The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1907-12-05
BLACK HAND HERE
Leading Italian Paper Tells q
Strange Story Of Conditions
in italian Colony
URGES ITALIANS TO ORGANIZE


Kenosha," the II Faro, the leading
Italian paper of Milwaukee, in its is
sue for this week, calls attention to
the conditions existing in the Italian
colony in Kenosha and urges the Ita1.
lans here to organize to get rid of this
class of undesirable citizens. The
article in part follows:
"After respite of seven months,
the Italian colony of Kenosha has
once more become a mark for the
wrath of malefactors. At present it
is not question of open handed ag-
gression, but the conditions of the
colony are such that every one runs a
great risk who is bold enough to VEN
ture out in the evening.
"This is owing to thieves who in
fest the Italian quarter. Saturday
evening, Nov. II, a little before 6
o'clock, Michael Angelo Cimino, in
returning home, was attacked by
three persons, who, after throttling
him, relieved him of SIS, the earnings
of two weeks. Cimino naturally of
fered resistance, but was thrown to
the ground and rendered powerless.
1t is useless to say the robbers made
their escape and nothing further has
been heard of them. All this hap
pened in front of the Italian church
of St. Rosario, where people are con.
tinually passing to and fro.
g "a few evenings later another band
of thieves paid visit to the house OF
Antonio Gillotto, who conducts a
boarding house. At that hour all the
boarders had retired and the thieves
entered the house under the excuse Of
getting some information, but Gillotto
becoming suspicious, called for as
distance, and the ruffians made their
escape.
Last Sunday evening other un-
known thieves paid visit to Banker
LaMachia, and it is due to the inte1li-
gence of dog that the banker keeps
IN his store, that the thieves did not
succeed IN making away with every
thing that LaMachia has in his store.
So insistently did the dog bark that
the thieves were forced to abandon
their project. It is also reported that
certain doctor. after visiting a pa
TENT, was relieved of his watch, and
this happened close to his office in the
vicinity of Main street. Other per
soas are said to have received threat
endng letters bearing the signature of
the "Mano Nera" (Black Hand).
3Thes colony is extraordinarily ex.
cited. Many persons no longer go out
in the evening and In the daytime they
walk very cautiously. 1t appears
that the3naa jority are afraid of giving
any information to the local author
tiles and others perhaps are expect
ing to take justice in their own hands.
La this way the police are almost com
pietely in the dark"
Following this statement of cond1-
tions ingKenosha the editor of II Faro
urges the Italians of the city to fol-
low the lead of the Italians in Chica-
go and form chapter of what is
known as the "Mano Blanca" or
White Hand with view of roofing
out and driving out of Kenosha this
band of ruffians and thieves. The
editor himself later in his editorial
comment seems to question the exist
ence ofsthe Black Hand in any of the
American cities but he insists that
what is known as the Black Hand is
band of ruffians and former occu-
pants of Italian prisons who have
come to America to get away from
further prosecution. He claimed that
the organization of Mano Blanca in
Chicago had resulted in these men
being driven out of that city and they
were making their way to Kenosha
and other cities in order to find
refuge.
The police of the city claim to have
no knowledge Of the assaults and
roboeries that are alleged to have
been committed in the Italian colony
here but the matter is being investi-
gated and the police will make an
effort to find the foundation of the
story that the Mano Nera is flourish
ing in this city.
AlA~ e A -