The National tribune., 1902-08-14
CAMORRA AND MAFlA.
Secret Societies Which Flourish
In 1taly-The Mala Vita and Associations
Formed for Blacxmail and Assassination.
(New York Times.)

FORMED LOT Blacxman and Assassination
(New York Times.)
The theory, seemingly strengthened BIZ
evidence that Giuseppe Catania, the Ital-
ian grocer, whose body was found in 4
sack at Bay Ridge, had been the victim
or vendetta, draws attention to the Ca
moira. the Mala Vita and other cut-throat
organizations which have fourished in
Italy for MANY decades, and whose feuds
have been brought to this country.
The Malta, the most famous of these
societies for organized blackmail, differs
from the rest in one vital particular. 1t
was founded for the avowed purpose of
loot, while the others were at first based
upon laudable desire to bring about
some much-needed reform. The Carbo-
narl. for instance, which received its first
inception i'll the Neapolitan States in the
beginning of The 18th century, was a po-
iltical organization built upon the lines of
the Jacobin Club. Its object was to rid
Italy of the tyranny Of Austria. The
Carbonari thus started out with high,
members the Third Napoleon, one of
whose connections fell in its service,
THE CAMoRRA.
The Camorra also started with a high
aim, that of regenerating Naples, and it
retained this patriotic character for the
trst 40 years of its existence, from 1920
to 1850. The Mala Vita, an imitation of
the Malta, hints at noble purpose in its
initiation oath, to which every new mem-
Der must subscribe. The oath is as fol-
lows: IA .7a.t. s.st
With one foot in the grave and the
other in chains, swear to abandon father,
mother, wife, children and all kindred in
order to make war upon the infamous and
to protect the humble
But it is different with the Malta, the
Oldest of the secret societies. Prof. LOm-
brosO traces its origin to Florence and
Genoa in the 14th and 18th centuries
the Towering era of professional poison
ers and assassins, when yendettas were
as numerous as nusketOs in Jersey. An
other famous Italian student, Prof. Vii
lari, has given the following definition of
the notorious society:
The Malta has no written statutes; it
is not a secret society and hardly an as
sociation, but is formed by spontaneous
generation"
WAR on GOVERNMENT.
The Malta also differs from the Camer-
ra in that it wages systematic war
against all Government, while the Camor-
ra, on the other hand, seeks to conciliate
Government by bribery, and for that pur-
pose devotes one-third of its revenue to
the corruption of public officials. In other
respects, however, the Malta and CamOrra
are much alike. They levy taxes on every
man of business. These taxes are Just 10
per cent. of the mulcted ones income for
the week, and so superbly are they organ
lied that they can tell to a lire how much
a certain man has taken in for any given
time.
for Il stt,rrn Sc Infa AI ntr,
the societies. Tyros must work their way
up, and the chief is as absolute as the
czar. In 1872 the Camorra chief publicly
celebrated the anniversary of his patron
saint by granting an amnesty to all those
on the society's blacklist, and great was
the joy in consequence. The different a..
tempts of the Italian Government to sup
press the societies have failed signally.
The Malta some IL years ago came near
precipitating conflict between Italy and
this country. There is a big colony of
Italians in New Orleans, and in 1890 the
Malta began to run things with a high
hand there. Cief of Police Hennessey
sent one of them-Esposoto- to ST.
cily on eXtraditiOn papers and thereby in
Cured their lasting hatred. On Oct. Is
he was going home from his Office when
be was shot by one of their number, and
with the words, THE Mafias have done
for me- fell dead.
At once raid was made on the italian
colony and the guilty ones captured, but
it required a panel of 100 before jury
could be drawn. and this jury, inspired
either by fear of the Malta or some other
motive, declared the criminals mot gull
ty." 1t was then that the citizens of New
Orleans organized a vigilance committee
which broke into the Jail and murdered
every Italian there.
The incident" as the State Depart |
ment called it, brought on diplomatic cor
respondence with the Italian Government
and excited much ill-feeling against this
country in Italy.