The New York herald., 1922-06-04
ship SEIZURE BARES
! Big SMUGGLINGPLOT
/ OF LIQUOR RUNNERS
Ozone Park Millionaire,
Fugitive in Bermuda, Its
Head, Says Prosecutor.
HAD JUMPED HIS BAIL
Scheme Is Revealed in Cap
ture Of EX-Mine Layer at
Brooklyn Dock.
BULLETS FLY IN HARBOR
Nine Men Arrested and Part
\ of Whisky Cargo Is Confis-
Gated by Dry Raiders.
BULLETS FLY IN HARBOR

A revolver battle in tie harbor early
yesterday between rum runners and
Federal prohibition agents, resulting
in the seizure Of the $50 foot tug
Ripple and the arrest of nine men,
was the means of revealing what was
described in court as liquor snug
Cling plot, headed by a Long Island
millionaire, now in enforced exile in
Bermuda, whence he is directing large
shipments of whisky to New York.
The head of the liquor smuggling
ring was said to be Antonio Cassese.
wealthy tobacco. manufacturer of
Ozone Park, l.. T., who fled the country
a short time ago following his indict-
ment on a similar charge of unlaw-
fully importing liquor. A bond of
$4,000, which Cassese furnished for his
release pending trial of his case, was
defaulted in the Federal Court in
Brooklyn last Wednesday.
The name of Cassese was connected
with the seizure of the Ripple when the
nine prisoners were arraigned yesterday
sioner McGoldrick, in Brooklyn. AS
sistant United States District Attorneys
Joseph NJ. Crooks and Peter ]. Brancato
asked that the amount Of bail be fixed
at $25, 900 each for the nine men.
High Bail Insisted On.
Lawyers for the defendants argued
that this amount was prohibitive and
meant only that the Government attor-
neys were asking the men 10 be sent
to jail until their case was tried. Mr..
Brancato insisted on the bail being set
at $4,000. declaring:
'"rhe man we want In this case is
Cassese. He is the man who owns the
boat and the whisky. He is now a
fugitive from justice. lie is under in
dictment already for violating the Vol
stead act and has jumped his bail. We
want these men held In S25,000 each
because If they are released on smaller
amounts Cassese will furnish their
bonds and these men will disappear
Mr.. Brancato said he had information
that the Ripple was owned by Cassese.
and that the tobacco manufacturer was
Jack of the plot to land many large
shipments of liquor I'm this port. The
Government attorney unfoIded the
Cassese was the alleged owner of the
yacht Edith. which was seized by the
Government with 1900 cases of liquor
aboard on March 2S. at Bayville, l.. 4.
Cassese was indicted by the Federal
Grand Jury early in April. and was re-
leased under bond of $1,000. His case
was called for trial five different times.
Each time his attorneys pleaded for a
further postponement.
- a.
postponement was renewed United
States District Attorney Ralph c. Greene
opposed it with the declaration that 1t
was only the manipulation of the attor-
neys to seek to have the case put off
until the autumn, when the witnesses for
the Government would be absent. Mr..
Greene called the postponement motions
attempts to "juggle Justice"
Judge Chatfield denied the motion.
ordered the defendants bond of $4,000
defaulted and issued bench warrant
for his arrest as a fugitive from justice.
Mr. Brancato declared yesterday that
the reason Cassese did not show up for
trial Wednesday is that he is in Ber-
mnda arranging for many consignments
of liquor to be sent to this country. The
cargo on the Ripple was one of these
shipments. Mr.. Brancato said.
Seized Tug Once Mine Layer.
The court was told that the Ripple was
formerly a mine layer and was bought
by Cassese early in May after the con-
nscation of the Edith. The Ripple is
listed under the name Of Giuseppi Nor
porlin. but Mr.. Brancato declared this
is fictitious name under which the to-
bacco manufacturer had purchased the
vessel through the pilot arrested yester-
day. Andrea Marcilli.
Andrea Marcili. pilot of the Ripple.
and Giuseppi Morporlin. owner of the
tug. are one and the same person, Mr.
Brancato declared. Commissioner Nc
Goldrick fixed the bond OF Marcilli, who
gave his address as 1877 Twenty-eighth
street, Brooklyn, at $4,000. The same
bail was set for Charles stone. first
mate.
Bail for the other seven prisoners was
Continued on Page Twenty.one.