Evening star., 1953-02-03
Drive 10 Close
BottIeCIubs in
City Launched
Suits Filed in Two
'FIoeront Cases Of
Liquor Violations
By ChorIes 6. Brooks

Liquor Violations
By ChoFles 6. Brooks
An all-out drive to force all
illegitimate after-hours clubs out
Of business here opened today.
Ofacials determined to close
bottle clubs found to be violating
District laws at a meeting late
yesterday. Present were Metro
politan Police Department Off
cials and representatives from
other District agencies with
United States Attorney Charles
Irelan.
After the conference, Assistant
United States Attorney Hugh j.
MCGEE filed two suits to force
two establishments out of busi-
ness which, he said, are fragrant
violators Of local liquor laws"
Suits Name Two Clubs.
The two civil suits named the
Downtown Club, COG E street
NV. and the Picadilly Social
Club, 1901 Fourteenth street
NV, as defendants. They were
fled by Mr.. MCGEE after
weeks Of preparation, including
q police raid on the E street club.
The suits charge that the two
clubs were incorporated in bad
faith and operated as a device,
subterfuge and makeshift to
violate the liquor laws and regu-
lations Of the District of Co
lumbia."
Named as incorporators of the
Downtown Club were Abe Sena-
tor Resh. Lawrence Nathan,
Pierre Olivier and Louis Luzi,
with Albert A. Glickfleld (alias
al Brown, who police have
sought to nail many times,
as the secretary treasurer in
charge.
Glickfield Was Sentenced.
Glickf1eld pleaded guilty two
weeks ago to four counts of vio-
lating the liquor laws and was
sentenced to pay $500 or serve
80 days in jail on each count.
However. Municipal Court Judge
Andrew j. Howard ordered the
penalties to be run concurrent.
The suit against the wide
open" Picadilly Social Club,
which was fined last fall for
keeping and selling whisky il
legally, named Sam Schanker,
Abraham Moross and Arthur
Smotrick as the incorporators.
Allegedly managing the estab-
lishment is Arthur'S brother,
Henry Smotrick, alias Henry
R;@ge,
Both Glickfield and Ridge
were served with notice of the
pending suits early this morning
by United States marshals at
their clubs.
They have been ordered to
show cause why the charters
of their establishments should
not be revoked at 10 am. Mon
day in the U. S. District Court
for the District of Columbia.
Other Suits Prepared.
The surprise actions against
the two after-hours clubs are
the first in a series of steps Mr..
1relan and Mr.. MCGEE plan to
take in helping other District
authorities clamp down on the
illegitimate clubs here. These, it
was pointed out, are clubs that
keep and sell liquor unlawfully
and do not elect officers, main
tain regular memberships or col
lect dues.
More suits to close bottle clubs
are in the process of inveStiga-
tion.
Attending yesterdays top-level
conference was Police Morals Di-
vision Chief Clarence H. Lutz,
who ordered the recent raid on
the Downtown Club after he, Mr..
1relan and Mr.. MCGEE met to
discuss the impression many of
the bottle clubs would make on
inauguration visitors.
Also attending were 1t. Todd
Thoman, Mr.. MCGEE and As
SiStant United States Attorneys
Jack Diamond, Thomas Walden,
who heads the United States at
torney's newly created Division
OF Investigations, and Ross
O'Donoghue, as we'll as reprenta-
tlves from the corporation coun-
sells Office.
Aid Of Press Sought.
At the same time, Mr.. Irelan
called for the press to expose to
the public "the latent evil in
this type of bottle clubs"
Meanwhile, The Star learned,
police have submitted a list of
after-hours clubs to the United
States Attorneys Office for in
vestigation, which include the
following:
The Sportsmen's Club in the
400 block Of Ninth street NV;
the TopSide Club, in the 1900
block of Fourteenth street NV;
the Show Folks Club, Inc, in the
100 block Of Eighteenth street
NV, and the 735 Club in the
TOO block Of Eighth street Sc.
American Red cYnse Aid