New-York tribune., 1922-03-10
Half Il Million
I'm Drugs Seized
With II riisoner
Louis Parmengiani Falls Into
Revenue Agents Trap
After Steering Clear
of Bait Several Times
Placed $lo5, 600 in Bank
Prisoner Says He Was Keep
ing 100 Lbs. of I4rroin for
Man Who Went Abroad

Louis Parmcngianl. arrested last
night by internal revenue agents Of
the narcotic division after elaborate
mancuvcrs on his part to escape oh
scrvatlon, Is said to have had 100
pounds Of hcroln. worth $4,000 whole
sale or $500, 600 at bootleg prices, when
hc was arrested. He was locked up at
Police Headquarters, charged with vio-
latlon OF tho Harrison law
For month Ralph Oylcr. head Of tho
narcotic division Of tho service, has
suspected that tho dlgnhcd little Ital-
ian who lived modostly with his wife
and two children in three rooms in a
tenement Mt 2ot Spring Street was one
Of the chief nurvcyors of narcotic
drugs which wcrc being smugglcd into
this country in large quantities. Oh
steamships.
Oylcl regarded a handbook which he
found in tho prisoners homo last night
as proof that his suspicion was we'll
grounded. 1t showed chat since last
March Parmcngiani had madc deposits
argrcrating S165O lie deposited
$26,S3t last September, $4,000 in Oc-
tobcr and $4,000 in November.
Escaped Trap Several Tunes
Acting on Oylcr's suspicious, Jamcs
Moog, and internal revenue agent. has
Little Italy for weeks, succeeding at
last in establishing himself so con
vincingly as a spcculator in flicit
drugs that he got an introduction to
Parmcngiani. Tho latter, Moog re-
ported to his chief. was to meet him at
a p. m. yesterday at Sullivan and
Fourth streets and close q deal for Cd
big lott Of hcron.
Moog was at the corner at the time
appointed and Oylcr and William Nc
Cormick another internal revenue
agent, were watching from conceal
ment. At o'clock to the second
Parmcngiani drove up in a taXcab. As
he stepped out he turned around twice
and put his right hand to his hat.
His behavior convinced Oylcr and
Mccormick that Parmcngiani had his
watchers at tho RENDEZVOUS also and
they scarcely brcathcd until Parmcn-
giani and Moog had finished their brief
conversation and the former, in his
taXicab was out Of sight Moog re-
ported that Parmcngi9n has asked him
merely if he had enough money
S25 ,000-and had promised to meet him
in half an hour at Sullivan and Prince
streets
At 1870, at Sullivan and Prince
streets, tho performance was dupli-
Gated. Again Parmengiani went through
the motions which the hidden watchers
took TO be signals and again he put
Moog off, this time making an appoint
ment for D. m, at West Broadway
and Blocker Street.
"i haven't got the stun Moog said
Parmengiani told him at 5 p. m. at
WcNt Broadway and Bleecl1cr Street.
"Mcot me at Sullivan and Prince
streets a s o'clock'
Caught With Twenty five Pounds
This time Oylcr and McCormick
noticed that Parmengiani waved his
hand as he drove away in the taxi. 1t
might have been a farewell to Moog
or it might have been a gesture Of dis
missal to his bodyguard, signifying
that he had no further need for them.
Oyler and Mccormick took it to be
the latter and surmised that this time
Parmengiani really was going to get
the heroin
They trailed him to his home and
saw hlm emerge with a carton about
three feet long and two feet deep. He
had dismissed his taxi and walked up
Sullivan street carrying the carton.
When he was half way to Prince Street,
Oylcr and Mccormick stepped up to
him and nudGcd him with their pistols.
He turned and dropped the carton. it
contained twenty-five one pound pack
ages of white powder, said to be heroir.
Three more cartons, similarly packed
were found in the cellar Of the house
in which Parmengiani lives.
According to the revenue agents,
Parmengiani said the four cartons had
been left with him by physician who
had gone to Europe and told him to
keep them until he sent a man for
them Parmengiani told Them they
said that he thought Moog must be the
man.
"Maybe he did said Moog. 'but it
would have been an awful shock to both
OF US if he had insisted on counting
the roll flashed on him. There was
only 500 in it,
The prisoner had thirteen s1oO bills