Evening star., 1950-10-17
Police Probe Witness
Talks 10 Grand jury,
Then Tries Suicide
BY the Associated Pres,

NEW YORK, Oct. ia wit
ness, described by authorities as
an important link in New York
City's big gambling-graft scandal,
attempted suicide last night in
hotel suite where he was being
held in protective custody.
Brooklyn District Attorney Miles
F. Mcdonald identified the wit
ness today as William Ricci, re-
puted payof man for the $40 mil
lion gambling syndicate headed
by Bookmaker Harry Gross.
Mr.. Mcdonald said that Ricci
barricaded himself in the bath
room of the three-room hotel suite
and then slashed himself on both
arms. Two detectives assigned to
guard him finally battered down
the bathroom door and rushed the
wounded man to hospital.
Mr.. Mcdonald did not reveal the
weapon used by Ricci.
Appeared Voluntarily.
Ricci. who had been sought for
10 days, voluntarily appeared yes
terday and testified at length be-
fore the Brooklyn grand jury in
vestigating the Gross bookie COM
bine and the million dollars in
graft Gross said he paid to New
York police for protection.
Mr.. Mcdonald said Ricci had
supplied the grand jury with i'm
portant evidence and was expected
to give even more.
At the time of his appearance,
the district attorney said Ricci ex-
pressed willingness to testify but
was afraid that as result violence
might be done to his family.
The wounded man was taken to
Cumberland Hospital where his
condition was described merely as
better" |
Another Witness in Trouble.
Meanwhile, retired Police In
spector Frederick A. Hofsaes, an
other witness in the police graft
inquiry, was in double trouble to-
day.
Already faced with one con-
tempt of court citation on the
charge of evading jury question,
Inspector HofSaes laid himself
open to another contempt action
yesterday by claiming up on the
jury altogether.
The jury and Mr.. Mcdonald
want the 300-pound ex-policeman
to tell them the story of a tele-
vision set he allegedly got from
Gross. Inspector Hofsaes says the
video set came from an anony-
nous benefactor.
Signed Police Waiver.
When first called as a witness,
the inspector was an active mem.
Der of the force and signed the
customary police waiver of i'm
munity. Since then. however, the
television story broke and Inspec-
tor Hofsaes-Suspended from his
job-filed retirement papers. !
When called yesterday, he
pulled slip of paper from his
pocket and read a legally worded
refusal to testify lest he incrimi-
nate himself. He said retirement
had given him back civilian
status and he no longer faced
loss of his job and pension rights
for refusing to sign a waiver.
His action brought another re-
buke from Kings County Judge
Samuel S. Leibowitz, who threat
ened to jail Inspector Hofsaes
after a hearing today unless his
attorney can dig up a precedent
to justify the silence.
The lawyer, William w. Klein
man, said he has no precedent
but is aiming at a test case and
an appeal. Such a case would
have a profound effect on the
grand jury inquiry, as more than
a score of its witnesses are re-
Gently retired policemen.
Judge Leibowitz said it was his
opinion that waiver, once signed
could not be revoked, and he
added:
THE fact that Hofsaes resigned
when he did is no credit to him
in the light of charges against
him that he is a CRATER"