New-York tribune., 1921-02-08
Opium Layout, Whisky
Still, Forged Labels
and $4,000 Canoes
Are Seized by Officers.
Seven Arrested
In Chinatown Den
DIR. Simons Says Ring
Sells 100000 i'm Mar
cotics i'm This City Daily

-Four spectacular drug raids yester-
day, in two of which DR.. Carleton
Simon, Special Deputy Police Commits
sioner, in charge of narcotic work. par
ticipated, netted the authorities fully
100000 worth of drugs, besides com
p!ete opium layout, a whisky still, a
large quantity of forged labels and
stamps and a collection of canoes al.
legged to have been smuggled here and
valued at approximately $4,000.
Chinatown Den Raided
In the last two raids eleven mer
were arrested. About 2 o'clock this
morning squad of eight detectives
from Police Headquarters broke into
den in Mulberry Street on the edge
of Chinatown. A rear door was dead
locked" against the squad, but was
battered down.
The room was blue with opium
smoke. The detectives found seven
men lying on the floor. AS the Of
ficers entered the men showed fight
and were not subdued until reserves
were called from the Elizabeth Street
police station. They were charged
with possessing narcotics. Drugs
valued at $4,000 and three opium
pipes were seized.
Just before midnight raid was
staged in Hester Street by DR.. Simon
and Detective Sergeant Mooney and
Detectives Spotke, Moffat, Moog, Hig-
gins and Nassau. 1t is said by the
Police that this place had been watched
for some time az the receiving station
for large quantities of drugs shipped
here from Montreal
1t is said that police officer, whose
name is withheld, found that two men
were in the habit of bringing drugs in
suitcases from Montreal and turning
them over to a women here. The
woman, it is declared, took the drugs
to the Hester Street place which was
raided last night.
Find Men Smoking Opium
When the Commissioner and detec-
tives burst into the room they found
four men smoking opium, it is claimed.
The drugs consisted of cooked opium,
gum opium and heroin, and was in bags
and boxes. and much of it was done
up in small packages ready for distri-
button. Fifty thousand dollars worth
of drugs was found, it is claimed
The officers were surprised when they
found whisky still and large guam
VI M n hNl I1,+ +hn
found whisky bottles, corks, forged la
bells of we'll known brands of whisky
and forged government stamps. Two
opium pipes were confscated.
The men in the room made q dash
for the fire escape in the rear, but were
forced back by detectives waiting with
drawn revolvefs. The men described
themselves as Salvador Acceta, twenty
nine years old, of 1873 Mott Street;
Frank Saccafio, twenty-three years old,
of 430 East SixtyAseventh Street, a
driver; Nicholas Gunta, twenty-one
years old, of 11O Mott Street, a chauf-
feur; and Joseph Lupo, twenty two
years old, OF III Hester Street, driver.
They will be arraigned in court to-
morrow >on charges preferred by city
and federal officials.
The raids followed general informa-
viva 5AtHeISu uuIllIE lHe recent 1nVeS-
legations by federal and police squads
which revealed the existence of an in
ternational ring engaged in smuggling
narcotic drugs. So vast have the activi-
ties of this ring become that DR.. Carl
ton Simon, Special Deputy Police Com
missioner in charge Of narcotic work,
declared that there were
more than 100000 worth Of drugs sold
on the streets of this city every day.
The first of the three raids Yesterday
was dramatic. 1t followed an elaborate
decoy plan, in which Salvatore Pacetta.
an agent Of the Federal narcotic squad
acted as purchaser. The latter went
to the undertaking establishment of
Samuel di Mere, at 348 METROPOLITAN
Avenue, Brooklyn. There Pacetta is
said to have turned over 1925. the
agreed price, for forty-four ounces of
drugs.
Dir Mere then took Pacetta. it ia
said, in an automobile to 80 Second
Street, Manhattan. The car was fol-
lowed by taXis containing the two mar
cotic. squads. At the latter address
the drugs were turned over by Alfred
Lattiere, the raiders say. Immediately
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