The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-02-22
of
Counterfeit
Taken
Nationwide Hunt on Tor
Members of Bogus Money.
Gang With Headquar-
ters i'm New York.
1000 Arrests Expected

,UUU Arrests Expected
New York, Feb. 2f.-oP1-Secret
service operatives rounded up 81
counterfeiters involved in a plot Of
/ international scope through which be-
tween 100000 and si0.0oo.ooo in
spurious money has been circulated.
A nationwide hunt is being carried
on for the capture OF 900 members
of a gang which maintained It's head
quarters in basement in the Italian
quarter Of New York.
/ Government operatives in Detroit,
Chicago. San Francisco and other
large cities. with the details OF the
elaborate plot ar their fingertips. are
prepared to raid conuterfeiters' dens
in the foreign quarters Of. their cities.
Police Of South and Central America
and western European nations have
been informed OF the haunte OF the
foreign agents OF the gigantic crime
ring.
Plot Barred by Arrests.
The plot was barred after the cap
{
alleged by the authorities to be the
leaders OF the organization. and the
discovery Of the printing presses which
turned out hundreds OF thousands O.
limited States 81. 50. 80 and $50 bills.
American silver quarters. gold pieces.
Austrian kronen, Italian lire. internal
revenue stamps and certificates. post
age stamps. watermarked prohibition
papers. whisky and champagne bottle
labels and bogus drug and liquor
permits.
Raids in Manhattan. Brooklyn,
Long Island City and New Jersey re-
suited in IS arrests in the last -
hours and ended successfully an eight
months search for the international
gang leaders. Joseph A. Palma. chief
Of the special service squad OF the
internal revenue department. an
uounced. Thirty-six prisoners had
been taken in secret raids during the
J last two weeks. bringing the total 10
ca.
Oficers Find Evidence
The raided places were found, Pal
ma said. stocked with bundles Of $40
900 IN counterfeit American money.
tens OF thousands Of dollars worth CT
postage stamps, labels. revenue
stamps and bogus coins. as well as
piles Of memoranda, press ronidS ard
dies and q number Of engraving
: boards
: Trenty-fcur OF Tuesdays roundup
victims were arraisned before Fed
! eral Commissioner Hitchcock today
and held II bail ranging from $500 TO
t95. coo. Three were sent 10 Newark.
". J.. for arraignmeat
. The counterfeiters. Palma asserted.
, were closely associated with traf-
, rckers in drugs and illicit rum. They
|. bought huge quantities OF drugs and
liquor from snluggisrs and sold the
contraband in American cities. whils
they paid the tuluggiers with the
! counterfeit money.
Palma declared thousands OF dol
|, lars Of bogus money found Il way in
10 foreign ports especially IN Cuba
and the West Indies, through mem
bers Of boat crews in the rum neer
from alien ports which sojourned or
the New Jersey coast for nearly a
month
Headquarters in New York.
The headquarters and manufscrur-
. ing plant of the gang. Palma report
ed. was In a basement at 20 cornells
, street, in the heart os Greenwich
Village. There were seven vhoiesals
, distributing agencies in New York
city aud surrounding territory. IN.
principal one in Broorie street.
stones throw from police headquar-
ters.
The traffic was organized or an ella
horate business basis with Wholesalers
and their agents, retailers and rheir
agents. hired gunn1en and haison OF
hcers. Each branch OF the trade oper-
a,ed independently. the necessary
contracts being maintained ihroash
, the lia.son officers.
, Italian and Jewish colonies were
. said by the secret service sseats 80
have been the particular victims Of
, the ooanterfeiters who. with few eS-
ceptions. were themselves ot Italian
, and southern European origin.
, Investigation ef the activities O,
! tho gang. Palma explained. began isie
, in August when the Treasury depart
; ment decided to suppress reported
: traffic IN bogus money.
Leaders Arrested.
Palma said that when the suppose
sources Of supply were traced 10 New
York j; was discovered that eacn
: place wss guarded by a score OF gun
i, men. most OF them exconNicss. ATen
/. . bought bogus money at 80 cents o.
the dollar. As the rate diminished,
the agents knew they were approach
Ing the source Of supply. The manu-
facturer. IL was found. sold a. trcu'
iS 20 20 cents on 81.
When the plan, In Ccrnclia street
. was captured the presses were found
dismantled and those men alleged -
be directors Of the internatscnSl
scheme were caught. They We
: nario Masolstesi and Antonio rotler
OF brooklyn. and Vito AsiioTin, cf
New York
Maiolatesi. Il wSs stated. VAS ar
rested eight years ase and given s.
short sentence fer having counter
fei,ed internal revenue stamps
The overt act charged against tie
group arrested Tuesday MAS that
Benny Sorentirc On December gave
; to Gabriel peficre several counterfeit
hank notes. Screntinc, :; was stated.
, Is out On tNl on a charge ~ raising
? checks flied against him il, Nav rc.s