Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 285, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 November 1920 — WHISKY SCANDAL TRAPS OFFICIAL [ARTICLE]

WHISKY SCANDAL TRAPS OFFICIAL

NEW YORK AMT. CORPORATION COUNSEL CHARGED WITH BRIBING DRY OFFICER.

New York, Nov. 29.—Josephus A. Solovei, an assistant corporation counsel of the city of New York, was arrested today on a charge of having given a SSOO bribe to a special internal revenue agent in a liquor case. It was alleged he had given the agent, Frank Sieb, the money to influence him in the cases of Benjamin and Albert Gross, Brooklyn brokers, who also were arrested this afternoon charged with conspiracy to violate the Volstead act by using forged rubber stamps bearing the names of Charles R. O’Connor, state prohibition director, and of the Connecticut prohibition director. on false permits for withdrawal of liquor. Hearing Saturday. When arraigned before United State Commissioner Hitchcock, Soldvei and the Gross brothers were held in $2,500 bail, each for a hearing Saturday. The three men furnished bail and were released.

Counsel for Solovei, at the arraignment proceedings, said his client told him he had been “framed up.” Seizure by secret service agents of a printing set with thousands of counterfeit revenue stamps, liauor labels and illicit liquor paraphernalia, was made public today, when foqr men arrested Saturday night were arraigned on counterfeiting, charges. The men, Frank Bulzomi and Domenick Amirante and -his sens, Vincent and John, each were held under $2,000 bail. Busy on Gin Labels. Bulzomi and John Amirente were arrested in a one-room shop in a West Third street loft, where the agents said the men were busily printing counterfeit gin labels when they entered. The other two men were found in the Amirente home in Thompson street, where the officers also reported the discovery of more labels and quantities of imitation revenue stamps, bottles, corks and other articles. The labels bore the names of various brands of liquors while the counterfeit stamps were printed with tile names of several large distilleries. The agents said the counterfeiting was well done and the stamps purported to bear the guarantee that the liquor had been bottled in bond.

The raids were conducted under the direction of Capt. Nathaniel Conolly. . Knox B. Phagan, who has been ■first assistant Federal prohibition supervisor in this district for several weeks, tomorrow will become acting supervisor, taking toe place of Frank L. Boyd, who has asked to be transferred to another field. Appointment of Mr. Phagan, announced here today, was made upon recommendation of Supervisor Boyd, who will take a vacation in the South. Mr. Boyd supplanted James Shevlin as chief prohibition enforcement officer when, upon orders from Washington, Mr. Shevlin was transferred to duty in Texas.