New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-08-17

DR.. Carleton Simon, Special Deputy
commissioner, in charge Of the police
narcotic squad and Ralph Oylcr, act
ing director of the United States gov
eminent narcotic squad. held confer
ence yesterday at the government mar
cotic headquarters, AZ West Twenty
seventh Street regarding twenty-seven
murders. tWenty-one of them commit
ted in New York City since January /.
and ascribed by the police to ring
CT financially powerful addicts, Grim
lnals and gamblers
These vendors, it was agreed, were
thoroughly organized and it was
strongly limited that the Italian
Camera was directing the murders.
Mr.. Oyler said he was exercising
vigilance to prevent further murders
as ne knew that several more Italians
had been marked for assassination.
Richard Gonzales, secretary of the
homicide bureau of the District Attor-
ney's Office, yesterday verified the to-
tai of Italian murders on the lower East
20, and twenty one since the first of
the year.
Besides these murders. ascribed by
Dr. Simon to an Italian Camorrn drug
vendors rlnr. there have been many as
saults. Among them is that of Joseph
Sileo, Of 10 Franklin Street. Manhattan.
who was reported to be dying la t
night as result Of bullet wounds sui
tered when he was attacked by an un-
known assailant Monday, while attend
ing picnic al New Dorp Beach, Staten
Island He is IN the Staten Island Hos
pital and has refused to give the po-
lice information regarding the shoot
ing.
Has Record as Drug Nender
The records in the Office of Commits
sloner Simon yesterday showed that
Slleo has lone record as a narcotic
vender, and that he has also been
arrested or charges Of assault and ROB-
berry He once escaped from the New
YORK City Reformatory. Detective
Michael Fiaschetti, Of the Italian squad.
SAID yesterday he believed Slices as
saiant was a drug addict, and that he
had been shot because of suspicion
among the Italian drug ring that he
was an nformer. In the twenty
seven shootings. all victims, the police
believe, were either suspected of being
"squealers,' or were business rivals
Of powerful agents within the ranks of
the Camorra.
Eleven of these Camorra shoorings
were at what is now known as "the
murder corner" at Grand and Chryst tie
streets, and nine Of these eleven we're
fatal. Assistant District Attorney
George n. Brothers, in charge of the
homicide bureau, said yesterday that
ne did not know that the Camorra ex-
'sted in the United States, but he
verified the number of murders.
There have been more horrible muir
ders IN the last six months then ever
before in the history Of crime" he
said
More Murders Scheduled
Mr.. Oylcr SAID he had direct knowI-
edge of murders committed on the lower
East Side in district which has its
center at the "murder corner Of Grand
and Chrystie streets
II have reason to want to get the
perpetrators Of these murders.v he
said, "and | expect soon to be instru-
mental in rounding up q number Of
narcotic sellers who | believe will be
able to throw light on these MURDERS
want to prevent few killings that
know to be scheduled.
NV neither it is bootlcggers or drug
vendors has been questioned. Nv cx-
pcrience is that bootlcgging and drug
vending go hand in hand, but these
Italians who have figured in these muir
ders are known drug vendors. Boot
Logging is a side line with them When
they cannot get drugs to sell they will
sell whisky, but their principal activity
is drugs
There has been smaller profit this
wear in drugs than last, which accounts
for these men doing some bootlcgging
or directing t. Take, for instance, the
Canadian narcotic ring, which was the
biggest we had to deal with until drugs
began coming in from Italy and Ger
many. This ring distributed 35, 1000
ounces Of drugs in the United States
last year: This year they have been
able to distribute only 5000 ounces.
This is due to the activity Of the mar
cot'c squads and to the fact that more
drugs are coming INTO the United
states by ships and less is getting by
the Canadian border"