Evening star., 1902-08-05
CAMORRA AND MAFIA
CUT-THROAT SECRET SOCIETIES
WHICH FLOURISH IN ITALY.
The Mala Vita and Associations Form
ed by Blackmail and Assas-
sination.
From the New York Times.

From the New York Times.
The theory, seemingly strengthened by
evidence that Giuseppe Catania, the Italian
grocer, whose body was found in a sack at
Bay Ridge had been the victim of VEN
delta, draws attention to the Camorra, the
Maia Vita, and other cut-throat organiza-
tions which have fourished in Italy for
many decades, and whose feuds have been
brought to this country.
The Malta. the most famous Of these So
cieties 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 Carbonari, for In
stance, which received it's first inception in
the Neapolitan states in the beginning OF
the nineteenth century, was political or
ganization built upon the lines of the Ja-
Goblin Club. It's object was to rid Italy OF
the tyranny Of Austria. The Carbonari
thus started out with a high, a patriotic
purpose. 1t numbered among it's members
the third Napoleon, one of whose connec-
tions fell in it's service.
The Camorra
The Camorra also started with a high
aim, that or regenerating Naples, and 1t
retained this patriotic character for the
first forty years of it's existence, from 1920
to 1860 The Mala Vita, an imitation of the
Malta, hints at noble purpose in its initia-
ton oath, to which every new member must
subscribe. The oath is as follows:
With one foot in the grave and the other
in chains, | swear to abandon father, moth
er, wife, children and all kindred, in order
to make. war upon the Infamous and to pro-
tect the humble
But it is different with the Malta, the old
est of the secret societies. Prof. Lombroso
traces its origin to Florence and Genoa In
= ,ol ,~ia
Towering era of professional poisoners and
assass-ns, when vendettas were numer-
Gus as mosquitoes in Jersey. Another fam
Gus Italian student, Prof. Villari, has given
the following definition of the notorious So
ciety:
The Malta has no written statutes; 1t Is
not secret society and hardly an associa-
ton, but is formed by Spontaneous genera
ton
War on Government.
The Malta also differs from the Camorra
in that 1t wages systematic war against all
government, while the Camorra, on the
other hand, seeks to conciliate government
by bribery, and for that purpose devotes
one-third of it's revenues to the corruption
of public officials. In other respects, how
ever, the Malta and Camorra 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,
anu So superpIy are they organized that
they can tell to a lire how much a certain
man has taken in for any given time.
Stern discipline is maintained within 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 So
cietys blacklist, and great was the Joy in
consequence The different attempts Of the
Italian government to suppress the socie-
ties have failed slgnally.
Malta at New Orleans