Birth: 21 May 1903 Homs, Syria
Emigration: 11 Aug 1920
Death: 13 Feb 1957 Nanuet, Rockland, New York, United States
Burial: 16 Feb 1957 North Bergen, Hudson, New Jersey, United States
Religion: Presbyterian
Occupation: Carpenter
Father: Najeeb Younes Husni (✝︎>1912 Syria)
Mother: Naseba Mtanous Huswani (✝︎Syria)
Married Shokria (Rose) Meena Nershi (*1897 Homs, Syria ✝︎1969 Manhattan, New York, New York, United States)
6 Jun 1925 Union City, Hudson, New Jersey, United States
Children:
1. Edward (Najeeb) Husni, R.Ph. (*Jersey City, Hudson, New Jersey, United States ✝︎Cedar Grove, Essex, New Jersey, United States)
2. Olga Husni (*1928 Jersey City, Hudson, New Jersey, United States ✝︎2014 Whippany, Morris, New Jersey, United States)
3. Charles A Husni (*1930 Jersey City, Hudson, New Jersey, United States ✝︎1975 Denville Township, Morris, New Jersey, United States)
4. Gloria Husni (*1932 Jersey City, Hudson, New Jersey, United States ✝︎2010 Hackensack, Bergen, New Jersey, United States)
Notes: NYPL1 gives his age as 23 in 1920. HUS36 gives his birthdate as 1908, but this seems too young for the photo of 1920. CEN1930 gives his age as 28, CEN1940 as 37. WWIIREG3 gives his middle name as Najeeb and his birthdate as Oct. 1, 1900.
In 1932 and 1933, Albert was a ringleader of a notorious counterfeiting gang. The gang had set up a $5000 electrically-operated counterfeiting shop, initially for about a year located at the Husni residence in Weehawken, later hidden behind a false wall in the back of a barn at 50 (not 324) Holmes St. in North Hanson, Massachusetts. The operation included a large hydraulic press operated by electricity, sixteen cutting and milling dies, a large hand press, forge, an iron furnace blower, dies, and other paraphernalia. Albert's role was as purchaser of silver, which he acquired in the form of used sterling silverware and transported to North Hanson. The Secret Service was alerted to the influx of counterfeit half dollars with silver content actually 0.025 more fine silver than legitimate coinage, detected by a "bad eye" on the figure of Liberty. After several weeks of close surveillance following their repeated purchases of sheet silver from a New York supply house, Albert was arrested with John Mardirosian in New York City on 12 May 1933. They were arrested by Secret Service Agents Edward Connors, Edward Manning, and A. L. McCormack after a brief fistfight. Albert was carrying $400 worth of silver and a counterfeit half dollar. Mardirosian confessed the details of the operation to the Secret Service, who searched the Husni residence and agents captured 860 counterfeit half dollars in a safe. The Secret Service, assisted by Chief John Ibbitson of the Hanson police and trooper Harry Smith of the Norwell State Police Barracks, then immediately raided the farm in North Hanson and rounded up the rest of the gang. A buzzer had been rigged to the barn door so that it would ring both in the barn and the house, and two escape doors were in the barn, but the arrest raid was so swift that no alarm could be raised by the gang. Arrested were Michael Sandrakortzian (45, 923 Barrett St., Bronx NY), Christopher Pohan (42, 22 Tremont St., New Britain CT), John Mardirosian (45, 234 East 25th St., New York City), and Hagop Ashodian (45, North Hanson MA). Two men were discovered polishing coins in one room and another turning them out. Their operation produced 800 coins a day, and about 350 coins were seized in North Hanson. The coins, dated 1913, 1915, and 1900, were estimated to cost 48 cents for two half dollars. The gang produced some of "the most dangerous counterfeit coins detected in the New York district."
The five were arraigned before United States Commissioner Edwin C. Jenney in Boston Federal District Court on 13 May 1933, the arraignment attended by more than 25 cousins, including little boys and girls and adults from New Jersey and Greater Boston. The gang was indicted on 9 June 1933 and initially pleaded innocent on 12 June. Bail was set at $5,000 each but $15,000 for Albert. On 19 June the defendants were sent to jail because they couldn't make bail. Pohan made bail on 21 June. Albert was told on 13 July to post bail through a surety company or he would stay in jail. On 9 October, he and Mardirosian changed their pleas from not guilty to guilty and were sentenced to a fine of $2 and given 18 months in Lewisburg Penitentiary. On 14 November, the U.S. marshal confirmed that Albert had been taken into custody and imprisoned. The other defendants saw similar fates.
Decades later, when the Husni house was being prepared for sale after the death of his daughter Gloria, a bag of mostly silverplate tableware was found in the basement of the house. This was apparently the rejects from his silver purchases for the counterfeiting operation.
He rented at 478 Palisade Ave in 1940. In 1942 he worked for Keuffel & Esser Co. in Hoboken. They lived at 102 Highpoint Ave, Weehawken after 1942. Albert died of parathyroid cancer in Oakland Manor, an alternative clinic run by Dr. Max Gerson in Nanuet, New York. He lies buried in Grove Church Cemetery, North Bergen.
Sources: HUS2, HUS3, HNJP(Item: 1), HUS19, HUS21, HUS28, HUS30, HUS32, HUS33, HUS36, HUS46, NYT(Date: 29 Mar 1932, Page: 35), CEN1930(Weehawken Ward 2, Hudson, New Jersey, ED9-408, Sheet 2A), CEN1940(Weehawken Ward 2, Hudson, New Jersey, ED9-336, Sheet 2B), CEN1950(Weehawken, Hudson, New Jersey, ED9-175, Sheet 74), NYSDOH(Item: 1), NYPL1(Finland, 11 Aug 1920), WWIIREG3(Item: 44025_06_00044-01802), HUSCOUNT1, HUSCOUNT2, HUSCOUNT3, HUSCOUNT4, HUSCOUNT5, HUSCOUNT6(U.S. Secret Service Bulletin No. 182, page 7; Form 1517, Pocket Memoranda, regarding judicial action concerning Albert Husni.), HUSCOUNT7, HUSCOUNT8, HUSCOUNT9, HUSCOUNT10, HUSCOUNT11, HUSCOUNT12, HUSCOUNT13
UUID: d91b1864-3c60-4250-b033-43dac6a0af5a
Last changed: 10 Feb 2026