New-York tribune., 1920-10-16
Two Seized in
Probe of Curb
Whisky Market
Prohibition Agents Arrest
Pair as They Are About
to Transport so Gallons
of Alcohol to Jersey City
Water Sold as Liquor
Bovd Asserts Bootleggers Are
Cleaning Up; Villepigue
Dinner Before Grand Jury

Two arrests were made yesterday by
.ceuts of Frank L. Boyd, prohibition
enforcement agent, which, it is believed,
viii lead to the breaking up of the
sbooze curb Market" whose members,
y ia declared, have been conducting
onerations in the shadow of Police
headquarters. The men arrested yes
.srday were Charles Bosco, of 634
Fast Fourteenth Street, and Ralph Fa-
.ulo. of ISL Mott Street. Both men
we're arrested at the Cortlandt Street
ferry by Robert Campbell and Robert
Z. Cantor.
The prisoners and their car, which
was painted black, were picked up at
the ferry as they were about to cross
to Jersey City to deliver ten five-gal-
lon cans OF alcohol. Prohibition agents
followed the "hearse" from in front of
bank at Broome and Mulberry streets.
one of the centers of the "booze curb
market" There, the agents said, Bosco
and Fasulo met man named Tom, who
gave them instructions regarding the
delivery Of the alcohol. Tom cautioned
the pair to handle the cans with care
Bosco and Fasulo were pair $40 for the
earting Immediately upon their ar
rival at the Cortlandt Street ferry they
were seized A warrant was issued for
the arrest OF Tom, whose second name
the agents do not know, but Of whom
(ofo
Eighty-two Cases of Whisky Seized
Eighty-two cases of whiskey were
seized by Agents Harry Holman,
Harold Cuniff and Joseph Green from
g barn in the rear Of &c East 136th
Street, in front of which there is
garage and repair shop. The agents
said that the persons operating the
garage and repair shop had nothing to
Do with the operation of the liquor es-
adjustment. The agents arrested
Charles Frank, whom they found on
the premises, busily engaged about the
booze Frank received subpoena to
report to the District Attorney.
Prohibition Enforcement Agent Boyd
said yesterday that many New York
Despite the Eighteenth Amendment
are in reality drinking water. Mr..
Boyd said that his agents have dis
covered in their recent investig cations
that much water has been sold as
booze at from 500 to $40 a barrel, with
the result that many bootleggers have
made a good deal of money from the
transactions.
United States District Attorney
Leroy W. Ross, Of Brooklyn, Yesterday
began his inquiry before the Federal
grand jury into the famous dinner at
Villepigues Inn, Sheepshead Bay, the
night of October 5, vixen liquor in sub
stantial quantities is alleged to have
been served
A score of witnesses were examined
Among them were j. C. Dachbach,
correspondent OF The Public Ledger
who wrote the story containing the
original charges. and Raymond Carroll,
also a correspondent Of I he Public Led
ger. District 4.ttosney Harry E. Lewis
Of Brooklyn, who was present at the
dinner, also appeared as a witness at
the invitation Of District Attorney
Ross Other Witnesses who appeared
were Murray Hubert. Dock Comnis-
sioner; Deputy Clerk William Hanna,
o. the Court of General Sessions, Man
haitian; W. Lee Smith, head waiter at
the inn; Joseph j. O'Brien, former
sheriff Daniel J. Griffin; Charles H.
Ebbets, Preston Rock, the checkroom
boy at the inn, and ". D. Allen, pro
hhltion enforcement agent, who was
assigned to make an inspection Of the
Inn after publication Of the dinner
story. Mayor Hylan. who attended the
dinner was invited to testify, but was
not present
Invitation to Hylan Stards
Mr.. Ross refused to So whether any
evidence was eUbmittel to the grand
jury bearing ou. ,he charges. saving he
eoa'd not repeat testimony given before
inc gram jury 1e said that a number
O new Witnesses would be called when
me Jury resumes It's nearing next Tues
asy Asked whether he expected Mayor
hylan to appear then, Mr.. Ross said:
cannot say. The Invitation sent to
hin still holds good. l notified his
secretary, and it Will not be necessary
10 serve him or remind him further.
MI Mr Ross said that he will not summon
1 v'Ileplgue, giving as his reason that
~, N case the charges are substantiated
/ 'helpicuewould Re liable to Indictment,
and ne did not want to give him "an
immunity bath" by summoning him to
i testify.
Many of the witnesses were ques-
uoned as they left the grand jury
room, but none of them would say
whether liquor was served at the din
her The consensus of their statements
was that several TASKS were seen at the
dinner.