The New York herald., 1921-02-08
Big Supply Is Found in
Grocery OH West End Ave.
After Owner Falls
Into Trap.
UNDERTAKEN In TOLLS
L. S. Agent Buys Narcotics
and Pays With Marked
Money Recovered
After Arrest.
SHIP OFFICER ALSO In NET
Police Declare Prisoners Are
Members of International
Ring-Two Others Are
Caught.
SHIP OFFICER ALSO In NET

Internal Revenue agents and de-
tectives of the narcotic squad from
Headquarters, operating under the di-
rection of DR.. Carleton Simon, Special
Deputy Police Commissioner, seized
heroin. morphine and other narcotics
valued at almost 100000, in a series
of raids in Manhattan and Brooklyn
Yesterday, and arrested eight men who
arc declared by the police to be men,
bers of an international drug ring
which has been smuggling narcotics
into this country from Germany and
Italy for several months.
In addition to the drugs the agents
seized 10000 canoes, valued at $4,000,
which are believed to have been snug
gled into the United States from Italy.
DR.. Simon and the detectives believe
that the operations of the drug ring,
once they have been fully uncovered.
will amount to several hundred thou
sand dollars. The police believe that
most Of the addicts who haunt the
lower East Side and the Tenderloin
district obtain their supplies from
agents of this ring. who in turn OBJ
smuggle the narcotics into America
by incoming freight steamships.
ship Quartermaster Arrested.
On this account considerable impor
tance is attached to the arrest of Fred
erick Sunllof quartermaster of the
steamship Florence Luckenbach. The
police say that when his room near
Hamilton avenue and Hicks street was
searched drugs worth more than $4,000
were found composed mainly of pack
ages of heroin, cocaine and morphine.
The final raid of the day was made
a; night when Commissioner Simon and
Detectives Mooney. Higgins. Moog and
Nassau OF the narcotic squad invaded
a two room flat, at Hester and Null
berry streets. They arrested four men
and seized heroin valued at $4,000. which
they found in bags stuffed in holes in
the walls and behind the wainscoting.
Ia addition 10 the narcotics they seized
a pan OF half cooked opium. n quantity
OF raw opium, a complete opium smok-
ing layout and large quantity Of reve-
nue stamps and ingredients for making
home made whiskey The prisoners
we're locked up In Headquarters.
Working on information obtained by
detectives and internal revenue agents.
Salvatore Pacetta, a Federal agent, went
to the grocery store of Giovanni Cepel-
Iaro, 2S West End avenue. yesterday
morning. and after some negotiations
made a deposit of $3.50 as the first pay
'ment on s1.700 worth of cocaine and
neron. which Cepellaro promised TO de-
liver in the evening I'm Columbus Circle.
The money deposited as u payment con-
sisted OF fifteen marked $40 bills. which
the police say they recovered later.
Shortly after Pacetta had completed his
negotiations for the purchase Of the
drugs detectives rai1ed the grocery store.
they said last night that they seized
$40, 900 worth of drugs. II was there
also that the Federal agents found the
canoes. Cepellaro was arrested.
While other detectives and Federal
agents were searching the grocery store.
Pacetta went to the undertaking estab-
lshnrcnt OF Samuel Di Mere. 34s Metro
politan avenue. Brooklyn. and bargained
for forty-four ounces Of cocaine. agree
ing to pay 1926 for this quantity.
Throw Drugs Into Cemetery.
The bargain agreed upon. Pacetta and
nj Mere left the undertaking place and
went to a tenement in so Second street.
Manhattan. followed by several detec-
tives who had been informed by Pscetta
az TO what was going on. The detective
and Di Mere stepped into the hallway.
Io qa1- "a hi Marc a ndaG
him the drugs and then went upstairs TO
n furnished room occupied by Alfred
Lottario.
Agents followed close upon Di Mere's
heels. but they found tie door locked.
They smashed the lock, but while they
were doing 80 Lottario became alarmed
and Is said TO have thrown bag filled
with bottles and packages OF narcotics
slrongb window into an old cemetery
behind the house. Agents arrested both
Di Mere and Lottario, and Federal
Nrcnt Mccormick climbed out of the
window and recovered the bag from the
graveyard. II had landed on tomb
stone. and In II the police say they found
$4,000 worth OF narcotics. In Lot
tiero.s pockets. the police say, were
found the 1926 In marked bills which
Pacetts says he gave to Di Mere In
payment for the fortyfour ounces OF
cocaine.
Both Di Mere and Lottario were ar
raigned before Edwin J. Collins. United
state Commissioner. and held In bonds
Of $4,000 each TO answer on February
II to complaint charging them with
violating the Harrison drug act. Sund-
iof was arraigned before Magistrate
Short IN Fifth Avenue Court. Brooklyn,
and held in $4,000 bail for Special Ses-
sons. ic admitted IN court that he had
been keeping the drugs in his room.
The arrest of sSundlof was made by
Detective Boylan az he was about TO
hand over a package containing $500
worth OF drugs to another detective
dressed as 2 physician, in his room in
Brooklyn.