Career
The building, known as Poggi"s, could be reached through five Chatham Square alleyways, one of these being though a local dairy store and another through the back door of a barbershop, and was known to be a place "where anything goes". On the morning of June 3, 1912, Poggi became involved in a gang fight when several gangsters attempted to force their way into the rear entrance of Poggi"s cafe. An argument over a woman, Wanda Murphy, started at Coney Island earlier that morning and resulted in a gunfight in Chinatown then ending outside the Criminal Courts Building where one of the men, Charlie Torti, shot Jack Zelig.
Zelig had just been released from the court"s custody after payment of $1,000 bail.
Seriously wounded, he was taken to Hudson Street Hospital but not expected to live. The gunfight at Poggi"s place, however, is where the violence reached its height as over forty shots were fired and one man, Harris Baker, was wounded in the foot.
The police eventually arrived and arrested several of the participants on charges of disorderly conduct. Among those arrested at the scene were Jack Zelig, Jacob Siegel and Harris Baker.
Wanda Murphy, the cause of the dispute, was found nearby "suffering from bruises of the chest" and taken to Volunteer Hospital where she was treated by a doctor and held in custody as a witness.
When the case was finally held at the Tombs Police Court, police had brought in Chick Tricker and James Martelli. All were released on $1,000 bail bonds and where Zelig was shot as he left the court.
