LaGuardia is Praised for Maspeth Charges. Group there Lauds Him for Linking Phantom Village to Rothstein Influence.

(Oct. 29, 1929) F.H. LaGuardia made public yesterday the text of a letter, signed by property owners in Maspeth, L.I., praising him for exposing the purpose of the phantom village in the Juniper swamp section which he charges was built by Arnold Rothstein, the murdered gambler. He also declared that a special committee, appointed by Mayor Walker, in 1927 had recommended that the alleged Rothstein land be taken over by the city for an airport. Mr. LaGaurdia last week charged that the phantom village had been built in the Juniper swamp not with any purpose to have its forty-eight houses used for dwelling purposes and to boost the value of the property when it seemed probable the city would institute condemnation proceedings to acquire it. He also said Rothstein exerted sufficient influence on the City Administration to have an eight-foot sewer laid to his swampland property, where nobody lived. No one out here in Maspeth, or in the territory which must pay for this sewer, knows yet why Connolly ordered such a big-sized sewer, except to make graft for himself and Phillips. The letter said. Now we know that the whole bunch, Connolly, Phillips, Rothstein and the Lord knows how many more grafters bled us so they could make their thousands. We know, too, that Rothstein, another crook, was getting benefit, and we, the poor people, have to pay for that.