Maraschino cherry tycoon kills himself during raid on factory
A maraschino cherry factory in Brooklyn became a crime scene on Tuesday, after the owner killed himself as authorities raided the building and discovered an alleged marijuana growing operation.
City and state environmental regulators and prosecutors from the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office were at Dell's Maraschino Cherries, one of the largest maraschino cherry companies in the United States, to investigate a complaint of illegal chemical dumping, ABC News reports. Police say that owner Arthur Mondella was cooperating at first, but that changed once investigators reportedly found "flimsy shelving" and faintly smelled marijuana.
When one investigator said they would need to get a warrant to go behind a wall, Mondella excused himself to his private bathroom "where he apparently shot himself," the DA said in a statement. He later died in the hospital. Authorities say that 80 pounds of marijuana were discovered in three large bags and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash was also on the property.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published