The record-union., 1894-04-28
HOW THE FRAUD IS WORKED.
Not More Than 5000 Italians Hon.
estly Entitled to citizenship.

Not More Than 5000 Italians Hon.
estly Entitled to Citizenship.
The man who seems to be the chief of
this gang of rascals is Vincenzo De Vito,
saloonkeeper, banker, padrone and Tam
many politician. His bank is at S3 MuI-
berry street.
Italians are particularly susceptible to
the influences such men as De Vito can
bring upon them. No other immigrants
to this country are so anxious to become
| citizens as are the Italians. They have
been told they cannot get work on any of
the Government jobs unless they are
naturalized. How they get naturaliza-
ton papers is immaterial to them. De
VITO and others Of his kind have become
rich and powerful making "citizens'' of
these immigrants.
The E0emdng WorZd has spent weeks in
vestlgating the subject. Its reporters
nave purchased papers. They have
bought and paid for them lust as they
would for any other article of merchan-
ulse. 70 do so they had to take into their
coincidence men VINO were in the same
walks OF life and of the same nationality
as the dupes.
With Superintendent Byrnes of this
city and Superintendent Campbell of
Brooklyn lies the rest. 1t remains for
them to arrest the guilty parties as well
s'S 'hoso uiSu III StdIlOn VINO are SAID TO
be responsible for the crimes. Both of
these officials have spoken in no hesitat-
ing manner. They have promised to
leave no stone unturned to get at the root
OF the evil
1t is estimated that there are $4,000
Italian voters in New York. Of these,
1t is said, not more than 5000 are honestly
entitled to the rights of citizenship.
All OF the men employed in the city de-
ft OY1fl hn
so. That law was passed by the Legisla-
ture at the instance of organized labor.
Hundreds and hundreds of men en-
ployed in the Street-Cleaning Depart
ment have citizenship papers, yet few of
them have been in the country more than
two years, and not one in five has been
properly naturalized.
This is how it is done: An Italian who
has only been here few weeks or months
wants position in the Street Cleaning
Department. He knows the padrone can
procure 1t for him, and seeks that individ-
ual. He pays down $40 or $50 for the no.
sitlon, and then comes the hitch, for the
man is not citizen.
Never mind that" is the padrone's
comment II will make you citizen.
1t will cost you about Sl5.''
The money is paid and the padrone
does the rest. Within a short time the
man receives his papers without having
appeared IL any court or in any manner
having sworn allegiance to the United
States.
The ink on the. fraudulent paper is
scarcely dry when the padrone with the
newly made citizen hurries to the office
OF Commissioner Andrews. There the
man is sworn by one of the officials. It is
lmmaterial that the man cannot even
speak the English language, and therefore
cannot understand the oath put to him.
The papers are enough and the man is
sent out to work.
1t frequently happens that the papers
are signed in blank by the clerk of one
OF the courts IN this city or vicinity. who
af1ixes the seal of the court. The name
OF the Italian citizen" Is afterwards
added in another hand by the padrone
But the practice IS more common during
the few weeks Immediately precedinp an
election than at other times OF the year.
1t is much more common for the pa-
drone to rake up lot OF old papers from
Italians who are returning to Italy and
are willing to dispose of them for song.
1t was when the EUeRlnq World was
waging warfare against the iniquitous
padrone system that the extent of the
traffic in naturalization papers was
learned. 1t was easy to get naturaliZ-
ton paper-a dozen paperS-which the
Italian pOSSeSSOrS were willing to make
affidavit had been purchased at second
hand, or had been procured illegally
through a violation of law. But it Would
still remain to be proven beyond perad-
venture that fraud had been committed.
New York World.