"I had been at this place about a month and a half when, on the night of January 4th, 1910, about eight o'clock, six men came into the house and, motioning me not to move, declared that I and Caterina were under arrest.
"'But who are you?' I asked in Italian.
"'We are government officers,' one of them replied in Italian, and he showed me his shield.
"'Well, the place is at your disposal,' I said, sitting down on a chair and smoking my pipe, feeling quite sure of myself.
"When they had finished searching the rooms and us personally they brought Caterina and I to the office of the Federal Secret Service (United States Secret Service) and we were taken to the head of the service, a Mr. William J. Flynn. To him I had no courage to deny what I had done and confessed all. I assumed all the responsibility for Caterina, and toldeverything without any thought of getting off without punishment. Following my arrest the Secret Service men arrested Cina, Giglio, Uncle Salvatore, Sylvester and Lupo. On January 26th, 1910, Ignazio Lupo, Giuseppe Morello, Antonio Cecala, Salvatore Palermo, Giuseppe Calichio and Nick Sylvester appeared before the Judge of the United States Court to answer the indictment of making and passing counterfeit money.
"I appeared before the jury in the Federal Court as a witness, repeating what I had confessed to the Secret Service men. I did not contradict myself on cross-examination when the defense tried to show that I was a Calabrian bandit and had come to America for the purpose of joking with the law and justice, and that I was telling these 'stories' and thus having eight innocent and perfect gentlemen condemned.
"I was not disturbed at the assault made upon my character by the ignorant Italian press, who through libels and threats of many kinds tried to shake my determination. I only laughed when I read and heard of those things.
"The Black-Hand crowd should be destroyed. The one great blow that started the downfallof this murderous band of outlaws has been dealt by William J. Flynn, when he sent to prison the arch-bandits Lupo and Morello, and the lesser evils, Cecala, Cina, Giglio, etc.
"My final word here is that my purpose in giving testimony before the Secret Service was not done to have eight fathers of families condemned, but for the purpose of removing from among us eight Sicilian criminals who horrified and preyed upon honest men under the leadership of murderers of the worst type that are a menace to civilization.
"(Signed) Antonio Viola Comito."
There are characters in this story of Comito's of whom he never got a glimpse until the case came to trial. There are still others involved of whom he never even heard; in fact, not a few big fish are in the net of the Secret Service whose names will probably never be revealed to the public. This circumstance does not prevent me, however, from surrounding Comito's statement with certain additional facts that may serve to illuminate the plan followed by Lupo and Morello in building up their sinister organization.
It often happens that disputes occur among the different elements of the Italian criminals in New York City and in other parts of this country. For instance, the Neapolitan element deals almost exclusively in the traffic of women. Sometimes this business is invaded by a hostile group from among the Sicilian element. Invariablyquarrels result and the disputes nearly always end in a shooting or a stabbing affair.
It is well known to the Service that the quarrels of the Italian criminals among themselves are settled without the help of the police whenever this is at all possible. When a gang member is wounded, secrecy requires that no ambulance be called or a doctor summoned who is not a friend of the gang. This precaution is easily appreciated when one comes to think that a call for an ambulance would require the presence of a policeman and a public report being made of the affair. Again, should a doctor, who is not known to the gang, be called in, he is required to make a record of the occurrence and report any suspicious injury to the police. If there is a death the coroner must needs be notified. To avoid entanglement and trouble with the authorities the various gangs have impressed in their service a physician or two who may be relied upon to bind up the wounds and keep the affair a secret. Many murders are in this way covered up and escape the attention of the police and the public.
There was a man at the trial of the counterfeiters who was unknown to Comito. Upon thisman's testimony Morello expected to prove that he was ill in the house during the period that he was actually out and around and very active in the counterfeiting scheme.
Dr. Salvatore Romano is the man. The doctor perjured himself and testified to please Morello, whose vengeance he feared.
After being indicted by the Federal Grand Jury, we were able to get a statement from Dr. Romano. Incidentally this statement disclosed the method whereby Morello and Lupo gathered their first money by sending "Black-Hand" letters to countrymen who were suspected of having money, or who could in any way be coerced into being useful to the gang.
Dr. Romano's cross-examination follows:
Q. Tell us, doctor, from the beginning, how you happened to get mixed up; start from the time you knew Mr. Morello.
A. I met him in this country. He was living in East One Hundred and Seventh Street; we were living at East One Hundred and Sixth Street. He comes from the same town that my grandmother and mother hail from in Sicily—Corleone—and while I was studying in my third year at the College of Physicians and Surgeonsat Columbia, my folks received a letter from a "Black-Hand" Society.
Q. Who received it?
A. My mother.
Q. She knew Morello how long previous to this?
A. She had known him on the other side; never had anything to do with him here.
Q. About when was it she got this "Black-Hand" letter?
A. Seven years ago; I was a third-year student in the College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Q. What was the substance of the letter?
A. The substance of the letter was that unless a certain amount of money was paid they would kill me. Naturally, my folks did not tell me anything at all about it for fear that I would get excited, neglect my studies, and so fail in my examinations. The folks kept the thing quiet for a few days. The "Black-Handers" also said that if anything were told to the police authorities,the murder would take place anyway—money or no money. You see, my father was not here. I was a young man, my brother was a small boy, and my family did not know what to do at the time. My grandmother, though,knew this man Morello to be mixed up with people of questionable character, and so she went to him or he happened to meet her (I don't know which); anyway, she confided the thing to Morello. He said, "All right, don't get excited; they don't kill people off all at once. Wait until you get another letter. Then we will see if we can find out the party who writes those letters."
Finally, another letter was written. Then a third, and a fourth letter came.Morello always took the letters under the pretext of studying the handwriting and to find out the origin of the letter.Eventually, he found out the origin of the letter, he said and—
Q. What was the origin?
A. Never found out. He just said that he had found out that they were willing to settle for $1,000, but that he would pay $100 and that he would make sure they returned the money to him after they found out who he was; he said that we need not worry any more.
Q. Did you pay the $100?
A. No. Morello offered to pay the $100 himself and expected to get it back. He said: "I will pay and see that they return it to me."
Q. Who would return it?
A. Those people would return the money again to him.
Q. He said that he would pay the money and that he would get it back from the Black-Handers?
A. Yes. Then the whole thing quieted down and naturally my people thought they were under obligations to this man Morello. And then when the danger was over my folks told me about it and remarked about what a terrible thing we had escaped.
About three or four months later, Morello came around and said to my mother:
Q. Did you hear him?
A. No. She told me.
(Continuing) "I have a notion to get married. I'm in with a woman who has a baby as the result of our relations. Now that I want to get married, I want to break off this relation, and if it is not inconvenient to you I would like to bring this baby, this little girl, to your house until everything is arranged."
Q. That is the illegitimate child?
A. She could walk; was over one year old.
Q. Who was the woman?
A. I do not know.
Q. At that time he lived on Chrystie Street?
A. No. I understand he had a restaurant. Of course, my folks said that it was no trouble for them. There were three or four women in the household, and it would be no trouble for them to take care of the little child.
Q. All the time you thought that you were under obligations to him?
A. Yes; just for that thing.
Q. Don't you know who the woman was?
A. No; never saw her.
Q. Sure you didn't?
A. No.
Q. Do you know her?
A. No, she was a Sicilian. I don't know her personally.
Q. Is she living?
A. I imagine she is.
Q. What was her name? What was she called?
A. Didn't know at all. Probably my grandmother would know.
Q. Was this after or before the barrel murder?
A. I think the barrel murder was after that.
Q. He lived on Chrystie Street at that time?
A. Yes. And so the baby was brought to our house and we took care of it, a nice little baby. Nothing happened at all—no disturbance. They came around to our house about once a week to see the baby. I kept on studying; never bothered my head about anything at all. I went out early in the morning and came back late; never bothered much with the affairs of the family. That baby died. First it got the measles, then bronchial pneumonia. It was a little over two years old when it died.
Q. Did Morello marry this woman?
A. The woman he married is his present wife. He had got her from the other side. The sister (Morello's) had gone to the other side and arranged for this marriage. So nothing happened until after I was graduated. Then these people began to call on me as a doctor.
Q. He then lived in East One Hundred and Seventh Street?
A. I think in East One Hundred and Seventh Street, and he began to call on me; and then the brother-in-law and then cousin, etc., called.
Q. Who is his brother-in-law?
A. He has three brothers-in-law, Lupo, Lima and Salima.
Q. Which one of his brothers-in-law did you treat?
A. I treated all three of them.
Q. Are Lima and Salima in this country now?
A. Yes, in New York City.
Q. And did you treat other relatives?
A. I treated all their relatives, and all free of charge. They would call me; I would examine them, prescribe, etc., but I got no pay.
Q. Did you ever ask them for any?
A. No.
Q. Why not?
A. On account of the obligations; also the familiarity. Right from the start I thought that I was doing a wise thing not to ask for money for my services.
Q. What did you know about Morello about that time?
A. My folks had told him all about those letters and he had fixed it all up; we had no disturbance because we were under his protection.
Q. Did you know that you were under his protection?
A. I knew as well as the family did.
Q. What protection did you think that he could give you?
A. Receiving no disturbance from the "Black-Handers."
Q. Did you know that he was connected with the "Black-Handers" then?
A. I did not know that he was a "Black-Hander," but I knew from the fact that he had arranged everything that he must have known something about these people.
Thus I became the regular physician for these people and never got any pay. In the meantime I tried to get as much hospital experience as I could and get out of New York, because, if a man goes out of New York to a strange place without any experience—
Q. Why did you want to leave New York?
A. Not because I was afraid, not because they were doing anything to me, but because I was tired of doing work for nothing; I never could put any money in the bank.
The whole number of relatives, babies and patients, amounted to about sixty. It would not be one day, but the next day, and all the time they were on my hands. And I got no pay.
My mother was in the same position. My mother is a midwife. I tried to get hospital experience, and as soon as I was in the position to leave New York I departed, and I have never heard from him at all except when I received letters from my mother who told me that they kept on frequenting the house.
Q. What was the interview you had with Commissioner Wood?[5]And when did you have that interview?
A. That was four or five years before I left New York. The main thing he wanted to know was whether I knew these people well enough to tell stories. Whether I could tell him that these people were "Black-Handers"?
I had read in the newspapers that they hadbeen in trouble with the law; but they had treated me fairly well and I said nothing against these people. Commissioner Wood wanted to know about these letters, and naturally I did not tell.
Q. Did you treat Cecala?
A. No, I never treated him.
Q. Did you ever treat any of the defendants besides Morello?
A. No. Lupo, Morello and Palermo. Palermo was operated on for something. At the time I was called in to give the ether.
Q. What was Morello's business after he gave up the grocery?
A. Real estate; then they started the real estate deal, the Ignatz Florio Association. The way they worked that was—I don't know how many got together, about nine or ten, and they started in by building a house and selling it—they said, "We will build a house and sell it and in that way there will be a big profit and from that profit we get dividends." They got people to buy shares; the shares were payable, I think, $5 down and $2 per month. So they came to my mother and she bought one share for herself, one in the name of my brother, and one in myname. When they got enough money they bought a lot, built a house and sold it, and got a dividend of 40 per cent. You could then either take the dividend, and put the money in your pocket, or leave it and it would go on the share. So most of the people left their money to go to their credit.
Q. Who got the money?
A. They claimed there was a big boom in real estate and they made another deal; they got 35 or 30 per cent. dividend. Then they started to build eight tenement houses, four on One Hundred and Thirty-seventh Street and four on One Hundred and Thirty-eighth Street, near Cyprus Avenue.
At the time they were building, the crash came.
They took advantage of the prices and said, "We have not enough money to keep on; the shareholders will have to come together and pay more money on each share."
I paid $10 extra on each share. At that time my mother had acquired eight shares. She had bought another for herself. Then my cousin had bought two for herself, which she did not want to keep, so my mother told her she would buy them from her.
Q. Did Morello know anything about your going to see Commissioner Wood; did you tell him?
A. Yes. I—
Q. What did you tell him?
A. I said that Commissioner Wood, when he found out that I would not give the information he wanted, said that I was just like the rest of them and then told me that I might go.
Q. Did you tell Morello before you went down?
A. No.
Q. What did Morello say when you told him that you had been down there?
A. He said that is the way you have to do everything.
Q. What do you know about the barrel murder?
A. Absolutely nothing at all.
Q. What do you know about Inzarillo?
A. He is considered of questionable character.
Q. Do you know the Terranova Brothers?
A. They are the stepbrothers of Morello.
Q. Do you know anything about them? Did you treat them?
A. Yes, quite a long while; they had a disease which required that they come to my house every day, both Morello and the Terranovas.
Q. When was that?
A. That went on for about two years.
Q. What two years?
A. The two years just preceding 1907 and 1908.
Q. Was Morello born with that deformed hand?
A. Yes. He was so much crippled that they called him "Little Finger."
Q. Then you did not treat Morello in 1909?
A. At the time that I stated I did see him at No. 107 East One Hundred and Thirty-eighth Street; also, I saw him in Rizzo's house, and he would complain of pains; he was always complaining.
Q. He was not sick in bed?
A. No.
Q. You did not have any consultation with Dr. Brancato?
A. No. I think that I may have had one consultation with him when he was at One Hundred and Thirty-eighth Street.
Q. When?
A. I think it was before the time I covered. I think it was in December, 1908, also.
Q. That means January and February?
A. No.
Q. He was not treating Morello?
A. He was the family physician in a way.
Q. What do you think of him?
A. Dr. Brancato? I want to state the fact as honestly as if he were my brother. I think he was a figurehead, too.
Q. Did he ever say about what he was going to testify?
A. He said we were up against a bad proposition. "Let us make our testimony as light as possible," he said. I asked him how we could avoid a thing of that kind. They would get us into trouble and we would have to stand for it.
Q. Who came to you and told you that you would have to testify?
A. Nobody; but this is the way it was done: They went to my mother and began to talk to her.
Q. Who?
A. Mrs. Morello and the mother of Morello and the brothers of Morello. So they went there and began to explain that they had got into veryserious trouble. They also said that the only way—
Q. Who?
A. That he could be possibly saved would be to produce an alibi. I was to say that he was not out at any time he was accused of being out. I was to understand that he was the wrong man mentioned in court. They explained to my mother that the police knew that Dr. Romano had been their physician. It would be only natural that they call me; I could then testify that I was treating Morello at the time and he was unable to get out when, the charges alleged, Morello was around and doing things in the counterfeiting plant.
They explained to my mother that there was no other man that could be called, because no other man would be trusted. The police knew I was Morello's physician, they said.
And then my mother asked them not to call me, that it would be putting me into trouble, and that I would have to abandon the business I had started.
They told her that it was an absolute necessity that I come down from Rochester and testify. If I did not come, they said, Morello would besentenced surely. "Naturally," they said, "we think if the doctor would come down, Morello will be free."
So my mother wrote to me. "This is the last proposition they are going to give you," she said. "I think you cannot avoid coming down."
Q. She wrote and told you about it? Have you got that letter?
A. No. Naturally I would not keep a letter of that kind. I thought the matter over. I knew the character of the men I had to deal with. I knew that if I refused and Morello got a big sentence they would put the whole thing up to me. I thought of my mother down here going out and in at night, and I had something to fear. Probably if it had been for myself only I would not have considered it; I would have looked at it differently. It seemed that I had no alternative in a case of this kind. They telegraphed me.
Q. Who?
A. The brothers Terranova.
Q. What did they say?
A. Be in New York to-morrow to appear in Court for the testimony of my brother.
Q. When was that sent to you? When didyou get the telegram? Was it a day or two before you came down?
A. Yes, but I came down at once. The first time I came I remained here two days. Not being called, and not being able to leave my business for such a long period, I rushed back to Rochester.
Q. When did you come down again?
A. One week later at the time the detectives were testifying.
Q. And you came down later? Did you go to your mother's house?
A. Yes.
Q. Whom did you see there?
A. Terranova, Nick Terranova.
Q. What did he say to you?
A. "I am very sorry to trouble you. I know what you are losing. I know that you are doing this for us, but it is absolutely necessary. You are in no danger at all"—he was all the time in the house—"there will be no danger for you; you will be all right."
Q. Did he tell you what you had to say?
A. He said, "How many times a week do you want to say that you saw him?" I answeredonce a week. "I want to make my testimony as light as possible," I told him, "so as not to get into trouble with the Court." He said that once a week was probably too little; "make it twice a week," he said. And I said, if I remember rightly, I saw him twice a week.
Q. Did he tell you the time and the period?
A. He told me the period from the latter part of December to the early part of March. Of course I could not testify further than that.
Q. Was Dr. Brancato there?
A. I was all alone.
Terranova said to me that when his brother (Morello) comes out of the Tombs I was to tell him just what I was going to testify to in Court. This in order to keep Morello from getting mixed up in his testimony, and also for the additional purpose of keeping Morello's mind at ease in the courtroom. Terranova told me to come along with him, and he made me stand in the corner there until he (Morello) came out, and I was to say he had rheumatism.
Q. He said that; did Terranova tell Morello you were going to testify?
A. We had arranged that.
Q. When did you first see him?
A. When they were bringing him down from the Tombs to the courtroom.
Q. Did Terranova speak to Morello?
A. Yes. He first spoke to Morello.
Q. And he told him that you were willing to testify for that period?
A. Yes.
Q. Then what did you say to Morello?
A. "I am going to testify for you, that you had rheumatism for that period, from the latter part of December to the first part of March."
Q. Up to the time you left for Rochester?
A. Yes. He said, "Don't fear; we are out; there is no danger at all; you need not fear, and I tell you that I was not out of the house at all; nobody saw me and nobody will know the difference, because I was as pale as a ghost at the time."
Q. They did not know we had eight men watching them at the time—
A. I came the first time, was here two days and was not called; I hung around the Court and finally had to go back to Rochester and look after my business.
Q. When did you first see Dr. Brancato?
A. The second time I came down to New York.
Q. Did you know that he was going to testify too?
A. Terranova told me—
Q. What did he say?
A. "He is going to testify that you were in consultation." Terranova took me from the courthouse here to Dr. Brancato.
Q. That is Nick Terranova?
A. Yes.
Q. What did you do down in Brancato's office?
A. We simply agreed as to what we were going to say; that is the time Dr. Brancato told me "we are up against it."
Q. On the quiet?
A. On the quiet.
Q. Was Terranova there?
A. He was in the outside room.
Q. Did he tell you how you would fix it up—he did not treat Morello?
A. No. Morello was not sick; he had no rheumatism, but complained all the time of pains.
Q. Did Dr. Brancato tell you he had not treated him?
A. We did not argue about that. It was understood.
Q. It was understood that you had to swear falsely?
A.Because we could not do otherwise!So they came to me principally because I was his regular physician and they got Dr. Brancato—
Q. To come in after you went to Rochester?
A. I do not know what Dr. Brancato said.
Q. Do you know Maria Capellano; she is no relation to you?
A. Who?
Q. The trained nurse who said she treated him?
A. No.
Q. Do you know Gasparo Candido, the druggist on One Hundred and Forty-ninth Street, now at No. 23 New Bowery?
A. No.
Q. Did you ever have any conversation with Mrs. Morello?
A. No—the only conversation I had with her was—"Please do that for the love of the children; try and help my husband."
Q. Where did you have that conversation?
A. She came to my house.
Q. You fixed the whole thing up with the Terranova boys?
A. With Nick.
Q. What happened after you got through testifying?
A. I rushed back to Rochester.
Q. Have you heard from them since you have been indicted?
A. My mother told the whole crowd that she would have nothing to do with them; didn't care what the consequences would be. She said: "You have ruined my son; the last good thing you have done for us." They said to her, "Don't worry, everything will be all right."
She said: "I don't care how it goes; I don't want to see you any more."
Q. Did you hear anything about the alibi that you were going to establish for Cecala?
A. I heard something when I was in the lawyer's office.
Q. Were you down in the lawyer's office at all?
A. Twice. He said: "What is your testimony to be?" I told him, and he said all right.
Q. The only lawyer you ever saw?
A. Yes.
Q. Terranova was the one who had all the conversation?
A. Nick, yes. He did the telegraphing.
Q. How did he sign the telegram?
A. Terranova.
Q. Did not sign Nicholas?
A. No, I don't think he did.
Q. He was down in Towns'[6]office?
A. He was; he never left me a minute.
Q. What conversation did you have with Ponticelli?
A. Only that I got there before he did. I was introduced to him here.
Q. By whom?
A. I do not recall.
Q. He is a friend of Morello's?
A. I think he was; lived downtown; they were neighbors.
Q. Did you not have a store up there? [Rochester.]
A. No. I went away from New York with a druggist.
Q. His name?
A. Bisconti. He went out there [Rochester] for the purpose of setting up a drug store,and I to set up an office. Naturally, I would be doing business with him. If I had any patients he would fill out the prescriptions. We proposed to help one another. We could not set up the drug store right away, so I rented my office to him and kept some medicines there; and I wrote my prescriptions and told the patients that if they wanted they could have the prescriptions filled out right in the house. That thing did not work because people would pay one dollar for the visit to me and sixty or seventy cents for the medicine, and they thought it was a scheme. I told Bisconti that as we had come to Rochester together I would help him all I could to set up a drug store there. This was when we parted.
Q. How long have you known Bisconti?
A. About three months.
Q. Did any of the crowd ever give you checks to present at the bank?
A. No. Ponticelli has a store with three or four men working. He came to me and asked if I could do him a favor. I had been there only two or three months. He said that he was doing much business and that as I was not doing very much he requested me to go and cash acheck for him. It was for $300 made out by Ponticelli himself.
Q. Did they ever discuss the counterfeit operations with you in any way?
A. No.
Q. The only thing you know about them is that they made you come down here and testify?
A. Yes.
Q. Did they threaten your mother?
A. No.
For making this statement, which shows up the methods whereby the "Black-Handers" operated and tried to escape the punishment of the court for the offenses with which they were charged, Dr. Romano was allowed to go free after sentence was suspended.
Dr. Brancato, the other physician, was tried twice, once the jury disagreeing and the second time he was found not guilty.
I have no criticism of the action of the jury in Dr. Brancato's case. It is simply in line with the "fortunes of war" that the government was unable to land Dr. Brancato.
On the person of one Rudolpho Palermo—one of the henchmen of the Morello-Lupo band—we discovered a small black book closely written in the nebulous dialect of Sicily. This man was under arrest on the charge of dealing in spurious money of the United States and Canada. We felt sure we had in our grasp an important document. After some little coaxing Palermo finally confessed that the ominous looking little book contained the rules governing the actions of the "Black-Hand" Society.
Palermo is now serving a second sentence of six years in the Federal Penitentiary of Atlanta, Georgia.
The following is a translation from the Sicilian patois of the rules and articles found in the little black book—the bible of the "Black-Handers":
First Article—Whoever confides to other companions,not belonging to the same society, the operations and movements of his associates, or offends a companion by word or deed, seriously or in fooling, or does not respect the recruits (who cannot be commanded for other than affairs of the society), or refuses to mount guard at his turn, or gets drunk or has a quarrel among companions, or when being called by a companion for business of the society refuses his service without justified motive, or leaves town for more than one day and does not let it be known to the society, is punishable by a fine of $20 and cannot come back to his place. But his associates must be all of one accord, pro and con, in judging him guilty. In case one of the companions in the society departs, he must surrender to those remaining the power of his vote, or he must leave his address so that the society may notify him of a meeting in the case of new practice, when he will go to the place at the expense of the interested party. But if the punished party does not give proof of amending, he will be unfrocked—in all points remaining honored, however—unless he commits some infamy. Whenever the society is re-formed there must be an opinion of the judges as to who meritshis place, and who cannot come to his place, until a meeting of the same society of its own will takes place, without any one appealing to another body of the society.
Second Article—He who swears falsely on his submission, who draws a weapon against a companion without a weapon and one of the same dimensions (always an uncovered point) or pulls a revolver, or has a duel with any man of the same society without the permission of his superior, is unfrocked, roundly deprived of his rights, and he who protects him falls in disgrace without right of appealing to another body of the society.
Third Article—The companion who knows of an offense committed by an associate against the society, and does not report it to the society, falls under the same charge.
Fourth Article—He that does not come at the precise hour of meeting the blackmailers on the day set for duty will be punished without warning. If he gives an explanation acceptable to the society, he will be reinstated; otherwise, he will not participate at the next division of funds.
Fifth Article—A recruit is entitled to one-fifth of the spoils procured by or through him for the society.
Sixth Article—The society cannot proceed in any matter without the consent of all the companions; the opposition of a single vote is enough to dead-lock the proceedings, provided the reasons given by the dissenter are satisfactory and convincing to the society.
Seventh Article—If a companion arrives once the council is in session, his presence cannot alter the agreements entered into.
Eighth Article—Every meeting called is to be known to those on duty that day, at least twenty-four hours beforehand, except in unusual cases.
Ninth Article—It is to the disposition exclusively of the head of the society to establish the place and day of meeting without objection.
Q. Where have you acquired the S? [The by-laws.]
A. Under the Cedar Plains, and passing from the hole of the Beanstalk, I saw three lamps lighted and one in the center that could hardly stand.
Q. Who has formed the plan of S?
A. Fernando Misprizzi.
Q. Is he dead or alive?
A. He lives always, even after the end of the world.
Q. Since when have you acquired the Sgarro?
A. Since the scientific tree was planted in the hole.
Q. With what is the hole covered?
A. With a very fine carpet where the (Camorrists) blackmailers play.
Q. What is enclosed in this hole?
A. The Penny of Crime denied, fought for, and regained.
Q. How do you demonstrate crime?
A. Give me a sheet of paper and you will see.
Q. What does the head of crime wear?
A. A silk handkerchief with five knots and the Penny denied, fought for, and regained.
Q. How many weapons are there?
A. Thirteen. Five knives—four pairs and one separate, five packs of cards, three of which are for the ordinary blackmailing and two for the blackmailing of the experienced; stiletto, small tapper, and razor.
Q. Where have you drawn? (blood).
A. From the right thumb of the right hand.
Q. What does an experienced blackmailer bear?
A. A star in front of him (on his forehead) and a vermilion flower on the big toe of the left foot.
Q. How many kinds of blackmail are there?
A. Three—ordinary blackmail that becomes all blackmailers by turn, bold blackmail which is "that denied, fought for, and regained," andhigh blackmail that belongs to the supreme initiated blackmailers.
Q. What does a highly initiated blackmailer especially bear?
A. A pair of small scissors, a silver needle, pins, cotton and taffeta.
The reader, being now on the "inside" with us, I hope the extracts of the "black-hand" letters given here will convey some meaning.
When we had our net closely drawn about the band of counterfeiters led by Lupo and Morello, we raided the homes of the various members of the gang. It fell to the lot of operative T. G. Gallagher to be among those of our men who entered Morello's home and placed the leader under arrest.
In this case, the diaper wrapped about the body of Morello's baby attracted the experienced eye of operative Gallagher. The moment Gallagher broke into the room where Mrs. Morello was nursing her baby he noticed that Mrs. Morello tucked something away in the diaper of the infant. The mother fingered the cloth rather nervously.
Gallagher suggested to Mrs. Morello that there might be something of interest to the government wrapped in the cloth that protected the little Morello, and instantly the mother became very emphatic in her native manner of making us understand that she "no understand."
Gallagher is a man of Irish extraction from the environs of Boston. In other words, he has the humorous instinct. So he suggested that maybe the poor baby needed a fresh diaper! There was a flash of volcanic fire in the mother's eye as two strong arms held her secure while Gallagher removed the cloth from the infant's limbs and exposed the letters, copies of which are here given.
The letters concern the admittance into the society of a man who is questioned by the leaders in New York, and who in turn puts the responsibility for his admittance up to the Chicago gang. Black borders adorn both the envelopes and the paper upon which the writer had scribbled his tale. The first of these letters is addressed to Mr. Rosario Dispenza, No. 147 Milton Avenue, Chicago, Ill., and is from G. La Bella Morello, No. 2069 Second Avenue, New York.
"Dear Friend:"In answer to your letter that bears date of the 10th, I hear what you say in it. Regarding the Council, you have no right to be present in the meetings. The Council is divided and separated from the Assembly. But in case that some Councilman wishes to be present in some meeting of the Assembly, he can come but only to hear and then has no right to the floor, neither right to an opinion or right to vote."Have I explained myself?"This is for your guidance. Now regarding Calogero Constantino. To tell you the truth, I have as yet been unable to persuade myself as to what it is about, the letters to me have not been satisfying or convincing. There should have been better explanations. In this manner I cannot answer with exact judgment and clear conscience. I cannot understand how it is that Calogero Constantino remains arrested at Bacaluse, Louisiana, while under the protection of so many good friends engaged incessantly to make him obtain his liberty, and you others of Chicago have all this contract on your side."I have said it more than once that I and my townsmen have always known the Constantinofamily as a good family, and none other but very good, and the boss of my town, I am sure, cannot give you better details, though I doubt if they knew this family just because they were not to our bearing, but nevertheless leaning towards good people; have you seen 'the ox, neither white nor black,' this is their bearing. But not for this I repeat, always of good people; there have been born at times people that had given a good account of their being, honored and respected as always."We of Corleone have never had any dealings with them, therefore could not try them and appreciate their merits. Others that have had dealings, that is to say have known their good merits, and have brought them to make part of our family. Nothing extraordinary, because certainly would not have brought them in this land if they had not known their good merits. They have done well. We, of Corleone, will appreciate said doings."In your letter you tell me that regarding Calogero Constantino there is nothing to say, but there should be exact information, because there are eight good workers sick to put the work on him and of the eight persons there are thosein danger of their lives. But you must excuse me if I and others have not understood such language."If you know that Constantino is of good health, also he is severely of good health, you will take with other townsmen of yours the responsibility here and also of the town, and we will do everything. Neither I nor others here can understand how you ever in your wise thinking write us in this manner. If I have written to you more than once that this Constantino family have never been to our hearing. Known to us only by sight in America as in the town, and then this is not enough. You surely should not ignore the fact Calogero Constantino has been missing from New York at least six years."Now, then, I ask you why you write me and others to assume the responsibility of said individual; if this party could be admitted, then we assume the responsibility of an individual that had been seen 'neither born nor raised' and who has never been known by name or sight. This responsibility you should ask of others, not us. You see in this that I was right in resenting De Vito Casiaferro and Enea, and saying that it isnot done that way, in making a person, by not asking information of the townsmen before making it, that all these discussions now would not have been."Now you must ask them to assume the responsibility, those that have made him, not us. Of us you must ask only if we have anything to say. This, yes, is very correct. But to assume responsibility is one thing, and asking if we have anything to say is another thing. There is a great difference. Therefore, we go in Court, we have undersigned, upon our conscience and on our honor declare of having nothing to say upon the conduct and honor of Calogero Constantino, not regarding him only but also of his family. All of Corleone. Giuseppe La Bella and brother, Vincenzo, brother Ciro and brother Coco."Paolo Frisella,"Gaetano Lomonte,"Stefano Lasala,"Fortunato Lo Monte,"Antonio Rizzo,"Michale Coniglio,"Angelo Valenti,"Francesco Moscato."
"Dear Friend:
"In answer to your letter that bears date of the 10th, I hear what you say in it. Regarding the Council, you have no right to be present in the meetings. The Council is divided and separated from the Assembly. But in case that some Councilman wishes to be present in some meeting of the Assembly, he can come but only to hear and then has no right to the floor, neither right to an opinion or right to vote.
"Have I explained myself?
"This is for your guidance. Now regarding Calogero Constantino. To tell you the truth, I have as yet been unable to persuade myself as to what it is about, the letters to me have not been satisfying or convincing. There should have been better explanations. In this manner I cannot answer with exact judgment and clear conscience. I cannot understand how it is that Calogero Constantino remains arrested at Bacaluse, Louisiana, while under the protection of so many good friends engaged incessantly to make him obtain his liberty, and you others of Chicago have all this contract on your side.
"I have said it more than once that I and my townsmen have always known the Constantinofamily as a good family, and none other but very good, and the boss of my town, I am sure, cannot give you better details, though I doubt if they knew this family just because they were not to our bearing, but nevertheless leaning towards good people; have you seen 'the ox, neither white nor black,' this is their bearing. But not for this I repeat, always of good people; there have been born at times people that had given a good account of their being, honored and respected as always.
"We of Corleone have never had any dealings with them, therefore could not try them and appreciate their merits. Others that have had dealings, that is to say have known their good merits, and have brought them to make part of our family. Nothing extraordinary, because certainly would not have brought them in this land if they had not known their good merits. They have done well. We, of Corleone, will appreciate said doings.
"In your letter you tell me that regarding Calogero Constantino there is nothing to say, but there should be exact information, because there are eight good workers sick to put the work on him and of the eight persons there are thosein danger of their lives. But you must excuse me if I and others have not understood such language.
"If you know that Constantino is of good health, also he is severely of good health, you will take with other townsmen of yours the responsibility here and also of the town, and we will do everything. Neither I nor others here can understand how you ever in your wise thinking write us in this manner. If I have written to you more than once that this Constantino family have never been to our hearing. Known to us only by sight in America as in the town, and then this is not enough. You surely should not ignore the fact Calogero Constantino has been missing from New York at least six years.
"Now, then, I ask you why you write me and others to assume the responsibility of said individual; if this party could be admitted, then we assume the responsibility of an individual that had been seen 'neither born nor raised' and who has never been known by name or sight. This responsibility you should ask of others, not us. You see in this that I was right in resenting De Vito Casiaferro and Enea, and saying that it isnot done that way, in making a person, by not asking information of the townsmen before making it, that all these discussions now would not have been.
"Now you must ask them to assume the responsibility, those that have made him, not us. Of us you must ask only if we have anything to say. This, yes, is very correct. But to assume responsibility is one thing, and asking if we have anything to say is another thing. There is a great difference. Therefore, we go in Court, we have undersigned, upon our conscience and on our honor declare of having nothing to say upon the conduct and honor of Calogero Constantino, not regarding him only but also of his family. All of Corleone. Giuseppe La Bella and brother, Vincenzo, brother Ciro and brother Coco.
"Paolo Frisella,"Gaetano Lomonte,"Stefano Lasala,"Fortunato Lo Monte,"Antonio Rizzo,"Michale Coniglio,"Angelo Valenti,"Francesco Moscato."
This letter was, of course, written in the Sicilian dialect, and was translated into the foregoing "English," which, the reader will notice, is not quite the "Queen's own." But the translation was made close to the Sicilian, and we must take it as we get it.
The reader will, of course, see that Constantino's admittance to the brotherhood is in doubt. That is, he is not being accepted into the society except upon the responsibility of the Chicago crowd. Whatever help is to be given him in his trouble in Louisiana, where he is under arrest, must come from the Chicago brethren. Help will come from New York, perhaps, in the last extreme. This seems to be the burden of the letter.
Another letter follows which may also help the reader to a conclusion as to whether such a thing exists as a "Black-Hand" Society. The letter is addressed to Mr. Vincenzo Moreci, No. 535 S. Franklin Street, New Orleans, La. It is dated New York, November 15th, 1909, and reads as follows:
"Dear Friend:"Am in possession of your two letters, onethat bears date of the 5th, the other on the 10th of November. I understand the contents."In regard to being able to reorganize the family, for me I advise you all to do it because it seems it is not just to stay without a king nor country, but I authorize you to convey to all my humble prayer and my weak opinion, but well understood, that those that are worthy and those that wish to belong, those that do not wish to belong let them go."You tell me that from Palermo arrived good news. I nor the others of New York have not been formally advised, therefore I beg of you tell me something about the news from Palermo. Who has written and whether any commission has decided to come? I have advised my godfather La Gatutte to have in sight the one from Morriale. I advise you further that in your last letter I understood minutely and by wire, and sign the affair of the friend Vincenzo Antinoro. It is well now we are well understood. Now for the present the most interesting thing that I desire and expect is the declaration (statement) of Giovanni Gulotta regarding the affair Constantino and Trombone declaration made and signed by his own hands of Giovanni Gulotta,and then if we are there it's a wonder."I hear in your letter that Sunday three friends left to go and see him. I will await patiently the answer and hope for favorable results. Am in doubt that one of my letters may be lost, because, as I had to say in a previous one to the last, I had spoken also of the agreement I had made with Calogero Gulotta. In fact, he told me in this his last that in no other letter of mine had he understood what I said."I end this moment by sending you the most cordial greetings of mine and my family to you with all your family and pray you make it known also to the friend Zito, Piro, Sunsseri, Benanti and their families as also Vito Di Giorgi."They will also receive many greetings of my brothers and brothers-in-law and my son Calidu, my godfather Angelo La Gatutte and all the friends of merit. Many greetings yet from all the friends of New Orleans that you think. To you a warm kiss. Your affectionate friend,"(Signed) G. LA BELLA. (Morello.)"
"Dear Friend:
"Am in possession of your two letters, onethat bears date of the 5th, the other on the 10th of November. I understand the contents.
"In regard to being able to reorganize the family, for me I advise you all to do it because it seems it is not just to stay without a king nor country, but I authorize you to convey to all my humble prayer and my weak opinion, but well understood, that those that are worthy and those that wish to belong, those that do not wish to belong let them go.
"You tell me that from Palermo arrived good news. I nor the others of New York have not been formally advised, therefore I beg of you tell me something about the news from Palermo. Who has written and whether any commission has decided to come? I have advised my godfather La Gatutte to have in sight the one from Morriale. I advise you further that in your last letter I understood minutely and by wire, and sign the affair of the friend Vincenzo Antinoro. It is well now we are well understood. Now for the present the most interesting thing that I desire and expect is the declaration (statement) of Giovanni Gulotta regarding the affair Constantino and Trombone declaration made and signed by his own hands of Giovanni Gulotta,and then if we are there it's a wonder.
"I hear in your letter that Sunday three friends left to go and see him. I will await patiently the answer and hope for favorable results. Am in doubt that one of my letters may be lost, because, as I had to say in a previous one to the last, I had spoken also of the agreement I had made with Calogero Gulotta. In fact, he told me in this his last that in no other letter of mine had he understood what I said.
"I end this moment by sending you the most cordial greetings of mine and my family to you with all your family and pray you make it known also to the friend Zito, Piro, Sunsseri, Benanti and their families as also Vito Di Giorgi.
"They will also receive many greetings of my brothers and brothers-in-law and my son Calidu, my godfather Angelo La Gatutte and all the friends of merit. Many greetings yet from all the friends of New Orleans that you think. To you a warm kiss. Your affectionate friend,
"(Signed) G. LA BELLA. (Morello.)"
The value of these letters to the gang, and the peculiar information revealed in them to the Secret Service, prompted the "Black-Hand" crowd to get together a fund of $500, which was offered by one of the crowd to a man now attached to the New York Police Department. With this money the gang intended to bribe this man to get the letters and return them to Mrs. Morello. Until this man, who was then a member of the police department and a detective, reads this, he will not suspect that I even knew of the offer.
There were other letters containing information of very valuable character to the Secret Service.
Now, when the arrest was made, the news spread through East One Hundred and Sixth Street, where Morello was living, and some ofthe scouts brought the information to Nick Terranova, a half-brother of Morello. Terranova thereupon rushed down to Milone's grocery store at No. 235 East Ninety-seventh Street to notify the members of the gang who might be there that Giuseppe had been placed under arrest.
There was a surprise coming to Nick when he discovered a number of Secret Service men in charge of the store, and the members of the gang taken away by the government's officers. He tried to act an imbecile, and pretended not to understand English when asked for a reason for his coming into the store. He was as communicative as the proverbial oyster.
At the time when Morello was arrested he was in bed with his son. Under the pillow of each was found a large revolver. Neither father nor son, it is needless to say, were given the opportunity to reach the weapons. The son has since been murdered.
And now that we are on the subject of letters I might relate that when the members of the gang discovered Comito had confessed what he knew of the counterfeiting scheme, they tried to locate Comito, who had been hidden by me.They tried a number of ruses in their efforts to locate him for the purpose, presumably, of murdering him.
One of their efforts was characteristic: Secret Service operative Rubano was thought by the gang to be the man who was communicating with Comito by mail. This was presumed by the gang without foundation. However, it was enough for the gang to feel that this was the way in which I was keeping in touch with Comito. Here is what happened:
Don Gasparo had a drug store at No. 23 New Bowery, where he also had a branch post office and received letters there for a number of the "Black-Hand" crowd. Some one wrote to the postmaster of New York, on a change of address card, and asked the postmaster to have all of Pietro Rubano's mail sent to No. 23 New Bowery.
Now you must sign your own name to the card asking for this change. So there was the difficulty of getting Rubano's signature to the card without his knowing it. That was easy for the writer. He forged Rubano's name on the signature line of the card. The gang was elated.
They would now get the "Squealer" Comito's letters to the Secret Service and locate and destroy the traitor.
But, like the plans of the little field mouse of whom Robert Burns wrote, the best laid schemes "gang aft agley."
I asked Rubano if he had made the request of the post office to have his mail addressed to the New Bowery place, and the detective told me it was news to him.
Then information came to me about Gasparo, and I found that the druggist had good reasons to stand in with Morello. He had formerly run a drug store up in the Bronx in the near neighborhood of Lupo and Morello's real estate venture and was a fast friend of Morello. In fact, he and Morello were co-workers in enterprises that do not propagate peace on earth and good will among men.
We started to lay a trap for Gasparo. I sent a number of letters from different parts of the country addressed to Rubano at the Custom House, New York, knowing that they would be forwarded to the New Bowery address.
The letters were placed in large envelopes of different and pronounced color and easily distinguishableto the eye when placed in the letter "R" box in Gasparo's branch post office.
Then I set Secret Service men to watch those who called for mail and to shadow any one calling for the large colored envelopes.
This scheme of mine did not work out, though, to any fruitful end because of the failure of any of the gang to call for the envelopes with Rubano's name on them. A number of the gang had gone in and out of the drug store for days, but not one took away any of the large colored envelopes. Either they were afraid to take the chance or some suspicious circumstance warned them off when at the post office window. Such things as a strange man passing and looking into the drug store, or the appearance of a stranger in the neighborhood, might have been sufficient reason for the member who started for the letters to refrain from asking for them at the last moment. These Morello-Lupo members are very suspicious, and in dealing with them this trait must always be considered.
Another incident of the efforts of the gang to locate Comito may be of interest at this point when I relate that the gang offered $2,500 to any one who would reveal to the "Black-Handers"the whereabouts of Comito. This $2,500 was offered to the same member of the New York Police Department who was also offered $500 for the return of the letters, two of which I have given a few pages back.
A threatening letter is sent to a proposed victim. Immediately after the letter is delivered by the postman Morello just "happens" to be in the vicinity of the victim to be, and "accidentally" meets the receiver of the letter.
The receiver knows of Morello's close connections with Italian malefactors, and, the thing being fresh in mind, calls Morello's attention to the letter.
Morello takes the letter and reads it. He informs the receiver that victims are not killed off without ceremony and just for the sake of murder.
The "Black-Hand" chief himself declares he will locate the man who sent the letter, if such a thing is possible, the victim never suspecting that the letter is Morello's own. Of course, the letter is never returned to the proposed victim. By this cunning procedure no evidence remainsin the hand of the receiver of the letter should he wish to seek aid from the police.
Also, Morello is in this way put in close touch with the mental attitude of the receiver of the letter, and he is in a position to tell whether the receiver will go to the police or not.
Morello thus can tell whether to proceed with further threats; he can also tell what manner of threat is most likely to persuade the receiver of the letter to part with his money.
The threat may be the stealing of his little child or the blowing up of his store or the horrible invitation to expect swift and sudden death from a knife thrust in the dark.
Morello was practically the first man to make this manner of blackmail a commercial success in this country.
Here are a few samples of letters taken by the Secret Service men from Morello's house when he was arrested on the charges upon which he was convicted of counterfeiting United States money. It was for these letters also that the offer of $500 was made in part.
The letter which follows had been sent through the mail to Liborio Bataglia, at No. 13 Prince Street, New York City. Morello had got theletter back in the usual way that I have just explained. It reads in the English translation from the Sicilian as follows:
"Mr. Bataglia:"Do not think that we are dead. Look out for your face; a veil won't help you. Now is the occasion to give me five hundred dollars on account of that which you others don't know respect that from then to now you should have kissed my forehead I have been in your store, friend Donate how you respect him he is an ignorant boob, that I bring you others I hope that all will end that when we are alone they give me no peace as I deserve time lost that brings you will know us neither some other of the Mafia in the future will write in the bank where you must send the money without so many stories otherwise you will pay for it."
"Mr. Bataglia:
"Do not think that we are dead. Look out for your face; a veil won't help you. Now is the occasion to give me five hundred dollars on account of that which you others don't know respect that from then to now you should have kissed my forehead I have been in your store, friend Donate how you respect him he is an ignorant boob, that I bring you others I hope that all will end that when we are alone they give me no peace as I deserve time lost that brings you will know us neither some other of the Mafia in the future will write in the bank where you must send the money without so many stories otherwise you will pay for it."
Here is another letter that had been sent through the mails and obtained by Morello in the usual manner. It bears a Brooklyn postmark and is dated September 21, 1908. It was addressed to Rosario Oliveri, 27 Stanton Street. It reads in the translation from the Sicilian:
"Dear Friend:"Beware we are sick and tired of writing to you to the appointment you have not come with people of honor. If this time you don't do what we say it will be your ruination. Send us three hundred dollars with people of honor at eleven o'clock Thursday night. There will be a friend at the corner of 15th Street and Hamilton Ave. He will ask you for the signal. Give me the word and you will give him the money. Beware that if you don't come to this order we will ruin all your merchandise and attempt your life. Beware of what you do."M. N."
"Dear Friend:
"Beware we are sick and tired of writing to you to the appointment you have not come with people of honor. If this time you don't do what we say it will be your ruination. Send us three hundred dollars with people of honor at eleven o'clock Thursday night. There will be a friend at the corner of 15th Street and Hamilton Ave. He will ask you for the signal. Give me the word and you will give him the money. Beware that if you don't come to this order we will ruin all your merchandise and attempt your life. Beware of what you do.
"M. N."
Here is a polite invitation to a proposed victim that he very kindly dispense with his money. It reads:
"Friend:"The need obliges us to come to you in order to do us a favor. We request, Sunday night, 7th day, at 12 o'clock you must bring the sum of $1000. Under penalty of death for you and your dears you must come under the new bridge near the Grand Street ferry where you will find the person that wants to know the time. At thisword you will give him the money. Beware of what you do and keep your mouth shut...."
"Friend:
"The need obliges us to come to you in order to do us a favor. We request, Sunday night, 7th day, at 12 o'clock you must bring the sum of $1000. Under penalty of death for you and your dears you must come under the new bridge near the Grand Street ferry where you will find the person that wants to know the time. At thisword you will give him the money. Beware of what you do and keep your mouth shut...."
I summoned a great many of the people to whom these letters were sent and asked them to tell who they met and how much money they gave to the "Black-Handers." But invariably these people, some of whom I knew were victims, would deny that they had met any person in answer to the letter, and they would also deny that they ever thought of giving any money to appease the wrath of the "Black-Hand" Society.