New-York tribune., 1921-02-26
Robbers Invade Police
'sDeadline,'' Hold Up
Downtown Office and
Escape With $4,000
Seven Relieved of
$65,OOO Uptown
Police Wondering How
So Much Money DiSap.
peared, but Investigate

Hold-up men put in a profitable
days work in New York yesterday.
Two of them got nearly. 100000
worth of jewelry in the office of
Ratzkoff Brothers, jewelers., at 206
Broadway, after knocking Joseph
Maiorana, member of the firm,
senseless. Seven more held up seven
men in an office on West Twenty
eighth Street and are said to have
obtained $4,000 in money and
jeweiry.
jcwelry. The police are still some
what skeptical as to the manner in
which the $65, 900 disappeared and
are investigating the alleged hold-up.
1t was a little after noon when
the two men walked into the
jewelers. office, on the ninth floor Of
20G Broadway. After telling Maio-
rama they took a tray of platinum
rings and two gold bracelets set with
diamonds from the safe, dumped
them into bag and walked out into
the lunch-hour crowds on Broadway.
where all trace of them was lost The
loss to the firm is covered by insur-
ance.
The robbery, occurring in broad day
light and below the Fulton Street
"deadlinc," was regarded as one of the
most daring of the crime wave. De.
tectives and police officials. who rushed
to the scene OF the hold-up were puz-
EIed both by the daring shown by the
hold-up men ana the lack of tangible
clews that might lead to their appre-
hension.
One Visited Office Before
According to Maiorana. who ws7
taken in an ambulance to Voluntocr
Hospital for treatment but later wa
able to return TO his office. the two
hold-up men were foreigners He said
they appeared TO be about twenty-foUr
years old and were slight of build One
wore derby and the other fedora
nat. Maiorana said he recognized one
OF them as a man who came in to SOS
hlm last Wednesday and offered him
some sealing wax for sale A.cordinr
to the other tenants on the floor of the
hold-up, which is occupied mostly h.,
jewelers.. they, too were offered geslinr
wax AT that time. None of the tenant
however, was able TO give detailed
description of the alleged salesman. Il
is belleVed by the police that the man
previously visited the building locking
over the ground preparatory to the
hold-up.
According to Maiorsna, the two men
came IN and ordered him to remain
oulet he was leaning against a safe.
Vpe door OF which was slightly ajar,
and as he made move to close IL ono
"f the hold-up men hit him IN the face
ana placed hand over his mouth while
the other struck him over the head
Win the butt end Of his revolver.
MaIorana lost consciousness
Woman Discovefs Robbery
Patrolman James Feeney, of the Old
Hlip station who was standing in the
street, supplied the rest Of the story
lie SAID that at 1925 a woman, who
gave her name as Hilda Cohn. of 938
sixth Street Manhattan came rush.
ing down INTO the street, after run
hlng through the building at 206 Broad
way crying "Robbersl" She told
reehey that she had knocked at the Of
nee 81 Ratzkoff Brothers, and heard y
1ant reply. Upon entering, she said
she, found Maiorana reviving. Feenev
rushed upstairs, reported the matter a.
Foilce headquarters and called for the
ambulance.
Tee ninth floor of the buildjnc 8,
Eoo broadway is occupied entirely bv
jewelers.. Adjoining Ratzkoff Brother
Gf1ce IS the establishment of !. EfFrua
gSuaily there are dozen persons in
fls office during the noon hour. Il
SAID, but no one heard any commotion
Jewelry worth from $4,000 to Sl00,-
900 usually s kept in their Office hv
Fatzkof Brothers, said julius Rstz
foff, member of the firm. RatzkoY
was due to return to the Office about
the time Of the hoid-u with $50. 00n
worth of jewelry for Maiden Lane
minutes late
The elevator operators in the bulls.
ing said that many persons were car.
ned IN the elevators between the noon
hour and shortly after the rohhar,,
was discovered, but that none of +hem
Rad excited suspicion.
The building in which the robberv
occurred IS situated diagonally oppo-
Tlte st. PauPs Chapel, in one OF The
most congested sections Of the down
1cwn district.
Get Thousands in Jewelry
Inc uptown hold-up. on the first foor
OF ll8 West TwenCy-eighth Street. was
staged precisely at the time that seven
men, each of whom was adorned with
thousands of dollars worth of iewelrv
and several of whom carried other
thousands in currency in their pockets,
were assembled in the Office.
They are said to have gotten awsv
with s65.oo0 IN money and iewelrv
after making their victims lie down
ana roll over like so many well trained
pet animals. Twice the robbers were
Interrupted, once hy a telephone eaI4
and once by two men who called TO see
one of the victims The entire opera
ton was conducted without awak keninp
chauffeur who was taking a nap in q
rear room
The office was that OF the Connect.
cut Screen Company, according TO Nur-
lay Birnbaum, who said he was vice
president of the concern and was sS-
mittedly the star performer of the act,