The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-19

"
Long List OF Assassinations Com.
m,tted by Italian Count erfeiters With
IMMUNITY In This City and Its Vicinity.
Wife solving for Police Inspector Nc
r1usky the mystery Of the barrel murder,
william J. Flynn. who Is In charge Of the
sacro, Service detectives in this part OF the
ourtrv. revealed some rems rkable facts
rorccrring the workings of the secret or
saristtiors which Sicily knows as the
Mafa AID Naples calls the Camorra. He
,od of members Of these oath-bound or
sarizatiors who had been put to death
neransa they had refused to commit crime
or for the reason that they were suspected
Of furnishing information TO the Govern
moi, Ulcers He told how other members
had o. "a ged, in counterfeiting; how they
had l. ;cd blnckmail: how they had issued
orders even from behind prison bars. and
how thee orders were obeyed to the letter.
Tie stories were accompanied by names,
dates. street numbers, and other details.
They came from a man whose experience
As detective has extended over many
countries and among all classes-a man
who has landed more counterfeiters In
prisnr than any other officer. whose de-
tectv, career il even more rcma rkable
thai that Of Sherlock Holmes. Flynn
seldom talks about his own business. and
he world not have talked at this time II II
had rot been for the fact that he desired to
aid the local police in running down the
murderers OF the man found In the barrel.
II another police officer had said that he
krew 1t to be fact that at least three MUIR
ders committed right here In New York
10, ba nj vaa xvpr tho x0rk nf tboeA
oath-bound societies folks might have
doubts. but coming from the Govern
ment's leading detective the statement
carries weight
One Of the cases cited was that Of Antonio
Fla ,,nio. who was stabbed to death near
Cooper Union on tho night Of Oct II. 1888.
Secret Service men had tracked q gang OF
countarfeiters to New York In the spring
Of 1891. and had learned that they met In
a restaurant 10 st. Marks place known
as La Trinacris. This place was the head
quarters Of a Malta band. Flacomio was
often seen in the company Of members Of
the Malta and the counterfeiters.
On April Q, 1884. several members OF the
gang paid visit to Staten Island. Flacomio
and Valerie Laziorotti, a South street bar
Der. left the others and started for the ferry
to return to New York. Before they
reached the ferry another member OF the
b,rd was found dead near the Richmond
turnpike, having been stabbed through the
heart with a sword cane. The cane was
found near the body.
The dead man was identified as Carmelio
Farrachi. whose home was in Brooklyn.
Flacomio and the barber were arrested
and charged with the crime. They proved
that they, wsre not near Farrachi at the
tins ne was murdered and both were
released
About this time the Malta band Of coun-
tefsters had learned that one OF their
members had betrayed some OF their
secrcts. Flacomio and Farrachi were sus-
pec,ad and marked to die. Fearing that
the band would kill him In the same manner
thsy killed Farrachi, Flacomio fed from
the city. He remained In New Orleans
until 1888. when he returned here and re-
newell his friendship with the band at the
st. Marks place restaurant
On Saturday. Oct. 10. 1883, at a secret
meeting Of the Malta held In the restaurant.
the death OF Flacomio was resolved upon
Two man were selected to Kill him. One
Of them weakened and told Flacomio about
IT, This man was known as vincenzio
Carasello. He explained that he would
rather kill himself than carry out the order
OF the Malta.
At 0 o'clock on the following night
Fscomio was seen to leave the restaurant
walking arm In arm with another Italian.
When they neared the corner Of Eighth
street the other Italian produced a long
knife such as bakers use and stopping
Flacomio for minute. turned and plunged
the knife into his heart. Flacomio fell
dead on the sidewalk and passers by did
not know what had happened until the
murderer had disappeared around the
corner.
The police arrested several OF the
restaurant patrons and got one Of them
TO admit that the knife with which the
killing had been done belonged In the
restaurant. Among the men arrested was
Stefano Bono. who had a barber shop at
?73 East Twcnty-second street. He was
oounterfeiter and an ex-convict. He
had often visited Flacomio at the latter's
kdgrgs at COZ Third avenue. But all
Of the men arrested managed to escape
punishment and Flacomio's death has
never been avenged by the law.
On the night that Flacomio was mur-
dered, half an hour after the crime had
been committed, two Italians called at
the New England Hotel, at 80 Bowery. and
one Of them paid for a room for his friend
The friend proved TO be vincenzio Carasello,
who had refused to carry out the Mafia's
order to kill Flacomio.
The next morning when the hotel clerk
went TO call Carasello the latter was found
dead In bed and the gas was turned on.
Il was evident that he had committed
suicide
The casos cited show how the Malta Of
America works. The police were not at
that time familiar with all Of the facts.
They did know, however, that Malta
counterfeiting band had killed Flacomio,
ard were responsible for the deaths Of the
other men referred to.
The branches OF the Malta to-day In New
York city and those OF the Camorra have
for their chief purpose the committing Of
crime in defiance OF the law. The men,
brs are oath bound and murder for SELF
protection against the officers whose duty
II Is TO ferret out criminals.
They are In no way descended from
the political societies Of southern Italy,
which prevailed during the last century.
1lax. N he - nd vhN