Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-09
BLACK HAND GANG
Important Arrests Made by Postofice
Inspectors in Ohio.
HEADQUARTERS AT MARION
Bands BiackmaiIed wealthy sIcil-
ians and Secured Large sums
Leader Of Gang is in
Custody.

CINCINNATI. June SIN several arrests
made IN Columbus, Marion and Dennison,
this state. today. local federal inspectors
Ind detectives who worked In conjunction
with them in the case believe they have
unearthed the biggest and best organized
branch Of the black hand in this country,
Marion. o., being probably the head OF
the organization. Chief Postoffice Inspector
Charles Holmes Of this city. who is in
charge OF the work which has resulted in
the arrests 80 far made. is authority for
the statement that evidence has been OBJ
tanned showing that the gang operating
from Marion and with lines reaching into
a number of big cities of the country, have
fleeced different perscus in this and other
states out of thousands OF dollars in the
last few months by the application of
black ham methods. Those arrested today
were Sam Lima and Joe Rizzo at Marion.
Antonio vicario at Columbus and A. Marfls
at Dennison.
Rob own COuntrymen
Tonight Inspector Holmes said he was
expecting word from Bellefontaine, o., Of
two more arrests. These two, he said,
would be of equal or greater Importance
than those already made. Inspector Holmes
says hat the gang which conducted its
operations from Marion was composed OF
Italians and worked exclusively upon their
countrymen. He has obtained evidence that
as late as two weeks ago they sent from
the Marion postoffice money orders aggre-
eating $1,000 to confederates in Italy. this
being the division of blackmail funds in
one case. Many such Bits of evidence, It
is claimed, are in possession of the in
spectors. .t"..
Tonight Inspector Holmes said:
The proof we have found against the
Marion gang ~convinces us that they have
worked their game successfully on many
Italians, principally well to do Sicilians.
We have not found where they went after
an American. They mnnt business when
they made demands for money. II their
demand were ignored they resorted to the
bomb. either to bring their victim to time
or to avenge a persistent refusal to sub
NIT 20 blackmail."
Arrests In Three Towns.
The arrests were made simultaneously to-
day In the three towns. After a search of
six months for the man who sent threaten
ing letters to John Amicon, a fruit dealer
of Columbus, o., demanding $3.50 rhe
handwriting in the letters to Amacian is
identical with that in the letters received
by Antonio Rizzio, a fruit dealer of Gin
cinnati, who died several weeks ago after
refusing to obey the demand of a "black
hand" letter to give up $1,000 or forfeit his
life. He died soon after eating a banana
given him by a stranger.
A dispatch from Marion states that Joe
Rizzo was also arrested in that city. rhe
postoffice inspectors claim Lima is the
head Of the black hand organization. They
say they found hundreds OF business men
in all parts Of the state have been paying
tribute to the gang. Arrests are said to
nave been made also in P%ittsburg, Pa, and
inspectors left for Bellefontaine to make
several more arrests there.
Dynamite and Fuses.
1t was on January l, last. that Amicon's
wife found at the door of their home in
Columbus, o., a box containing dynamite
and fuses and tackled on the outside a
black hand note demanding s15, 900 and
threatening death If payment was not
made. The money was to be paid at the
black hand rendezvous in Pittsburg. The
case was turned over to the government
secret service and later given to the post
office inspectors. The Amicons received
almost weekly demands for money.
Acting in harmony with government Off
GERS, the Pittsburg (Pa.) police recently