Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-10-20
THE DEADLY MAFIA.
How the Members of the Order wreak
Vengeance.

CINCINNATI, October 1Q.-The deadly
Malta have again got in their work.
Dave HednesSy, the efficient Chief of
Police Of New Orleans, riddled by
twenty bullets, has fallen victim to
their treachery and vengeance.
Carlo Quarteraro, who was said to
have murdered Antonio Flaccomio one
Sunday night in New York City about
year ago, was memb-f OF La Malta,
and made frequent trips to Cincinnati,
one six months before the affray, and
detectives when he was in New Orleans
suspoeted he was here. L
The La Malta is secret organization
composed almost entirely OF Sicilians,
and was founded by an Italian cut
throat named Malta at Palermo a hum
dred years ago. The members are for
the most part criminals and counter
feiters, and hesitate at no atrocity.
The inhuman cruelty OF some OF
the Malta agents is almost be-
vond human credencc and savors
of the brutal barbarity of the
Middle Ages. Vincenzo Arditi burned
4 victims house in New Orleans, hop
ing TO burn the owner AT the same time.
He was sent to the Pententiary, organ
lied branch Of the Mafia-for house
breaking purposes only-among his iel-
low prisoners, got out, went to St. Louis
and murdered foe OF the Malta there.
He went to Chicago, opened u saloon,
enticed an obnoxious fellow countryman
into it and stabbed him in the back with
a knife so long that it stuck out on both
sides of the dying man as he fell TO the
floor. He came 10 New York, opened
store. fired it to get the insurance and
was unsuccessful. He vowed vengeance
and La Malta on fellow country
man whom he believed instrumental
in causing his defeat. He invited his
victim to private apartment TO nave
glass of beer, offered Il beaker with one
hand. and with the other by one stroke
of a razor laid the poor wretch's race
omen from his forehead to the point OF
his chin. When the wounded man, al
most by a miracle, recovered, and was
able to leave the Chambers-street Hos
pital. he was afraid to complain against
Arditi, who went scott free.
In October, 1SSS, Antonio Flaccomio
was assasSinated in the shadow of the
Cooper Union Building, in New York
city. Flaccomio had been adiudged a
traitor to the organization OF which ut
one time he was a prominent member,
and IL was said that Carmello Farach,
who was murdered in the Staten Island
woods four years before, had been en-
rolled in the same society.
The uniustifable killing of Farach
was one of the causes that led to Flac-
comio's removal. but the cause of his
assassination was the testimony that he
gave shortly before his assassination
against some of his countrymen, who
we're counterfeiterS, as well as brother
members of La Malta. Flaccomio was
sentenced to death, and two brothers,
Carlo and VincenZO Qnarrara, were Sc
lected to kill him. The former plunged
The stiletto into the doomed mars
heart.
Carlo Quarrara had often been in this
city and sold fruits to parties on West
Sixth street. He was in Cincinnati
some six months before.
Signor Rafllo, of New York City, the
Italian Consul, is authority for the state
ment that the first that was really
known of the order, was at the begin
ming of the present century in the town
of SLIM, Sicily, where family OF nine,
named Giavanni, of considerable social
position, were murdered in as many
weeks.
The father went first, being found at
his very doorstep. Seven days later the
mother followed. Her dead body was
found in almost the same location as
that of her husband. The authorities
were unsuccessful in tracing the MUIR
derer or murdererS, and several days
afterward the bodies of the two eldest
children were found dead in bed. The
Others followed in regular order until
the family was completely annihilated.
A tough character of the town
named Sipoli was arrested on Sus-
picion and confessed. He revealed
the existence of the order, and said
that Giavanni and his family had in
Cured the anger of the band by betray-
inr criminal, who was a Malta, to the
authorities. Sipoli had been instructed,
among others, to commit the murder.
He was tried. and although the best
counsel was employed to defend him on
a plea of insanity by the Malta, he was
convicted and sent to prison for life.
Several witnesses for the prosecution
were afterward murdered by the Malta.
The Government, becoming aware OF
the lawlesS nature of the organization,
nj once took measures to have it sup
pressed, but the efforts proved futile.
La Malta continued to grow. \ police
officer in 1865, in Milan, discovered
mark by which a member of La Malta
could be known. 1t consisted of small
scar Immediately under the ear caused