The New York herald., 1921-03-31
SPAGHETTI RAID
NETS S$25O,OOO in
DRUGS; CAPTURE5
Detective Sits All Day Long
OH Box Labelled as Ital-
ian Delicacy.
TRAP In GROCERY STORE
Dressed as Longshoreman,
Cruger Paves Way for Big
Brooklyn Haul.
ARRESTS END LONG HUNT
Policeman Became Sailor to
Make Negotiations With the
Carrello Family.
ARRESTS END LONG HUNT

Carrello Family.
Dressed in the rough working gar
ments of longshoreman and with
half a dozen sandwiches In his pockets,
Detective William Cruger of the Head
quarters narcotic squad crept into a
woodshed in the rear of a grocery
store in 326 Sackett street. Brooklyn,
early yesterday morning. He sat on
den behind some other boxes and bales
in a dark corner OF the shed and made
himself comfortable to await a raid
which Lieut.. Mooney and other de-
tectives would some time during the
day make on the store because they
believed drugs worth several hundred
thousands of dollars were secreted
there. Cruger's JOB was to keep any,
body from escaping by the back door
The detective sat in the woodshed
on the big box, all day long. and no.
body came to disturb him until last
night shortly before 6 O'Clock. Then
Dominica Carrello. the owner of the
grocery store, came IN, carefully closed
the door. and pulled down the pile of
boxes behind which the detective sat
He seemed to be very much diepleased
to find Cruger there.
What are you doing in my wood
shed?" he demanded.
/ II just dropped in for a sleep" said
the detective.
You get out Of my woodshed," de-
manded Carrello. Il want that box you
are sitting on"
Raiding Party Arrives.
At this moment loud cries came from
the grocery store and the voice of Lieut..
Mooney telling several persons they were
under arrest. Carrelio tried TO knock
him down, the detective said, and grab
the box labelled spaghetti, on which
the detective had been sitting all day,
but Cruger seized the groceryman in
one hand and the box in the other and
took both into the store. There he
found Lieut. Mooney and Detective Irv-
| ing Higgins and four persons uuder ar
rest.
Carrello Joined the lineup of prisoners
against the wall OF the store and Moo
ney. Higgins and Cruger opened the box
supposed TO contain spaghetti. But in
| stead OF that food, the police say, the
box contained morphine, cocaine ard
hcroin worth at the lowest estimate
$250.0oO. put up in tweuty-nine large
bottles, eleven smaller bottles and seven
large packages. In the woodshed a tin
gallon measure was found containing
morphine crystals.
The drugs were conAscated and the
five prisoners taken 10 Manhattan, where
they were locked up charged with vend-
| ing drugs Besides Carrello, they gave
their names as Benjamin Leon of p
| President street, Brooklyn his wife,
Lillian. and Frank, Joseph and Mike La
cato, living respectively in Ill Rapelyea
street. Al Woodruff street and 2s7 Co
lumbia street Brooklyn.
Cop Poses as Seaman.
\ The raid on the grocery store was
rlade possible on evidence gathered by
\ Detectives Herbert Moog and Higgins
Moog, as the police tell the story, dis
guised ms an Italian seaman. lived for
stne time in an italian boarding house
on the Brooklyn water front and finally
became acquainted with Leon and his
wife. According to the police. Moog and
I Leon became friends and finally Moog
/ Introduced Higgins as a Swedish sailor
with important drug selling connections.
] This man. said Moog. knows lot
/ OF people with money who want to buy
/ lot Of stuff
Leon vas impressed and agreed to
give Higgins a small sample or his
stock. which he did. and Higgins found
| Il. the police charge, TO be genuine
heroin. Arrangements we're then made
whereby Higgins would bring his prin-
cipais or hackers to the Carello grocery
store In Sackett street and there buy s2.-
900 worth OF cocaine. heroln and NOR
phine. Lieut. Mooney and Detective Mas
sam posed as the men with money. and
they, with Higgins, entered the grocery
store shortly before six o'clock. not hav-
ing been able to complete the negotia-
tions before. Cruger had been sent into
the woodshed early SO no would pc on
hand when wanted
The negotiations proceeded in good
shape. and finally Mooney began 70 count
out $4,000, and Carrello. X is charged.
said he would 20 out and get the stuff.
He then went 10 the woodshed and
found Detective Cruger sitting on the
box containing the drugs, and the arrest