The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1921-11-18

AZ AktiN Va tt1S hASt attn "a w htA&AA ~
y Flynn after taking charge of the
New York Office Of the United
States secret service was to- order the
arrest of two Italians, Vincenzo Lupo
and Giuseppe Moreilo. Oh charges OF
manufacturing and passing counterfeit
money. But the Sieilians, antfcipat-
Ing such move, had taken care that
their trails were well covered, and at
the trial they produced flock Of wit
nesses who swore to alibis which ef-
fectuaIly prevented conviction.
AS MorelIo and his companion
passed out Of the courtroom. after the
case against them had been dismissed,
Lupo remarked In voice loud enough
for Flynn to oyerhear: "Those pigs
of American detectives haven't the
brains to get the evidence they need
They'll never land us"
The man who later became the head
of the secret service said nothing at
the time.
1t was three years before Flynn
again came into contact with the two
Italians, and again the federal forces
had to be content with the losing end
OF the argument.
This time the case was the famous
one of the aMorristown Fives"--five-
dollar bills printed In precise imitation
of the currency issued by the National
Iron bank OF Morristown, N. ]. Flynn's
men found that the trail led directly
into "Little italy" In New York, right
up to the door of a grocery store
owned by Giuseppe de Primo. But
there. apparently. 1t disappeared into
thin air.
flynn investigated the matter very
carefully from the outside, but the
only suspicious circumstance that he
could discover was that DE Primo was
importing q much larger quantity of
olive oil than his business appeared TO
warrant. On account Of the duty,
olive OIL Is usually imported In bar
rels and then canned or bottled on this
ssde--the empty cans being shipped
from Italy ready for use.
Feeling certain that there must be
some connection between the olive oil
and the mysterious counterfeits, Flynn
trst tapped several of the barrels con-
signed TO De Primo. But these were
filed to the brim with oil Of the pre-
else quality mentioned In the bills of
lading. Then, merely to make certain
that he had not neglected any possible
angle Of the case, the secret service
man ripped open one Of the boxes OF
sempty cans Instantly the mystery
was solved. The cans contained roll
upon roll of the "Morristown Elves,
manufactured in Italy,
In the roundup which followed this
discovery, Lupo and Morello were
gathered in by the government agents
and charged with passing counterfeit
money. 1t was moral certainty that
the two Sicilians had had q hand ir
the plot--in fact, Flynn suspected thai
they were the ring-leaders-but mont
of the others would implicate them
even to save themselves. De Prime
and his associates went to the peni
Tertiary, but Lupo and Morello walked
out of the courtroom still sneering al
the ''brainiess American detectives"
During the years that followed
counterfeiting operations and Blacl
Hand murders. extortion and black
mall OF all kinds were almost trace<
TO Lupo and Morello-almost. Appar
emily they worked as far west as Chi
cago and south TO New Orleans, blu
every time the police or the govern
ment agents started to close In OF
them. the pair slipped out througl
some legal loophole prepared In nd
vance.
1t was nine years after the origfna
Lupo-Morello case that Flynn got win
of the fact that the Italian colony I
New York was planning big counter
feiting coup. The only thing lacking
according to the Information whic
reached government headquarters, We
q printer.
A few days later, young ftalia
named Comita, who claimed to be
printing expert who had been force
TO leave Italy on account of particip
tion In a number of Malta outrage
applied TO Lupo for position. The r
cruit was put through grillIng eros
examination. but Flynn had seen to
that he was supplied with the prop'
answers TO all the questions. and
wasn't long before the secret servit
had an operative painted in the vel
heart OF the counterfeit plot.
Comito reported that the gang wi
operating from q small farm mel
Highland. n. Y. and that thousands
dollars In spurious currency was read
60 be released.
'But Lapo." he added. s5a prepa
ing 10 take trip 10 itssy and won't
back until the spring.
svsTy wells replied Flynn, awe CT
wait Just lay iow until he return
Tnen veil nall the whole bupch.-