The evening star and Newark advertiser., 1907-10-29
BLACK HAND
MEMBER IS
MURDERED
Supposed to Be Work OF
Ills Own Criminal
Companions.
DIDN'T EXECUTE DECREE
DIDN'T EXECUTE DECREE
Had Been Selected to Blow Up
With Dynamite Home of Man
Who Had Refused to Pay
Tribute-.B0mb Found on
Dead Body.

NEW YORK, Oct. 29.-Vito Greinaldi,
alias Vito Pizzanello, a member of the
Black Hand Society who has been sus-
pected of being implicated in murders,
kidnapping and blackmailing plots, was
cut to pieces by members of his own
gang some time after midnight, be-
cause he refused, when the lot fell to
him, to blow up with dynamite the
home of man who had refused to pay
tribute.
When Greinaldi's body was found
there was a dynamite bomb tucked
under his blue sweater, which the po-
lice say would have wrecked an or
binary block had it been exploded.
Near the body also lay long -bladed
stiletto, sharpened to a razor-edge,
with which Greinaldi had undoubtedly
fought to save his life.
In the pockets of the victim the po-
lice found papers which proved his
affiliation with the blackmailing, kid
mapping and numbering organization,
and later the italian detectives discov-
cred enough to convince them Greinal-
di had started on mission of venge-
ance, that he had been followed by
members of his gang and, when his
heart failed him, was set upon and
murdered.
Such was the fate of Benedetto Ma
donia, the victim of the barrel muir
der" whose body was found stuffed in
a barrel in Eleventh street and Avenue
ID a few years ago, after he had told
the police some secrets of the counter
feiting organization.
Greinaldis body was found by Police
man William Hoeff1ing, of the Ham
burg avenue station, Brooklyn, who
was walking through Knoll street, be-
tween Central and Evergreen avenues.
This is one of the most secluded sec
tions in Brooklyn. More than one Ital-
ian murder has been committed in the
neighborhood.
The rain was falling in torrents and
the wind blowing a gale when the po-
liceman passing Public School lab
stumbled over the body of a man. The
man had been literally cut to pieces.
There were nine stab wounds in the
throat and breast. The mans body
was not cold, and blood was still form
ing in pools about 1t.
When the reserve police came, ac-
companied by Detectives Mealli and
Rouss, of the Brooklyn Bureau of
italian Detectives, the block was sur
rounded, and men were sent scurrying
to the Italian settlement in Central
avenue. The body of the murdered
man was removed to the station house,
and there the bomb was found.
The bomb was declared to be the
most dangerous sort. 1t was about
twice the size of an ordinary teacup
and of that shape, and from one end
protruded a fuse four and one half feet
long. The bomb consisted of giant
powder and dynamite.
The detectives declared at once
blackmailer had been murdered by his
own gang and had met death while on
a mission of murder and destruction
Searching the dead mans clothes De-
tective Mealli came upon papers in the
pockets which established his identity
snd also showed him to be member
of the Central avenue gang of black
handlers.
In the pocket also was Ss-calibre re-
Volver fully loaded. There was no blood
on the stiletto picked up where the body
was found. This stiletto lay near the
dead mans right hand, as though it had
fallen from his grasp when he received his
qtA stab.
In. looking up the record of the muir
dered man Detectives Mealli and Rouss
found that 0reinaldi came from the Pro-
vince of Trapani. in Sicily, which has fur
nished more criminals in New York than
even the Province of Palmero.
Until a year ago Greinaldi was a piano
polisher and made good wages and was
supposed to be thrifty and saving. Then
work became distasteful to him. He be-
came connected with the Central avenue
gang of blackmailers and since then has
done no work though always well supr
piled with money.
Greinaldi was about 2S years old, and
was considered handsome by his country
men. OF late he has been making his
home with Bernardo Pandano, n grocer,
at lis Central avenue. During the day he
was in his room the greater part of the
time, but when night fell Joined his fellow
desperadoes.
For several months Detective Mealli has
been watching Greinald However. there
was never sufficient evidence on which TO
base an arrest In several cases, where
Ridnappings have been committed, mer-
chants blackmailed and murders COM
mitted. clews led to Central avenue and
the Italian detective was of the opinion
that Greinaldi was one of the plotters.
Mealli says when a crime such as was
planned for Greinaldi last night is decided
upon. members of the Black Hand organ-
zation draw lots, and the man on whom
the lot falls must carry the plans into
execution or meet his own fate The
bomb found on the murdered man was
exactly like that recently discovered in
front of the home of DIR. Joseph Tamburo
of 1872 johnson street, Brooklyn, and the
police are certain the two were made by