New-York tribune., 1922-07-28
Raiders Surprise Gang of
Five, but 10O-Gallon
Tank Blows Up Just
as They Make Arrests
Woman Lookout
Made Prisoner
Rear of House Wrecked
and Blazing Alcohol
Covers the Invaders

"
Avenue. Jamaica, Queens, while police
men were removing n smaller still
from the cellar. Eight policemen were
injured by the explosion, one 90 fcri.
ously that he may not recover, and
4 FIVE so severely that they arc 10 s.
Mary's Hospital, Jamaica.
Louis j. Laut, a detective Of Chief
Inspector Lahey's staff, Is the most
seriously injured. His head and !eg'
we're burned and he was cut by broken
glhss. Lieutenant Albert Duffy. leader
OF the raiders, and Patrick Harmon, a
bicycle patrolman Of the Jamaica po-
lice station. are suffering from severe
burns. Detective Joseph O'Brien and
Mounted Patrolman Herbert Wilson. OF
! the Jamaica police station, also are in
( the hospital Detective William G. Scu-
bert and Patrolmen Leonard Smith and
! John Murphy were able 70 80 hom,
I after receiving medical attention.
Carmine Pizza, at whose home the
raid was made; Alexander Bruno. oi
2l3 Liberty Avenue. Jamaica. his
I fatbti -in-law; Brunos son Anthony
. Of 1868 Beaufort Avenue, Woodhavcn
3 Queens. and John Defo, OF 50 West
! Catherine Street, Jamaica, are under
arrest, charged with violation OF the
prohibition enforcement act. Pizza''
1 wife, Julia. twenty-thrce years old, is
under arrest on a charge Of felonious
assault, the police alleging that she
had "A revolver and threatened them
with IL.
Pursuit Squad on the Job
( Reports OF mysterious noises and
.odors emanating from the Pizza home
bad been drifting in 20 the Jamaica po-
4 lice for several weeks, and Lieutenant
Duffy set out with his force Of raiders
late yesterday afternoon 10 investigate
lie included a mounted patrolman and
| n bicycle patroiman in his force, on
the chance that II n still was IN opcr-
alton its operators might have car
on the premises in which TO make their
escape.
( Edward Nietzel. detective Of the
chief inspectors staff and the only
member OF the expedition 20 escape
the shock OF the explosion and the
( shower Of blazing alcohol. made a pre-
! liminary reconnaissance with Detective
+ Laut.
4 .oung Mrs. Pizza was seated in q
front window sewing. The detectives
/ noticed that she was keeping a sharper
I watch on the street than on her sew
! ing, and once, when she lifted her sew
/ ing from her lap, they caught sight OF
A cleaning object beneath IL, which
was too bulky to be shears and looked
( like a revolver TO the experienced eyes
Z Of the detectives.
+ They reported 20 Lieutenant Duffy
I that Mrs. Pizza was keeping such a
vigilant watch that a frontal attack
probably would result in blOodshed
even If It proved successful.
Took House by Storm
Duffy and Laut took q look az the
( rear Of the house and found 10 un'
Z guarded. Looking through cellar
I window they saw small still, tended
/ by two or three men, steaming merrily
away. The Aimsy lock on the cellar door
p:as easily forced, and the detectives
made their way stealthily 70 the part
( Of the cellar where they had seen the
still.
They found Pizza there, and seized
1 him before he suspected their pres
ence. Then Duffy blew his police
whistle, and at the signal the hall
\ dozen men who had been waiting IN
I front Of the house rushed IN By the
front door, taking II with them.
4 Mrs. Pizza was no logger sewing al
the window. At sound Of the police
, whistle in the cellar she had dartec
toward the cellar stairs, reaching the
TOP Just in time 10 meet Duffy and
Laut, each Of them grasping her hus'
band by the arm.
what the object was Of which Laut and
Nietze, had caught a glimpse beneath
! Ne, Pizza's seW.ag. IL was revolver
and il was now firmly grasped IN PITS
I Pizzas right hand and steadily leyelled
at her husbands captors.
At sight Of II they thrust their
prisoner before them az q shield. Mrs
| pizza hesitated, and while she stood
apparently waiting for an opportunity
10 wing one OF the policemen whom
her husband was sheltering inyolun-
/ tarilv. Patrolman Harmon and Detec.
| tive O'Brien seized her from behind
and disarmed her.
Explosion wrecks house
Hbe others had gathered in her
| sather and the other prisoners. Mrs
, pi1za's three children we're screaming
/ in terror and Duffy had Detective
/ Nietzel take them 10 neighbor
house. The others marshaled the
nyisoners outside and set about remoy-
I ing the stills. ~.
cellar ffty-gallon affair. Hannor
/ snd Smith had IL nearly at the top oi
tbs cellar stairs when the big still blew
',, ,yith a roar that aroused the neigh
borbood. wrecked the rear OF the house
snd scattered fiery shower over
H. gsnnon and Smith and the still they
3, ,.e,o toiling up the stairs with wer'
blown through the aperture that nae
heen a cellar window until the oias
eniarged IL 10 an aperture which ae
rommodated them and their buraei
neteetiye Laut was within a few feet
~ the big still when II exploded, ane
ysceived the most serious injuries. HIS
hodv was half buried in the wreekag,
snd was in danger Of being envelopee
he danes when his comrades, who nae
recovered from the shock, rushed 70 hl'
rescue. L.. 81,
a,n,an were unable 20 extinguish ths
eames and the house was destroyed
several ambulsnces were sent TO th'
sccne and tho injured policemen were
.rea,ed On the verandas Of neighborinf
houses. while reserves held back
crowd wnleh the ds;onation had al
: traetsA