Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-26
TRAIL
THE MURDERER
BELIEVE CUCCIA VICTIM OF
VENDETTA
Relative Of italian Who Was MUIR
dered Two Months Ago Suspect
ed Of Shooting Man In
the Back

buggy on North Main street by man
riding n bicycle.
Murderer was pursued by n man in n
buggy, but succeeded in making his es-
cape near 416 Bauchet street.
Fifty detectives and police have been
assigned to search for the fugitive.
Murderer believed to be the relative
Of George NInisnno, who was shot June
"a, 1905, by Joe ArdizSOne, n cousin Of
Joseph Cuccia.
Bitter feud said to have existed be-
tween the two families for many years.
Fifty detectives and policemen were
yesterday assigned to the work or
searching for the murderer of Joseph
CucciA, the italian interpreter, who
was brutally shot yesterday afternoon
on North Main street.
While the fugitive criminal has not
vet been captured, clews have been
discovered which point strongly toward
a certain resident of the italian dis
trict as the perpetrator of the crime.
The man suspected is relative OF
George Maisano, who was killed June
27, 1906, on East Main street, near Ave-
nue. Nineteen, by Joe Ardizzone, a
cousin of the man murdered yesterday
Joseph Cuccia.
The killing of Maisano by Ardizzone
Is said to have been the result of
long standing feud between the fami-
lies and their relatives which is known
in Italy as the vendetta
Since Maisano was murdered, his
relative is said to have sworn ven-
geance upon Ardizzone and all his kins
men. Ardizzone has disappeared since
his crime last June.
Ardizzone disappeared after he had
committed the crime and his disap-
pearance was Immediately followed by
the absence of the suspected man who,
it is claimed, pursued Ardizzone with
the purpose of taking his life in retri-
button for the killing of his cousin.
For the past three months the man
now under suspicion of killing Cuccia
has not been seen In Los Angeles, but
residents of the italian quarter claim
that he was seen yesterday morning
around his old haunts.
Angelo Chioppone, who has lived in
the same house with the Cuccia family
for several months, said last night:
II am firmly convinced that Mai
sano's cousin was the man who mur
dered Joseph Cuccia this afternoon.
The descriptions given of the murderer
by those who saw the deed tally eX-
actly with the personal appearance of
the man, and even the clothes the
murderer was said to have worn were
of the same character as those the sus-
pected murderer is claimed to have had
on when he was seen in the italian
quarter this morning.
"Mr. Cuccia had experienced trouble
with this italian short time after the
killing of George Maisano and there
has been bad blood between the two
since''
When Mrs. Cuccia was interviewed
regarding the affair, she shuddered
III sat f1n rnf h. GUS
pected mans name, and would not
commit herself to any definite state
ment as TO who she thought the mur-
derer was, but admitted that she had
grave fears that the man was guilty. |
From her manner 1t was also plain that
she did not feel quite sure about her
own life.
The general opinion expressed by the
Italians of Los Angeles is to the effect
that the murder of Cuccia was COM
mitted by the relative of Maisano.
Cuccia was shot on North Main street
yesterday about noon. He was driving
slowly in 4 buggy near Fifteenth
street, hen a young man rode up be-
hind hito on bicycle and discharged
four shots at him from a revolver. The
first three shots missed, but the fourth
entered Cuccia's back, penetrating The
heart.
He remained in his seat for two
blocks after the fatal shot had been
fred, but fell TO the pavement in 9
swoon when Wilhardt street was
neared.
After he mad seen his victim fall, the
murderer turned his wheel south and
rode like mad.
Twice he di opred his pistol dismount-
ing to pick ii up, and yet no one among
the spectators dared to approach him.
But Alfred Drake of S45 East Twenty
eighth street saw the mans rapid
flight ami rurPLed him in a buggy.
Pursuai | and Iursuer fled through al
leys and cross-streets until Bauchet,
the center OF ihe Italian quarter, was
reached. Here the bicyclist Jumped to
the ground and threw his bicycle into
the yard Of 40f Bauchet street and dis
appeared among the multitudinous
small huts closely huddled together in
maze that no one familiar with the
place could rass through.
1t is bell arcd hy the police that the
murderer Is hc'ng sheltered in sor
part of the I:s'is1 quarter. At any rate
the fugiL.ya hud a well plaqced course
Of flight, 70" his path led in the short
est way to his disappearing place, and
1t is believed that there was someone
In hiding near the point where he dis
mounted from his wheel who helped
him in his escape.
witnesses OF the affair yesterday say
that the murderer was of refined ap-
pearance and well dressed. They say
he appeared to be about twenty-five
years old, wore soft hat, a dark suit
of clothes, with noticeably short coat
The murdered man was considered
eomething of a leader among the ItaI-
lans of Los Angeles, and everyone
speaks highly of his character. He
leaves a wife and three children rang
ing in age from fourteen to seventeen.
The family is grief stricken by the
terrible tragedy that has befalen them.