The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-01
POLICE TO TAKE
TASK OF RADING
WHlSKEY' SHOPS
Local Force to Make Az
rests Under State Liquor
Tax Law.
RELIEVE FEDERAL MEN
Government Agents to De-
vote Time to VOlstead
Enforcement Act.
FLOOD OF FAKE LABELS
Mere Arrests Reveal Extent to
Which Counterfeiting Is
Going On in City.
RELIEVE FEDERAL MEN
FLOOD OF FAKE LABELS

Cooperation between the police and
the Federal prohibition authorities.
it was learned yesterday, will be so ar
ranged that the staff of local enforce
ment agents, which consists Of less
than 200 men, viii be released for
special work in the administration of
the Vostead act The burden of rou-
tine enforcement, which has proved
altogether too large a task for the
number of men assigned by the Gov
eminent to this district, will be taken
up by the police.
This does not mean that the Police
Department will undertake to enforce
the Volstead act It will make its
ago. under the State liquor tax law,
which prohibits the sale of liquor
without license, and which Corpora
ton Counsel O'Brien. in an opinion
delivered to Acting Police Commits
sioner Leach, held to be still'in effect.
II the proposed cooperation works out
Is expected the Federal agents Will be
relieved of the necessity of trying to
cover the entire city and will be. able to
devote themselves to special angles Of
the work.
Secret Service agents under John S.
Tuck, in charge of the New York dis
trfct, are continuing their investigat tons
into the counterfeiting of revenue stamps
used by the whisley rings in bottling
the brown colored alcohol which they
sell at $50 and $50 a case under the
name Of bonded whiskey.
Counterfeiting whiskey Labels.
Yesterday three more men who were
arrested Monday were arraigned and
held in $4,000 bail. One of them. AL
phonse Cell. a printer who until re-
Gently conducted his business at 266
Mulberry street, in the heart Of the
moonshine district confessed. according
to Chief Tuck. that he had made about
$1,000 revenue stamps and that he had
also been a big dealer in faxed whiskey
labels.
Many of the stamps and labels have
been made In Brooklyn, according TO
the Secret Service men. Two of the men
arrested Melao Marciano and John
Serla, both OF 156 Wyckoff street. Brook
lyn have a malt and hops store at 10
Third street, and printing establish
.iHCllL OH w dSulnslOH street. Inc hSenls
say they entered the Washington street
ming off whiskey labels. and that Mar
ciano and Serla admitted carrying on a
big business in revenue stamps
Chief Tuck said that although the
enforcement of prohibition was no con-
Germ OF his office. he thought that II his
men succeeded in putting a stop to the
counterfeiting OF these stamps and
labels, the market for moonshine
whiskey would hit sharp decline. Both
the Government stamps and the labels
of such brands as Old Crow and Hennes
sey Three Star have been copied care
fully enough TO deceive great many
people.
City Law OficiaI Suspended.
Joseph A. Solovei. Assistant Corpora
tion Counsel. who was arrested Monday.
charged with the attempted bribery of a
prohibition enforcement agent, was sus-
pended without pay yesterday by Cor
poration Counsel O'Brien pending in
vestigation.
Knox Il. Phagan, who yesterday be-
came acting supervising Federal pro-
hibitfon agent TO succeed Frank Boyd,
who 10 on his way back to his old POSI-
tion In the Internal Revenue Bureau In
washington, Salu at tne emu or his firSt
day In office that he contemplated no
changes in the policy followed by Mr..
Boyd. lie is going 20 Washington
about the middle OF the month and hopes
TO be relieved from his appointment.
Mr.. Phagan is much concerned over
the problem of finding storage space for
new liquor seizures and said that some
means to dispose Of the vast quantities
In the KnckerboclSer warehouse may
soon be taken, either by public or pri-
vate sale. open only to persons holding
permits
Thomas Robinson OF AL Lexington
avenue and James Walsh OF 336 East
Flftieth street were arrested by detec-
tives yesterday and held in the Fourth
avenue station, Brooklyn. on charges OF
impersonating Federal officers and OF
extortion. Two saloonkeepers. Francisco
Psgonia OF 3902 Second avenue and
Jack Maniscalpo of ss7 Third avenue.
according 20 the detectives. identih "a
the men and said they had paid them
500 and $40, believing them to be pro-
hibition agents The men were arrested
In a saloon at $50 Second avenue. where
they served summons upon the pro-
prietor TO appear in the Fourth District
Federal Court" There Is no such court