NYTimes
Misc II - Minutemen.
31 Oct 66
20 SEIZED INSTATE
AS RIGHT-WINGERS
IN WEAPONS PLOT
Police Say 3 Private Camps
Were Marked for Attack
by Leaders in Queens —
"TONS' OF ARMS FOUND
'Conspiracy Laid to Bands -of
Minutemen—Evidence to
Go Before Grand Jury
By MURRAY SCHUMACH
Twenty men and "tons" of
weapons and ammunition were
seized yesterday ,to break Up
what the police called a conspiracy by right-wing extremists in the metropolitan area_ to
"devastate" three privately
owned camps in New York
State, New Jersey and Connieticu t.
In a series of raids that began in Queens shortly before
dawn and was still spreadiitg
across the state late in the diy,
the police seized arsenals tliat
included mortars, bazookas,
machine guns, semi-automatic
rifles, homemade bombs, more
than a million rounds of ammunition, machetes, crossboWs
and garroting nooses.
According to District Attiieney Nat H. Hentel, of Queens,
the prisoners and weapons belonged to bands of Minutem$:1,
a right-wing group that believes a Communist uprising or
invasion is imminent.
He said, with nodding agreement from Chief of DetectivRa
Frederick M. Lussen, that
three of the bands were about
to begin attacks on the camps
when the police closed in. '
Camps Not Named
Mr. Hntel refused to identify
the camps, but he did say that
the Minutemen were dedicated
to "destroying and demolishing
Communist, left-wing and liberal installations."
Under questioning •, he repeatedly refused to give details
about the camps, en the
grounds that the entire matter
was subject to "continuing investigation" and had not yet
gone before the grand jury. It
was only after a reporter asked
him if the targets were Boy
SUSPECTS: Men arrested in raids hide faces approaching Fresh Meadow station in Queens
Me New York Times
ARSENAL: Detectives inspect and tag weapons and ammunition uncovered in sweeps
Scout camps that he said they
"We have effectively broken ported taken in the raids--a
were privately owned.
up the secret organization in bazooka, bazooka shell, mortar
"This is the biggest haul of this area and have 'removed Continued on Page 40, Column 1
weapons and death-dealing material seized in this area in the
memory of veteran law-enforcement officers," Mr. Hentel said
at a news conference in his
office.
literally tons of death-inflicting
weapons, ending the possibility
of great loss of life and
property."
Mr. Hentel displayed on his
desk some of the weapons re-
shell and two semi-automatic
'The Minutemen made a
Investigation Continuing
rifles, Around him were detec- careful study of the area around
The prosecutor refused to say
tives, police officials and bomb the headquarters of The Daily
experts—part of the 110 men Worker, the Communist paper, how the prisoners had obtained
who worked on the case under including the traffic-signal sys- the guns or whether they had
the supervision of Chief Inspec- tem. The building, at 23 West admitted they were Minutemen.
tor Sanford D. Garelik and the 26th Street, was subsequently He said he could not discuss
immediate command of Chief bombed with a smoke 'bomb such matters because the inof Detectives Lussen.
similar to those found in yes- vestigation was continuing and
terday's
raids. Mr. Hentel said had not yet gone before the
The arrest of the Minutemen
grand
yesterday was the climax of an he was looking into the possi- The jury.
reserve Special Force
investigation that began last bility that the Minutemen had iutfit on
Staten Island that
January, when the police re- been responsibly for the bomb- the Minutemen
were said to
ceived "confidential informa- ing.
aave tried to infiltrate is airtion" that they passed along to
Conflict Reported Averted
aorne and trained some 800 men
Mr. Hentei.
The District Attorney said ast year. It is headed by Lieut.
When Mr. Hentel, who is run- the hate leaflets had been dis- "eol. Joseph McCrane of Ranning for election as District At- tributed from speeding cars at cocas, N. J.
torney, was asked why the raids night and had nearly created
The prisoners booked yesterhad occurred so closed to Elec- a race conflict. He said any
tion Day—which is a week from clash was averted because the day at Fresh Meadows and the Bayshore, L. I.; conspiracy to
tomorrow—he explained that police obtained the agreement charges, pending arraignment commit arson.
the police had learned the at- Of "local papers" to avoid pub- today, were reported as follows: Joseph Russo, 20, brother of
Salvatore, truck driver, of 20
tacks on the three camps were licizing
Andrew Zum, 24 years old, a Henry Street, Bethpage, L. I.;
the incident until it
to take place yesterday.
cab
driver
could
of
2015
be
Foster
presented
Aveto
the
pubconspiracy to commit arson and
"Once we learned they were
making their move," he said, lic in perspective. Mr. Hentel nue, Brooklyn; conspiracy to Sullivan Law violation.
did
not
name
the
papers.
Frank Ferraro, 29, milkman,
commit arson, violation of the
"we had to make' ours."
As the police were booking
150-27 115th Street, Ozone Park;
Weapons Fill a Truck
prisoners yesterday on charges Sullivan Law, unlawful assem- conspiracy to commit arson and
The weapon seizures grew as ranging from possession of bly.
Matthew Satter, 29, heavy- Sullivan Law violation.
the raids went on. The police deadly weapons to unlawful as- equipment operator, 647 Sobro John Knoetgen, 44, a mold
said that in arresting Jack sembly, inciting to riot and Avenue, Franklin Square, L. I.; maker, 20 Bailey Avenue, Bay
Lynn Boyce, 40 years old, at conspiracy to commit arson, conspiracy to commit arson and Shore, L.I.; conspiracy to commit arson. his home, at Sunny Ridge Road, Chief Garelik arrived at the unlawful assembly.
Katonah, N. Y., they found so Fresh Meadows station house Edward J. Foley, 24, a Tran- Daniel P. Byrne, 24, mechanic,
many weapons that a truck was to confer with police officials. sit. Authority conductor, 910 35 Catherine Avenue, Franklin
Today, according to Mr. Hen- Dinsmore Avenue, Far Rock- Square, L. I.; conspiracy to comfilled. The arsenal included 10
machine guns, "a number of" tel, two assistant is ric at-. away, Queens; conspiracy to mit arson.
bazookas. The arrested man torneys—Robert Hill Schwartz commit arson, Sullivan Law Martin Skiffington, .26, mechanic, 60-12 67th Avenue.
said he was a student at Dan- and Robert P. Leighton—will violation.
bury State College, Danbury, go before the grand jury to Richard Azaro, 18, a clerk, Flushing, Queens; conspiracy to
seek the indictment of the 78-21 69tn Avenue, Middle Vil- commit arson, Sullivan Law
Conn.
Another prisoner, when booked prisoners. Since not all the lage, Queens; conspiracy to violation.
as Frank Ferraro, turned to prisoners were booked on the commit arson, Sullivan Law William Garrett, 34, a landreporters and said: "We've got same charges, it was assumed violation, unlawful assembly. scape artist, 2118 Howell Street.
a statement for you—there was there would be differences in Lebro Ferraro, 24, milkman, Bellmore, L. I.; conspiracy to
commit arson, Sullivan Law
no police brutality. They were the indictments sought.
108th Street, Ozone violation.
An extraordinary precaution 104-33
very polite." Then he added that
Park,
Queens;
conspiracy
to
his nickname was "Nathan was taken after the prisoners commit arson, Sullivan Law, Warren T. Baldwin, 31, plasterer, 672 Sylvan Avenue, BayHale." On the stock of one of were booked. Each was assigned unlawful assembly.
the semi-automatic rifles was to the jail of a different p - Lawrence Conklin, 27, horse- port, L.1.; conspiracy to comstamped: "Liberty or Death." cinct, so that they would be groom, 150-06 14th Avenue, mit arson.
A third prisoner, charged unable to exchange information Whitestone, Queens; conspiracy
to commit arson, Sullivan Law
with conspiracy to commit ar- during the night,
One of the most important violation.
son, as well as violation of the
of
yesterday's
police
raids
was
Salvatore Russo, 30, truckSullivan Law, was a New York
City fireman. He as booked reported to have taken place man, 3579 Fiddler Lane, Bethbetween
5
and
6
A.M.
at
page, L. I.; conspiracy to comas William Kieswer29, of 13512 130th Street, Ozone Park, Gold's Diner, at 130th Street mit arson, Sullivan Law violaand
North
Conduit
Avenue
tion, unlawful assembly.
Queens.
South Ozone, Queens. Thera
John Deptuch, 30, port stewIn Milford, Conn., Thomas the raiders picked up six
mer ard, 1101 1VIartinstein Avenue,
Hart, Connecticut state chair- who were having coffee. Mr
man of the Patriotic party, Hentel said the suspects were
Kies ku
40'Y
which was founded by the Min- among the Minutemen
planning
utemen, refused to believe the to use a hunting trip as a cove/
4 b A EA ."1"
r,
k Ara:
police version of the raids. He to destroy the camps.
called it "an apparent hoax" or
0.
, aro
errs .-rA
In the car of one of these
mixup of organizations.
men, according to the proseBut Governor Rockefeller did cutor, the police, who had
04..rs , f1,1
r-ra
a-La --a
not share this disbelief. When search warrants, found throe
informed of the raids, he said:
g
/1.-% -r—
"These people are misguided in pipe bombs, two grenades and
"a
number
of
rifles."
their patriotism."
At about the same time the
During their long investigation, the police said, they city police, sometimes accomlearned these things:
panied by state troopers and
'The Minutemen had tried to policemen from Nassau and
infiltrate the reserve unit of the Suffolk Counties, began other
11th Special Forces of the Army raids. One of these, in Syracuse,
—the "Green Berets"—at Miller led to the seizure of firearms
Field, S. I., to learn guerrilla and field equipment.
tactics they could use against
The police, according to Mr.
Communists.
Hentel, have obtained many
'Members of the group dis- search warrants and are looktributed racist literature in ing for files and records as well
Roosevelt, L. 1., and Laurelton, as weapons.
The District Attorney said
Queens, purporting to be from
Negro extremists and urging that the reason the investigaNegroes "to kill white devils .. . tion was centered in Queens
have the white women for our was that the police had discovered that the "focut of leadpleasure."
'Field maneuvers were held ership" in the plans by the
in Suffolk County and in the Minutemen seemed to be there.
vicinity of Ellenville, N. Y., with
homemade bombs.
Mimes 31 Oct 6G
15 Dec 66
,A- '.(Ttmes 19 Oct 71
Azaro, Richard
Bagwell, Robert
iv the one
Asaro, Richard
(Bagwell, charges
. dismissed earlier)
Baldwin, Warren T.
.... (Baldwin, charges
dismissed earlier)
Byrne, Daniel P.
.... (Byrne — charges
dismissed earlier)
Boyce, Jack
Boyce, Jack
Conklin,,Lawreace
,
Conklin Lawrence
Deptuch (or Deputch), John
Cflargcs
dismissed earlier)
Ferraro, Frank
Ferraro, Frank
Ferraro, Lebro
Ferraro, Lebro
Foley, Edward J.
Foley, Edward
Garrett, William
Garrett, William
• V•
Kellogg, Milton (man
c.)
believed to be eastern
regional direCtor of
hinutemen)G,0› Si 0G7 44)
(Wieswer, below?)
Zieswer, William
o
Knoetgen, John
Knoctgen, John
Prestigiacomo, Vincent
Frestigiacomo, Vincent
Russo, Joseph
Russo, Joseph
Russo, Salvatore
,iusso, Salvatore
Sartcr, Matthew
Sorter, -iiatthew
Shiffing ton, 1,iartin
Skiffington, Eactin
Wieswer, William
(Kieswer, above?)
Zum, Andrew
Zum, Andrew