The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-03-22
AN ITALIAN QUARREL.
Antonio Cussuzzello Shoots Giovanni
MaStriani.

MaStriani.
The Trouble Began in Scuffiing Match
Cussuzzelio Draws Revolver and Puts
Two Bullets in Mastriani-The Would
Be Murderer Arrested.
Saturday. afternoon saw another shoot
ing affair on Fore street, and great ex-
citement IN the italian colony. Antonio
Cussuzzello and Giovanni Mastriani,
together with third italian named Luz
lgl Vecohione had been drinking con-
siderable poor rum together during the
forenoon and at about two oclook, con-
sioeraSly exhilerated by the effect of
1helr potations, were standing about the
door OF the small grocery store at 265
Fore street.
All three Of the men engaged in q
friendly. scuffie in which Cussuzzello got
the little the worst of 1t and became
angry. Mastriani did not mind his COM
pan1on's anger In tn least but continued
Knocked Cussuzzello's hat off onto the
muddy sidewalk.
Pick up that hat" Cussuzzello de-
manded.
Pick it up yourself, retorted Mastri-
ami and he went into the store followed
by Luigi Vecchione who had taken no
part In knocking off Cussuello's hat.
The owner of the hat picked 1t up and
hurried across the street to his boarding
place. In few minutes he was back in
front of the store again and opening the
door demanded that Mastriani should
come out But by this time Mastriani
had caughtAthe murderous CLEAN in the
mans eye and thought 1t would be safer
for him to stay in the store Cussuello
continued to call upon Mastriani to come
out and Threatened to kill him if he got
q hanoe.
Luigi Veochione finally went out onto
the street and tried to persuade Cussuello
to 60 away. But the latter had murder
in his heart and refused to leave the
store door until he had "cut Mastrianis
heart OUT as he said. Partly by forcs
and partlyssby coaxing Veochione got the
man about twenty yards from the store
door where he stood near the corner of
narrow alleyway which runs from Middle
to Fore street. From where Cussuzzello
stood with Vecchione he could plainly
see the store and the latter never dean
ing that his companion had revolver
or the. intent to use it if he had, and he
dreamed OF no dangeE
By the side of the store at 265 Fore
street little alleyway runs back to the
center of the block. Out of the back door
of the store and into this alleyway Lstole
Mastrinni. He peeped around the corner
of the store onto Fore street and laughed
at CussuzZello on the corner above. Sud-
denly the latter drew a revolver from his
pocket and before Veechione who stood
opened fire on Mastriani
With the first report of the revolver,
Mastriani turned to run away but
two of tine shots fired by Cussnzzello
took effect in the man they were intended
for. Although twenty or more people
stood about the store. and on the street
the stray shot hit nobody.
Mastriani fell down ON his knees and
crying loudly ..crawledA around
the corner Of the store and a little dis
lance up the alley. In less time than it
| takes to tell it the street about the store
was crowded with jabbering, gesticu-
| lating and intensely excited Italians,
| Armenians, Arabians Hebrews and in
fact the whole population of the foreign
colonies near by. No one made an at
tempt to capture Cussuzzello who ran up
the alleyway, near which he stood when
he fired the shots. 10 Middle street and
thus escaped. Officers Frank and Greeley
were the first to reach the spot and in
something like twenty minutes Rioh's
ambulance arrived. Mastriani was lying
on bed in little. room over the store
and was alternately praying, cugsing,
calling upon his mother and screaming
with pain. He was of large stature for
ored face was distorted with agony
when he was taken out to the ambu-
| lance. The man seemed to be suffering
intense pain but no signs Of blood were
seen on his clothing.
4
| AS is usual in such cases Deputy Mar
shall Sterling and the police officers who
were investigating the case, could not find
any of tie Italians who would or could
talk English. But at last they found
out little and gradually the whole of
the above story was given to the police
and PRESS reporter. An alarm was
sent out for Cussuzzello's arrest and his
description telephoned as soon as pos
sible to all parts of the city.
| The wounded man was hurried to the
Maine General hospital in an ambulance
and staff surgeons of that institution
proceeded at once to make an examina-
ton of the wounds. Only two bullets
entered the mans body, although three
shots were fred by the would be murder
er. One of these shots was in the breast,
three inches from the lower end of the
breast bone on level with the ninth
rib and four inches below the nipple.