“Yes, but they are not mine....”
The cab driver, unable to comprehend what was taking place, was ordered to open the trunk of the taxi. An agent broke open one of the suitcases. It was packed with plastic bags containing a white powder which laboratory tests would later prove to be almost pure heroin.
Rosal himself opened the small case which he insisted was the only bag which belonged to him. Inside was a package wrapped in brown paper—the parcel which the agents had seen Tarditi carry into his room at the Plaza Hotel that morning. It contained $26,000 in U.S. currency.
The men were placed in the agents’ cars along with the heroin-filled suitcases, and taken to the Narcotics Bureau headquarters for questioning.
Agent Frederick Cornetta said to Mike Cozzi, “I’ve got to drive the station wagon to headquarters. Why don’t you ride with me?”
Mike climbed into the front seat of the station wagon beside Cornetta, who took the wheel.
As they moved down Third Avenue, Cozzi looked into the glove compartment and examined its contents. Then he ran his hand into the space beneath the seat and pulled out a paper sack.
“Hey!” he said to Cornetta, “I think I’ve got two more kilos of the stuff.”
He looked inside and exclaimed, “Money! It’s full of money.”
The sack contained $41,949, which Calamaris and Bourbonnais intended to hand over to Tarditi.