The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-22
SUNDAY TRIPLE MURDER
"LITTLE ITALYo DEVELOPS A
FIERCE AND FATAL BATTLE.
An Interfamily Row Results in Three
Arrests Promptly Made.

NEW YORK, Jan. N.-Three Italians Of
one home We're shot to death IN an inter-
family row which began in an Italian tene-
ment house on East Eleventh street. at
noon to-day, and ended in one of the worst
Sunday brawls the East Side has seen for
some time.
Antonio Colletti, thirty-seven years OF
age. married, shot through the lungs
and died in his tracks; Caspar Colletti,
nineteen years old. his brother was shot
in the breast and died shortly after being
taken to Bellevue Hospital. and David SAL
vatoro. forty years old. cousin of the Col
lettis, was shot in the stomach and died
in the hospital tonight. Vincenzo Spinella
and his son Frank, seventeen years old,
have been arrested and charged with the
murder, and the police are still searching
for Frank Spinella, brother Of Vincenzo,
who also played part in the tragedy.
Trouble between the Collettis and the
Spinellas which ended in the tragedy to-
day, began late last night between Joseph
Colletti and Frank Spinella, the house
keeper of 432 East Eleventh street where
the Coilettis lived. Colletu came home in
company with a friend, and found the door
to the tenement house locked. To gain an
entrance the two men kicked in a panel
of the door, against the protests of the
housekeeper. A lot of words passed be-
tween the housekeeDer and Colletti, but
there were no particularly hostile demon
strations on either side The Colletti fam
lily were well known among the Italian
residents Of that section of town. There
were eight brothers and six sisters, the
brothers being mostly engaged as stone
masons. They all lived in the Eleventh
street tenement. OF the Spinellas there
were three brothers and one son. Vincenzo
Spinella, brother of the housekeeper, lived
with his son Frank on East Thirteenth
street and the latter youth, who is seven
teen years old, precipitated the murder.
Shortly before noon young Frank went
around to the Eleventh street tenement
and on the appearance Of Antonio Colletti.
assaulted him. Colletti resented the at
tack and was Immediately Joined by his
brother Caspar, the two of them starting
in to administer punishment TO the youth.
At the same time the boys father, Vim
cenzo Spinella, appeared on the scene and
a number of the Colletti family's relatives
for general riot and the street was filed
with a shouting. struggling mob. The
shouts of the participants. accompanied by
pistol shots. and the cries of residents
of the neighborhood, filled the air.
A patrolman was attracted by the noise
and he summoned ambulance from
Bellevue Hospital. at the same time noti-
flying Capt Diamond. of the Fifth-street
police station. The captain rushed to the
scene with his staff Of detectives. and on
the appearance of the officers the riot
stopped suddenly. Three men were lying
or the ground, one dead and two mortally
wounded. Antonio Colletti had been shot
through the left lung and had dropped i'm
his tracks. Caspar Colletti was bleeding
and helpless from shot which had pene-
trated the left breast, and David Saliva
toro had been shot in the stomach. Caspar
was rushed to the drug store and thence to
the hospital, where he died a few minutes
after being admitted. Salvatore lived sew
eral hours.
Vincenzo Spinella and his son fed from
the scene on the arrival of the police
Frank, the boy. was captured before he
had gone far. Vincenzo ran to his home,
on Thirteenth street, firing at his pursuers
he ran. He was found under a bed In
his rooms. and arrested. charged with
homicide. as was also his son. Joseph Col
letti. whose forcible entrance into the tene-
ment. last night. started the trouble, was
also arrested. Frank Spinella, the house
keeper, has disappeared.