May 29, 1929

BUSTANOBY ADMITS HOTEL LIQUOR CHARGE

Former Restaurateur Says He Had Bar In Suite But Denies Sale Pays $100 Fine

Jacques Bustanoby, for thirty-two years a New York restaurateur, pleaded guilty before Federal Judge Francis Caffey yesterday to charges of maintaining a nuisance and possessing liquor in a suite in the Hotel Marie Antionette, at Broadway and Sixty-sixth Street. On the nuisance charge he was fined $500 and sentenced to serve thirty days in jail, but both fine and sentence were suspended during good behavior. For possessing liquor he was fined and paid $100. Despite his plea Bustanoby told Judge Caffey, "Having so long enjoyed the patronage of New York's best people I had too much pride to violate the law selling liquor and any other law." Admitting he had a bar in his suite, he insisted he never sold liquor over it, but had used it merely "to give drinks to friends like all people on Fifth Avenue do." Assistant United States Attorney C. H. Finklestein informed Judge Caffey that rooms 307, 308 and 309 in the Marie Antionette were known as Bustanoby's Studio Club, and that Federal Agents had found and seized there fourteen quarts of whiskey, ten gallons of alcohol, a quart of gin, one of sherry, three of champagne, nine other bottles of gin, a pint of kummel, and a pint of scotch. Mr. Finkelstein pointed out that John Bante, alleged waiter for Bustanoby, and co-defendant of his employer, was not in court. Judge Caffey ordered the forefeiture of Bante's $1000 bail bond. Bustanoby admitted the ownership of the kummel and scotch only.