New-York tribune., 1922-08-12
Mystery in Rum
Street Battle
Near Solution
Police Partly Identify Three
Of Six Men Who Murdered
"Gin Millionaire" and
Wounded Two Bystanders
Dead Mans Rival Held
Joseph Masseria Thought to
Have Ordered Soriie inRe-
venge for Attack on Him

Partial Identification Of three men,
with good descriptions Of two others
involved in yesterdays sortie Of gun
men at Second Avenue and Twelfth
Street, in which one man was shot 20
death. another and a little girl prob
ably mortally wounded and the lives
OF scores endangered. lead the police
q believe that further arrests will be
made to-day. Yesterdays spectacular
rhorfirr detectives say. was q sequel
% the bootlcgCers' revolver battle OF
lresnaV in which one perEon was
killed and in which five were wounded
Umberto Nalenti. thirty-four years
old. Of 400 East Ninth Street, known
in the Italian district as "the gin mil
lionairc." IL the man killed yesterday.
Hc died IN St Marks Hospital with
out regaining consciousness al hour
after being riddled with bullets by
gunner said By the police 20 have been
posted on all four corncfs AZ Second
Avenue and Twelfth Street Detee-
tives az once xrrested Joseph Masseria,
Of so Second Avenue. who escaped un-
harmed Tuesday when FIVE gunmen
sough; 20 kill him. Masseria Is
charged with the murder OF Nalenti.
Girls Home Is in New Haven
The wounded man Is Joseph sehepis,
forty-two years old. OF l04 Seneca Ave
nue. Brooklyn. a street cleaner. The
girl is Agnes Eggiinger. eleven, who
with her father, Henry Egginger, was
visiting relatives sat 232 East Twelfth
Street. They were taken 20 Bellevue
~ I'D
may die The home Of the Egglingers
is in New Haven. Conn.
Two Of six men engaged in the al
tack on Valenti ran into Twelfth
Street after the shooting. Occupants
of tencmcnts on either side OF the
densely populated streets swarmec
from doorwHys. The gunner fred right
and left into the crowd as they ran.
Ore bullet struck Agnes in the chest.
She was frst 20 fall under the fusilade.
Almost simultaneously Schepis. the
street cleaner, fell with bullet IN
his throat
Callandria Sorrentino. occupant OF
n nearby apartment. was the first 20
reach me wounded child. She had
struggled 20 her knees and was praying
with hands clnsped % the woman knelt
beside her. Detective Kirk, Of the
Homicide Squad. who was near the
scene. Communicated an automobile. IN
which Eggl.nger. the girls father, he-
companicd her 10 the hospital.
Second Avenue Thronged
At the time OF the shooting Second
Avenue was thronged. A dense crowd
congrerated az once. With more than
a score of detectives on the ground
in less than ten minutes and a squad
of uniformed men from the Fifth Street
police station. IL was found impossible
10 gather G cohensive idea OF what had
taken place from excited witnesses.
The mob became 80 large that reserves
worked more than on hour % re-estab-
lish normal trAfhe
The police arc proceeding on infor-
nation that yesterdays ARRAY was due
20 q long-standing feud between Mas
seria and Valenti. The former is said
BY Detective Cassetti Of the Italian
squad. 20 have engaged in a rivalry Of
wealth and influence with NAlcnti. and
20 have command Of a gang o: gunner
always ready 90 do his bidding. That
MAsseria sent his gang yesterday 10
yet Valcnt.. whom he held responsible
FOR the attempt on his life Tuesday, Is
said 20 have been established
After he had been taken % Fifth
Street station under arrest Masseria
was questioned three hours BY Assist
ant District Attorney Mario. He de-
MED al knowledge OF the shooting. in
sisting that he had remained az home
all morning and Offering TO substan-
tiate this by many witnesses. The
police say Masseria has FIVE bank ac-
counts. and that his wealth IL esti-
mated b. Italian neighbors AZ close TO
81 300 900
Antonio Mauro. a wealthy cheese mer-