Salt Lake Telegram | 1946-12-14 | Page 2 | Swindler Dupes Police in Italy 'Kidnap'

SWINDLER DUPES POLICE IN ITALY 'KIDNAP' VENICE, Dec' 14 UP Red-faced Venice police hava discovered, they say, that the "American army captain" who reported that bandits had kidnaped his wife and stolen his jeep actually was a notorious Italian swindler and had robbed them of a jeep. Friday the police announced that a man who identified himself as Capt John Willis told them that he and his wife were held up while driving along a country road and that the robbers retained the woman hostage and sent him back for ransom money of $2250. Police lent him a' jeep, but withheld the money. He and the police went to the "payoff spot There police waited while he 'went ahead to make -contact After a short delay, . they followed him. Both he and the jeep had Vanished." ' Circulars Bent to ponce stations throughout Italy iden- tified the man as William Capuzzo of Chiogga, near Venice, where police said he had represented himself as a captain in the U. S. 88th division.