't. After they had taken the STUFF
with them 10 the Custom House, the de-
pa artn,ent experts there pronounced it
with barn sugar and diluted with water
to about 75 proof.
Whole "Bar" Could Disappear.
BY dispensing liquor only from the little
elevator, it is supposed. the idea was that.
on signal of danger from the Park row
entrance. the whole outfit could be speed
lily whisked out OF sight to one Of the
upper floors.
In the basement of the place is a billiard
and pool room. The ground floor was
used as the barroom, and there are bowl
ing alleys on the second and third floors.
The same three lieutenants Of Mr.. Shev-
lin later in the afternoon mare a more
extensive cleanup at No. 3lo Broone
street where they found about thirty Ma
apolitans-men and women-eating and
drinking wine on the main floor of the
house. In two vaults in the cellar were
found nine barrels Of California wines
and a lot Of five and fifteen gallon demi-
Johns containing the same kind of stuff.
For several days the place had been ur-
der surveillance by James L. Delaney,
Timothy r. Grady and william j. Brad
ley, police detectives of Inspector Fen
nelly's force.
found the merry little party in full swing
Of Italian convivislity he locked the doors.
summoned the men of FIR. Shevlin's fed
eral force, and arrested Carnline he BIZ
aso, the eleGcd proprietor after he had
seen the latter sell drinks to one or two
Of those present.
"Owned Only Five Barrels"
lie Biaso said he owned only five Of
the nine barrels OF port and sherry in the
cellar and that he had bought what he
owned before prohibition went into effect
Diego Cerrillo. ono OF the guests" who
gave his address as No l.3l0 Seventy
fifth street Brooklyn, represented him
self as the landlord. He confessed to
ownership OF tho other barrels.
De Biaso explained that it the
seventeenth birthday anniversary of one
Of his boys and that they we're just hav-
ing little party 10 celebrate the day
He denied having made any sales. He and
his family OF seven children he said, had
come TO America six years ago from
Naples.
lot of assorted liquors. found in oil
cans. aboard the Ward line steamship
livered in the seizure room Of the Custom
ownership of tho coutraband booze.
boarding the MORO Castle, went to the
gallon cans for the storage Of turneptine
and boiled oil are kept.
They began shaking the cans and found
several which had been fitted with false
bottoms. and thus become the secret re-
tuhI far uFrIx adt t1ro ne -xas al.