Pubdate: Thu, 26 Feb 2015
Source: Seattle Times (WA)
Copyright: 2015 The Seattle Times Company
Contact:  http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/409
Author: Tina Susman, Los Angeles Times (TNS)

MARASCHINO CHERRY TYCOON KILLS SELF OVER POT FIND

NEW YORK - Like most businesses near the waterfront in Brooklyn's Red 
Hook neighborhood, Arthur Mondella's maraschino cherry factory had 
seen its ups and downs. It survived Superstorm Sandy, recession and 
America's finicky tastes to keep churning out millions of the sweet, 
gooey accouterments that grace Shirley Temples, hot fudge sundaes and 
Manhattans.

When investigators checking on possible environmental violations 
visited the business Tuesday, though, Mondella's confident facade collapsed.

After excusing himself to use the toilet, Mondella shot himself to 
death, bringing a shocking end to the cherry maker's life and leaving 
officials to sort out how much of his money came from growing 
marijuana and how much came from maraschino cherries.

By Wednesday, Mondella's story was captivating New York and drawing 
comparisons to the TV hit, "Breaking Bad," about a struggling high 
school chemistry teacher who turns to making methamphetamine to take 
care of his family.

There was no indication that Mondella's business, Dell's Maraschino 
Cherries, was struggling. In fact, he had described things as on the 
upswing following a rebranding effort and an investment in equipment 
to modernize production.

"At this point, the maraschino cherry is just another commodity," 
Mondella told The Wall Street Journal last year. "We're trying to change that."

Law-enforcement officials, though, say it appears the 67-year-old 
family business also housed a marijuana enterprise, which was 
revealed when investigators smelled weed while checking reports that 
cherry juice and chemical-laced byproducts were being dumped into the sewer.

According to local news reports, they noticed something amiss on a 
wall and upon closer inspection realized the wall was fake. It 
concealed what some local media have described as a huge stash of 
marijuana, cash and luxury cars.

On Wednesday, there was no sign of business at Dell's, whose modern 
machinery was silent and whose employee door was closed. 
Investigators were entering the factory and leaving with boxes of 
evidence as wind blew in off the iced-in shores of the nearby 
Buttermilk Channel. Feral cats and a few dog walkers wandered through 
the quiet neighborhood, which is far from any subway line and a mix 
of industrial warehouses, single-family homes and small businesses.

Lights used to promote plant growth were seen being removed from the 
factory Wednesday, and portions of a Porsche, Rolls-Royce and a 
Harley were seized at the site.

The Brooklyn District Attorney's Office has not provided details on 
what was found inside the sprawling brick factory, but it confirmed 
that the initial visit had nothing to do with drugs and that Mondella 
shot himself after initially cooperating with inspectors.

Mondella, 57, was well known in the neighborhood, and his business 
had been featured frequently in local and national media. As recently 
as January, in a story that appeared in Crain's, Mondella recalled 
accompanying his grandfather, Dell's founder, to work and getting to 
ride in the forklift.

Mondella, who took over the business in 1983, told Crain's that the 
company produced more than a billion cherries a year, had $20 million 
in annual revenue and was successfully fending off competition from 
the country's few other producers of maraschino cherries.

In recent years, Mondella embarked on a major project to boost 
production with new equipment and more automation. "The only way to 
survive is by adapting," he told Crain's.

"It's sad. It's very sad," a local businessman, Joe Morrine, told TV 
news crews clustered outside the factory door. Morrine said it made 
no sense that the factory would have been used as a front for a drug 
enterprise. "They're a legitimate business that has been around for a 
long time. Lots of forklifts moving in and out," he said.

Ethan Casucci, who knew Mondella, agreed. "That doesn't seem right," 
he told the Daily News. "He seemed fine."
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