New-York tribune., 1909-03-14
LIE BLACK HAND EENACE

The assassination in Palermo of an officer Of
the New York police force, sent there to seek the
cooperation of the italian police authorities in
breaking up the activities of the Black Hand
and other criminal organizations, will we hope,
stir both the Italian government and our own
10 sterner warfare on the criminal societies
which have long infested Sicily and have un-
fortunately been allowed to gain a footing in
American cities in which there is large Italian
population. We do not doubt that the Italian
authorities will do their utmost TO apprehend
and punish Lieutenant PetroSino's murderers.
They have been urgent in the past that punish
ment should be inflicted on those who have
taken the lives of Italian subjects domciled
here, and may now acquire some practical ex-
perienee Of the difficulties attending the prosecu-
tion of such crimes on The part of lawiess or
ganiZationS 1t seems 10 be beyond question
that Petrosino was killed because he was recog~
nized as an important factor in the effort to
suppress the Black Hand. His assassination
should be of as deep concern 10 law-abiding
Italians as it is 10 law-abiding Americans and
the Italian government should be as eager TO see
his murderers brought TO justice as is the gov
ernment Of the United States
We have been much too easy-gOing in dealing
with the crimes on which the Black Hand
thrives. Because the Italians in this country
have shown so little resolution In combating its
has come 10 think that the victims of the so
ciety's operations deserve little sympathy. 1t is
probably true that if the well-to-do Italians in
New York, or in any other city where Black
Hand blackmail f1ourishes, should organize a
law and order society and energetiCaly pursue
the criminal element in their community, that
element would be quickly driven ont. Our
courts would make short work Of the blackmail-
ers and bomb throwers If law-abiding Italians
cHa, fl,,
prosecutions. But the italian element here
seems 10 be so accustomed 10 terrorism as TO
regard il merely as a necessary evil. The Ital-
ian community vii not set its house in order,
and is SO eecretiye and apathetic when Black
Hand outr8ges occur that the work cannot be
done from the outside by our police departments.
What is most needed TO crush out these crimi-
nal associations is the cooperation Of the italian
authorities and our immigration service to pre-
vent the free passage of criminals or criminal
suspects from one country 10 the other. Lieu
tenant Petr0sino'S mission 30 Sicily was TO Sc
lists of >Sicilian criminals, TO he used in
preventing the admission Of those criminals at
our ports. He wanted 10 trace the ramifcatons
of crime and TO put the authorities here in pos
session OF material on the strength OF which
dangerous Italians could be turned back and
criminals already admitted could be deported.
Our immigration laws need TO be strengthened
as TO require some sort Of certifcatiOn from
police administrations abroad Of the cleanness
of the applicants record The Black Hand evil
has grown enormously in this city in the last
five years. 1t Is responsible for shocking crimes.
and the immunity which the perpetrators Of
those crimes have enjoyed has greatly encOur-
aged crime on the part of representatives Of
other nationRlitles. Soon the Black Hand III
stead Of fattening on its own people, may turn
its energies againht the community generally
agency Of organized crime. PetroEino will not
have died in vain if bis death leads to the ex-
tlDctlon OF the organization which he heroicaIy
fought until il laid him low.