Historic Pelham: Visit to the Wrong House Uncovered Massive Pelham Manor Bootlegging During Prohibition

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Everything was set. It was nearly 2:00 a.m. in the wee hours of the morning on Saturday, August 6, 1927. Philip Oldwell of the Bronx and his two compatriots, Frank Reilly and Arthur Schiller of New York City were slowly cruising the streets of Pelham Manor in a Chrysler roadster. They were searching in the dark for 1318 Roosevelt Avenue.

The new tenant who had rented 1318 Roosevelt Avenue only two months before, 31-year-old Harold L. Peterson was ready for the three men. He had placed a signal light in a front window of the house for the three men to see.

In the darkness, the three men in their Chrysler roadster weren't certain if they were on Roosevelt Avenue or connecting Bolton Road. They had a good description of the home, however, and soon found what they were looking for. The three pulled up to the house and banged on the door.

A sleepy and annoyed Pelhamite opened his front door and was a bit startled to see three visitors on his doorstep. One stepped forward and, "in a guarded whisper," asked "Got the stuff?" According to one account:

"Dumbfounded, the householder asked, 'What stuff'?

'Quit your kiddin',' the leader of the trio responded. 'We're here for it. Let's have it.'"

It took quite a while before the homeowner convinced the bumbling visitors that they had the wrong house. Indeed, it was only "after much argument" that the three men departed. Surprisingly, having awakened the Pelhamite and having aroused his suspicions, the three inept thugs simply continued their search for 1318 Roosevelt Avenue which they shortly found.

Of course, the homeowner they had awakened called the Pelham Manor police and reported the encounter. According to The Pelham Sun:

"Sergeant McCaffrey and Patrolman Karp were detailed to investigate. They searched the neighborhood in question, and found the Chrysler machine parked in the driveway at Peterson's house. They watched and saw the men bringing cases out of the house and storing them in the car. Waiting until the machine was loaded and the trio had prepared to drive away the officers stopped the car. A search revealed a bottle half filled with whisky in a pocket of the machine. Oldwell was ordered to drive to police headquarters as McCaffrey placed the trio under arrest. At police headquarters the machine was searched and 24 bottles of Creme de Menthe and 12 bottles of Benedictine were found. The trio were locked up in the cells."

The three men were put into a holding cell at police headquarters that night. Later in the night, as the police opened the cell to release another prisoner on bail, the three men tried to overpower the cops and escape. A ten-minute melee ensued. It was not until the police pulled out their clubs that they were able to take control of the situation. In addition to bootlegging charges, charges for assault were added.

With plenty of evidence of wrongdoing, later that afternoon Chief of Police Philip Gargan accompanied Federal Prohibition officers to 1318 Roosevelt Avenue where they found Harold L. Peterson still on the premises. The officers searched the home. According to the same newspaper account:

"The place was a veritable bottling works. Champagne, Benedictine, Creme de Menthe, and a large assortment of wines and cordials were found in the hosue, as well as an extensive stock of labels, bottles, corks, and bottling apparatus. Peterson was affable to the officers. He showed them about the place, explained the operation of the apparatus and submitted to arrest without protest. The Federal authorities agreed to his release on his own recognizance. He appeared before Commissioner O'Neill Tuesday and was released under $500 bail."
Pelham, once again, had prevailed in its efforts to help enforce Prohibition.

1318 Roosevelt Avenue Where the Illegal Liquor Bottling Plant

Was Discovered on Saturday, August 6, 1927. Source: Google

Maps. NOTE: Click on Link to Enlarge.

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"BOOTLEGGERS' MISTAKE LEADS TO DISCOVERY OF $5,000 LIQUOR STOCK AND BOTTLING PLANT IN MANOR
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Four Prisoners Taken After Pelham Manor Resident Warns Police of Visit of Bootleggers. Trio Makes Bold Attempt to Break Jail. House of Mystery Proves Liquor Storehouse
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A midnight visit to the wrong house, a few whispered words and a warning to the police led four bootleggers into cells at Pelham Manor police headquarters Saturday, and disclosed a $5,000 stock of illicit liquor and a complete bottling plant in the heart of the residential district of Pelham Manor. Harold L. Peterson, 31, a salesman, mysterious tenant of No. 1318 Roosevelt avenue; Philip M. Oldwell, 33, of No. 2337 Andrew avenue, Bronx; Frank Reilly, 32, of No. 150 Sherman avenue, New York City, and Arthur Schiller, 23, of the same address, are held in $500 bail each on charges of violation of the Volstead Act. The Pelham Manor police are responsible for the arrest of the latter three. Chief Gargan and operatives of the office of Prohibition Enforcement Director Maurice Campbell took Peterson and discovered the bootlegging plant.

Including the three men taken in the raid on Newman's Drug Store, two days previous, a total of seven bootleggers were arrested in the same neighborhood within three days.

After being incarcerated in the Pelham Manor lockup, Reilly, Schiller and Oldwell made a bold attempt to escape. Sgt. James McCaffrey and Patrolman Stanley Karp battled with the prisoners in the cell room for ten minutes before they were finally returned behind bars. The prisoners faced additional charges of assault and were fined $50 each, when taken before Judge Rice on Saturday afternoon.

Although the residence rented by Peterson at No. 1318 Roosevelt avenue had been under police surveillance for the last two months the quartet can blame their downfall on the mistake made by Oldwell, Reilly and Schiller, who came to Pelham Manor shortly after two o'clock in order to get liquor from Peterson. Having a description of the house and the locality and being instructed to watch for a signal light in a window, the trio mistook a residence on Bolton road for the home where they were to get the liquor. Believing they were on the right street they stopped their machine, a Chrysler roadster, outside of a house that tallied with their description and went to the door.

Awakened from his sleep, the householder was surprised to find three visitors, one of whom in a guarded whisper, asked 'Got the stuff'?

Dumbfounded, the householder asked, 'What stuff'?

'Quit your kiddin',' the leader of the trio responded. 'We're here for it. Let's have it.'

It was some time before the householder could satisfy the visitors that they had the wrong house. Convinced, after much argument, they departed.

Being suspicious of his callers the householder immediately notified Pelham Manor police headquarters. Sergeant McCaffrey and Patrolman Karp were detailed to investigate. They searched the neighborhood in question, and found the Chrysler machine parked in the driveway at Peterson's house. They watched and saw the men bringing cases out of the house and storing them in the car. Waiting until the machine was loaded and the trio had prepared to drive away the officers stopped the car. A search revealed a bottle half filled with whisky in a pocket of the machine. Oldwell was ordered to drive to police headquarters as McCaffrey placed the trio under arrest.

At police headquarters the machine was searched and 24 bottles of Creme de Menthe and 12 bottles of Benedictine were found. The trio were locked up in the cells.

A short while later McCaffrey and Karp opened the cell door to release a prisoner on bail. The trio made a break for liberty and a free for all ensued. The officers were forced to use their clubs in subduing their prisoners.

Saturday morning the trio appeared before Judge Charles E. Rice and were held for the Prohibition Commissioner. They paid fines of $50 each on disorderly conduct charges as a result of their attack on the officers in their attempted jail break.

Chief of Police Philip Gargan in questioning the trio obtained enough evidence on Peterson to warrant an investigation; in company with Federal Prohibition officers he searched the residence Saturday afternoon.

The place was a veritable bottling works. Champagne, Benedictine, Creme de Menthe, and a large assortment of wines and cordials were found in the hosue, as well as an extensive stock of labels, bottles, corks, and bottling apparatus. Peterson was affable to the officers. He showed them about the place, explained the operation of the apparatus and submitted to arrest without protest. The Federal authorities agreed to his release on his own recognizance. He appeared before Commissioner O'Neill Tuesday and was released under $500 bail.

Little activity has been noticed about the house since it was rented by Peterson two months ago. Chief of Police Gargan aroused by the veil of mystery woven around the apparently deserted house had instructed the officers of the department to keep a close vigil. Peterson apparently kept his activities well covered. The illicit liquor stock was reported to be of the best imported brands, running mostly to wines and liqueurs.

The Federal authorities removed the liquor early this week."

Source: BOOTLEGGERS' MISTAKE LEADS TO DISCOVERY OF $5,000 LIQUOR STOCK AND BOTTLING PLANT IN MANOR -- Four Prisoners Taken After Pelham Manor Resident Warns Police of Visit of Bootleggers. Trio Makes Bold Attempt to Break Jail. House of Mystery Proves Liquor Storehouse, The Pelham Sun, Aug. 12, 1927, Vol. 18, No. 25, p. 3, cols. 1-3.