New-York tribune., 1920-04-03
Raiders Seize
Biggest Still
Found Here
I. S. Agents Destroy Fifteen
Barrels of Whisky, Three
oOO-Callon Watts and Two
Tons of Mash at Corona
Two Men Are Arrested
Federal Judge Refuses to
Discharge One on Whom
Five Bottles Were Found

The most complete plant for the IL
llcit manufacture of liquor yet un-
earthed here was discovered yesterday
charge OF Brooklyn enforcement
agents, who raided frame house at
so NARROW Avenue, Corona. Queens.
He found two stills. each with a
capacity of fifty gallons; three 500
gallon watts, two tons Of mash and ff-
teen barrels Of whisky. The condition
Of the place. Captain Allen said. indi-
Gated that liquor had been manufac-
tured there for year.
Two men, said to be the operators of
the moonshine plant, were arrested in
the building. They said they were
Dominica Pippie and Mareuri Domi-
nello, and were locked up in the CO.
roma police station, charged with viola
tlon of the Nolstead act They will be
arra gned before Federal authorities in
Brooklyn to-day
Liquor Destroyed
All of the liquor, except few sam
Piles, was destroyed by Captain Allen,
who said that the plant was the most
completely equipped he had ever seen,
and that several thousand dollars must
have been invested in it.
with the arrest yesterday by Fed
eral prohibition agents OF Ernesto Mel
chlorre and Alfred Caruso, charged
with obtaining liquor on forged in
ternal revenue permits from the place
of John c. Lee, at "a Moore Street. en-
forcement officers believe they have
evidence OF wholesale conspiracy to
defraud the government in this man
ner These are the second and third
cases wherein the official permits to
remove liquor from bond have been
used by persons not authorized to use
them
According to Assistant United States
Attorney Louis D. Schwartz, who pre-
sented the evidence against Melchiorre
and Caruso at their arraignment befor re
Commissioner Samuel NJ. Hitchcock, the
men are members Of a gang which has
been operating chiefly through the
Illegal use of the inteynal revenue
permit.
These permits are easy to obta in, y
Mr.. Schwartz said: so easy. in fact,
that it looks as though we have in
formation which will lead to several
similar arrests. In the cases of these
TWO men. agents trailed them and saw
them exhibit the permits and pay over
sl.12s.s2 for three barrels of alcohol
Melchiorre and Caruso were com
$4,000 bail each, to await action of
the grand jury.
Hard Lixuor in His Pocket
Federal Judge Edwin Louis Garvin,
Of Brooklyn, yesterday upheld the pro
vision Of the NoIstead act making it
an offense to carry liquor on ones per
son when Frank Murphy, a vagrant,
was brought before him, charged with
having five one-ounce bottles of whisky
in his pockets. Murphy's attorney held
that it was a violation OF a mans per
sonal rights to accuse him of crime
because of things found in his pockets
unless they were weapons. but Judge
Garvin refused to agree to this.
The court also upheld the action of
United States Attorney Leroy w Ross
in fling information against violators
of the law. over the heads of the
United States commissioners. This
ruling was made in the case of David
Weiss, whose attorney asked the court
to invalidate the information filed
against his client because he had al
ready been accused by Federal com
missioner.