Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-09-17
ARREST TWO AT JAMESBURG
FOR BOOZE BLACKMA|L|NG
County Detectives in CIever|y
Laid Trap Nab Two Men
on Serious Charge
DEMAND HUSH MONEY
Marked Money Used to Foil
Plot of Men to Fleece
Jamesburg Man

NEW BRUNSWICK, Sept. II
Joseph Polumbo, of Jamesburg, and
Samuel Benedetto, of 400 East
10th street, New York, were ar
rested last night charged with
blackmailing by County Detectives
Ferd A. David. William Fitzpat-
rick and Charles Collins. The ar
rest took place in Jamesburg where
the two men are said to have been
causing the authorities considerable
trouble as a result of their unlawful
activities.
Complaint had been made to the
prosecutors office on several occa-
tions of the work of these two, who
have made practice of going
among foreigners suspected of man
ufacturing the liquid that thrills
and extorting money from them on
threats of exposure, while repre-
senting themselves as officers. News
paper comment has been active and
comfortable difficulty was encoun-
tered by the county, detectives in
getting the goods on the men.
Definite information was received
at the prosecutors office early in the
week when Isadore Schiff "a James
Polumbo and a second man whom
he did not know. had appeared at his
residence during Schiff's absence and
had requested q little whiskey for
use as medicine. Schiff's daughter
complied with the request and gave
the men a small amount of whiskey
contained in the house. AS the two
left the home they dropped dollar
bill on the floor which the daughter
failed to notice.
Schiff, upon coming home later In
the evening. discovered the bill on
the floor and inquired as to the rea-
son therefore.
The following night Polumbo ap-
peared at the home and demanded
5000 Immediately, as hush money,
saying that he was an officer and
would report Schiff for selling whis-
key if the money was not forthcom-
ing. Polumbo was careful to explain
that if the matter was brought 10
the attention of the prosecutors Of
flee a fine of 81 900 and a prison sem
tence of six months would be the
resulting penalty. Schiff made a
non-commital answer and then re-
ported the incident to the county au-
thorities, who then laid plans for
the capture of the two blackmallers.
Agree on Hush Money
Tuesday had been agreed upon as
the night the hush money was to be
turned over to Polumbo, saving
Schiff from a Jail sentence, but the
detectives instructed Schiff to delay
the matter on any pretext in order
to give them time for further plans
for the capture. Accordingly the
time fixed was last night.
One hundred dollars in marked
bills was given to Schiff to turn over
to Polumbo and his associate in the
affair. At the meeting place Polum-
DO demanded the cash and was hand
ed the roll of bills by his intended
victim. Detective Fitzpatrick then
stepped into the proceedings and
placed Polumbo under arrest. The
second man did not turn up at the
prearranged meeting. When arrest
ed, Polumbo dropped the roll OF
bills to the ground. but the money
was Immediately picked up by the
detective.
Benedetto could not be found at
the time of Polumbo's arrest but
after taking the first man to the coun-
ty iaiI Detective Fitzpatrick return
ed to Jamesburg where he arrested
Renedetto in his bed about o'clock
this morning.
Returning to New Brunswick with
the second prisoner evidently indicat-
ed to Polumbo that the game was
about up and he made complete
confession of the affair and other
cases of a similar nature, 1t was said.