The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-11-19
HIS LIFE PERILED BY MALTA
Story Told TO the New York Police by
MarzioGindice, az Intelligent Italian.
Hounded by Agents Of the Sicilian Band Of As
sassins. Who Have Poisoned His Wife, and
Want the Life of Himself and Son.


front of the Cooper Union. few years ago. .
Superintendent Byrnes. then inspector In
charge of the detective bureau, made the
discovery that q foreign assassination So
ciety known as the Malta had agents in this
country, and that the order was hourishing
in several of the cities of the United States.
The assassination of Flaccomic was laid at
the door of the Malta. but the members Of
that order are SO secretly banded together
that the murderers have never been arrest
ed. Several arrests were made. but the ar
rested parties had to be lst 60. 1t was In
spector Byrnes who first learned that the
Malta existed here. Now 1t 10 known that
branches of the secret order are very strong
in New York. Boston. Providence Chicago.
ST. Louis and other cities 1t is also known
by tho authorities that the Malta was re-
sponsi BILE for q number Of mysterious MUIR
ders that hove been committed in this
country in recent years.
Amarked victim of the Malta has asked
for protection at the police headquarters
from the agents of the order. who are
sworn to kill HIM. The man is Mario
Gindice, an intelligent Italian. He has
been to police headquarters and told his
STORY of being bounded. and threatened,
and warned to detectives Formiso and
Alonce. The former is one of inspector
MoLaughlin's Italian detectives. Gindice
asserts that his wife. who died year and
n half ago, was poisoned by agents OF the
Malta, robbed and her body stolen from the
grave where he had the remains inferred,
and buried else where, SO that he could not
find it. His wife left property in Italy, he
says and in order to gain possession OF this
the Matia lie seeking his life and that of his
eleven ear-old son. This Is not the only
reason ne gives. however ior the the
story he told to detective Formiso
begins thirty years ago. when he was q
small boy in Italy. His father, he said. 10
an Italian nobleman. In 1860 murder was
committed in the parish whore his parents
lived. His father WAS q wealthy man,
against whom the lower and criminal
classes had great hatred. 10 cover up
the real murder, his father was arrested
aud thrown into prison. who're he was kept
for three years, Notwithstanding that he
was innocent. At the end OF threeyears he
was let 60 upon his paying large sum OF
money. Several Italians who were identi-
fled with the Malta bore grudRe against
the elder Gindice, which has been trans
ferred to the son.
Mario came to this country In 1876 He
studied pharmacy for three years, and
He went into business here, making bal
looms and selling flowers. He travelled all
over the country attending fairs. where bo
sold the articles he manufactured. He says
that he has been bounded now for several
years, aud threatened with death. He has
gone from one place to another to escape
assassination. Since the death of his wife
the agents sworn TO kill him have been on
his track more persistently than ever.
Francisco Mortello. bandit. who 10 now
In Italy, sent three men here TO kill him,
he says few years ago. The men. he says.
are Augustine Mortello. Francisco's broth
er; Rigo Gindice. Marzlo's own step broth
or. and another man who Is unknown.
Mortellio is at the head of the Brooklyn
Mafia. Mario formerly lived IN Brooklyn.
1t was there that his wife died last year.
She had been sick fifteen days. The Mafis,
he said, tried to palm of one OF their men,
bers as doctor, but he discovered the
fraud.
Shortly before his wife died an italian
priest came to tho house and ordered every
one out of the room. The priest sent him
out for medicine. While he was gone he
alleges that the priest induced the dying
woman to give him $500. which he said no
would send to her brother Antonio Buone,
who is soldier In the Italian army.
When his wife died her body turned q
reddish hue, but the attending physician
gave certificate of death from pneumonia.
She was buried in the Holy Cross Gene
terry, Brooklyn. Later, he says, the body
knowledge and removed to another part of
the cemetery, whore he has never been
able TO find it. He says that his enemies
had the body exhumed. The money which
his wife gave to the priest was mover sent
to her brother. Gindice says that he knew
nothing of the money affair until q few
months ago. when he received letter
from friends in Italy telling him of the con-
fessIon made Dy Luiga Guntrino. an
Italian who was living in Brooklyn at the
time of his wife's death and went back to
Italy, where he died. Before he died he
confessed that Gindice's wife had been
poisoned by agents of the Mafia In order to
get her money and property in Italy. He
gave the name of the priest who got the
money, and confessed that 1t wac not sent
to the dead woman's brother he also con-
fessed that the same persons who caused
the death of Mrs. Gindice were sworn to
kill her husband.
Gindice told detective Formiso that he
went to see the Italian priest, who. he said,
was connected with church In Brooklyn.
He accused him of keeping the money.
The priest, he said, threatened to have
him killed if he said anything more about
the matter. He had been warned q num-
Der of times since that he would be killed
if he did not keep quiet. Two years ago,
previous 10 his wife's death. while ne was
walking along Court street. Brooklyn, he
was shot at. He says that 1t was an at
tempt to assassinate him. About q year
ago his eleven year-old son Michael was
slashed across the face by some unknown
parties and by some means poison was in
iected into the wound. The lad recovered,
however. He has the scar on his face.
Gindice says his letters are intercepted,
and he is being bounded night and day.
Detective Formiso told him the police
would do every thing in their power TO pro-
tect him. The case Is being investigated
L. al 1ata