WARREN Eagles members face charges of running a gambling house

The arrests came after a yearlong investigation.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- City police arrested five members of the Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 311 on charges of operating a gambling house.
Dan Antal, 70, Roseway S.E.; Bruce Bixler, 50, Willard S.E.; James Merten, 51, Ohio N.W.; Melvin P. Parrish, 44, Willard N.E.; and Emil J. Rossi, 55, Dunstan Drive N.W., were all scheduled to appear in municipal court later today, said Detective Jeff Hoolihan.
Hoolihan said all five men were officers with the social organization located at 444 South St.
The arrests came after a yearlong investigation by city police and the Ohio Investigative Unit of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, Hoolihan said.
He said a search warrant was issued Jan. 12 and multiple rip-off tickets were confiscated. He also said club officials were told they were not permitted to operate without a charitable license. On March 9, a state official visited and said they were still operating without a license, Hoolihan explained.
Response: Antal, however, says he does not believe he or the other FOE officials have done anything wrong.
"We have collected lots of money for charities," Antal said. "We have even given money to retired police officers. We give to the Salvation Army, Jerry Lewis' telethon and other charities every year."
Antal noted that the organization filed a civil lawsuit in Warren Municipal Court in August against the city police department.
"When they came here in January, they took our operating money, and we still haven't gotten it back," Antal said. "We filed the lawsuit so we could get our money back, and we haven't been able to do that."
The lawsuit says the police department seized $5,455 from the organization and $985 of Antal's personal money.
The suit, which is pending, stated that the money was "maliciously and purposely seized."