The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-11-19
TIE ITALIAN MAFIA.
A Marked Victim Asks Protec-
ton in New York.
HIS STORY TOLD TO THE POLICE.
He Has Been Ropndsd Several Years and
Moved from Place to Place to
Escape ss,ssination.

NEW YoRR, Nov. 1S.-When Antonio
F'laccomio was mysteriously murdered in
front of Cooper Union few years ago,
Superintendent Byrnes. then an inspector
in charge of the detective bureau, made the
discovery that foreign assassinating So
ciety known as the Militia had agents in
this country. and that the order was -four
ishlng in several cities of the United
States. The assassination of F'laccomio
was laid at the door of the Ma6a. but mem
bers of that order are so secretly banded
together that the murderers have never
bsen arrested.
A marked victim victim of the Maas has
asked for protection at police headquarters
from agents of the order who are sworn to
Kill him. This man is Mario Gonolo, an
intelligent Italian. He has told his story
to the police. The story he told Detective
Formosa begins thirty years ago when he
was still a boy in Italy His father was an
Italian nobleman. In 1910 a murder was
committed in Paris. where his parents
lived. His father was wealthy maa and
the lower and criminal classes had great
hatred for him. TO shield the real muir
derers his father was arrested and thrown
into prison, where he was kept for three
years, notwithstanding he was innocent.
1neu he was let go on his paying large
sum of money
Several Italians, who were identified.
with the Malta, bore a grudge against his
father which, he says, has been trans
ferred to MIN. Mario came to this country
in 1867. and soon went Into the business of
making balloons aud selling flowers. He
says he has been bounded several years
and threatened with death aud has gone
from one place to another to escape assassi-
nation. Mario formerly lived in Brook
lvn. 1t was there his wife died last year.
She had besn sick but fifteen days. The
Malta, be said, tried to palm of one of
their members as doctor, DuJ he discov-
cred the fraud.
Shortly before his wife died an Italian
priest came to the house. ordered everyone
ut of the room, aud the priest sent him
out for medicine. While he was gone the
priest induced the dying woman to give
him $780, W hich he said ne would send TO
her brother. Antonio Bronio, who is a
soldier in Italy. When his wife died her
body turned reddish hue, but the attend
ing physician gave certificate of death
from pneumonia. She was buried in Holy
Cross cemetery. Brooklyn. Later, he says,
the body was taken from the grave by his
enemies. and removed TO some unknown
place. The Doney which his wife gave t
the priest was never sent to her brother.
Gonolo says that he learned this from
letter from friends in Italy telling him Of a
confession made by Lucua Csntrino an
Italian, who was living in Brooklyn at the
time of his wife's death and went to Italy
where he died. Before he died, he con-
fessed that Condos wife had been
poisoned by agents of the Malta in order to
get her money and property in Italy. de
gave the name Of the priest who got the
money and who confessed that 1T was not
sent TO the dead woman's brother He also
confessed that the same persons which
caused the death of Mrs. Gonolo were
sworn to Kill her husband and Centrino,
who went TO see an Italian priest who he
said was connected with q church in
Brooklyn. He accused him of keeping the
money and threatened to have him killed.
He had been warned a number of times
since then that he would be killed if he did
not keep quiet.
One year ago his 11-yesr-old son was
slashed across the face by unknown parties
and by this means poison was elected into
tins wound. The lad recovered, however
His father says his letters are Intercepted
and he is being bounded night and day.
bout three months ago he made up his
mind to go to Italy to get possession of his
wife's property. His enemies heard of it
and they tried to get him to go In company
with young man whom he since learned
was member of the Malta and was to
murder him at the first opportunity He
is trying TO get money enough to get back
to Italy out fears be will be murdered be-
fore he can get away.