New-York tribune., 1921-03-03
Mrs. Alteria In
Poverty as City
Holds 100000
Two Assistant Distric, At
s,,vn<vs, in Charge of
Slain Mans Money, Did
Not Know Woman Existed
ssLet Her Sue,,'' They Say
Widow and Baby of Chief
of Bootleggers Forced
10 Live Upon Charity

Two representatives of the District
Attorneys Office admitted yesterday
that they were unaware of the ex-
stence OF wife and infant son of
Alberto Alteria, alleged king of the Ut
tie Italy bootlegging ring, who VAS
shot and killed mysteriously in the
hadow of Police Headquarters on
February TO-
\ Tribune reporter had found Mrs.
Nteria-her given name is Josephine
living on the bounty of relatives on
the top floor of six-story tenement
house at 800 East Thirty second Street,
iusl a door or two off First Avenue.
The girl-she is only twenty-five
adntted that she did not have a penny
to call her own. She held in her arms
five -months-old smiling boy. Who
~sadilv made friends with the visitor.
81 viii he here until can get work."
She SAID simply.
Dewn e; the District Attorneys Of
'er H. rlanc's Mario, in answc- to
- 7f.crs said:
Yes. We took several papers from
iho person of Alteria after he aad
been murdered. Among them are bank
hooks an6 check books. They would in
dicate that Alteria, who was unques
tionably buying and selling whisky
with three other men. was worth he
tween 100000 and S4oo ,OO0."
do YOU know that the wife of AL
terra is living in poverty in a Thirty
second Street tenement" Mr.. Mario
was asked.
Wife? What do you mean, wife ?"
he asked IN surprise, as he glanced
toward Assistant District Attorney
George Brothers. who is also connected
with the District Attorneys homie de
bureau
Mr.. Mario was informed that the
Tribune reporter had just left Mrs.
Ateria. The reporter described in de-
tail the circumstances under which
Mrs. Altera was living.
Mrs. Alteria, while of apparent Italian
birth. was unquestionably educated
here. She speaks perfect Ennlish. with
out the semblance Of an Italian accent.
I'VE were married two years ago"
Mrs. Altcria told the reporter. Il
never knew much about his business.
He would leave home at ii o'clock l,-or
maybe noon-e each day and woulG re-
turn late - night 7 know he worked
down somewhere in Mulberry Street.
ION February 10 that's three weeks
ago o-morrow--hc kissed the baby and
lne at five minutes to -. told me he
had an engagement near Police Head
quarters and would be home as early
as possible. The next saw him was
when the policeman on post told me
that he had been shot, and | went
town TO GouVcrneur Hospital He was
then dead.
=, The hospital people gave me $40
They said that was all he had on him
when he was brought in. | took it and
hroagh it home That's all l know.
Poo.- Al"
Mrs Alteria's story was repeated to
the Assistant District Attorneys. They
did not appear to be interested
You of course are familiar with the
story that Alteria was killed after a
row with an Italian detective in Police
Headquarters the day he was mur-
dered,' they were asked by The Tribune
reporter. tAlteria was Shot 100 feet
east of the north end Of Police Head
quarters)
Nothing in the investigation indj-
Gates that to be the fact" Mr.. Mario
answered.
Did you check the movements Of
Aiterna the day he was murdered ?" was
the next question.
"Of course we did" Mr.. Mario re-
sponded
Did YOU talk to Mrs. Alteria about
the AFFAIR."" he was asked.
Why, ! never heard Of Mrs. Alteria
until now
Mr.. Mario finally admitted that he
had contented himself in checking AL
ISiis' y movements DN statements made
by Alteria's friends. He admitted that
he did not even know Altcria's age, but
1t was on the records as thirty-tive
information furnished by Alteria s
friends-w while his wife says that he
was but thrty-one.
After considerable sparring Mr..
Mario finally decided to issue a sub
peena, returnable to-day, to acquaint
Mrs. Alteria with the true facts of the
conditions under which her husband
dfHd and to question her regarding her
home conditions.
When the attention of Ex-Governor
Charles S. Whitman, directing the
presentation of charges against the city
administration to the grand jury. was
called to the Developments in the AL
terra case he evinced lively interest
but said he would not comment until
fter he had gone into the case to day
fbdor on G1O0 R;1I Holds