Rabbi Jacob Bienenfeld and his son, Myron, accused of conspiracy to defraud in connection with an alleged charity racket, were acquitted in Manhattan Special Sessions Court yesterday by Justices Salomon, Voorhees and Kernochan.
The specific charge on which the two were being tried involved an attempt to solicit a donation to the Downtown Center from Rudy Vallee.
Misrepresentation was charged by former Magistrate Hyman Bushell, Vallee’s counsel, and Detective Harry Lichtblau, attached to the district attorney’s office, who set a trap into which Myron fell.
Mr. Bushnell, who said he was acquainted with Rabbi Bienenfeld, testified that he identified the Rabbi as the person who telephoned Vallee’s office, posed as Judge Carl F. Ruck, and promised judicial favors in return for a donation.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
