The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1910-07-28
in EXISTENCE MANY YEARS
Membership in Italy Includes Many
People in Authority Many Members
of the Society Claimed to Be in
America.

In the past few years recent claims
has been made of the existence of a
black hand organization in Kenosha.
This claim has been made in other
cities and prominent Italians have re
Gently prepared a statement in regard
to the Black Hand which gives to peo-
pie interested some idea of the extent
of the workings of this organization.
The history of the organization is Civ
en- as follows:
There are two bodies of criminals in
Mediterranean Europe which have come
to a considerable standing in Ameri-
ca. One is the Sicillian Malta: the 9th
er more dangerous of these is the Malta.
The Sicillian organization, if such it
car be termed, has always existed
there, from the time half civilized peo-
ople occupied that beautiful island. The
Camera was organized at the time Of
rNapoleon's conquest of Italy and was
for the political purpose of keeping
down the demands of unlicensed or ex-
travagantly licensed tax gatherers. 1t
is said that fully three fourths of the
criminals coming from Italy to Amer
lea are Sicillians.
The Malta is the criminal class of
people in Sicily-those. who blackmail,
kill, threaten to kill and so on. There
is no head to it and anybody who can
write can belong. In Sicily the mem
bers of the society are known as the
Mafoso. The workings Of the organic
alton are without limit, unseen, fire.
quently unknown, unaccountable, but
always present. By the conspiracy Of
silence known as the "Omerta0 its
workings are safeguarded, if a Mafoso
commits a crime his friends and enc
mics alike keep still.
These people are not especially note
worthy for their deeds, except that they
will kill If their demands are not
granted.
Two thirds of the ordinary police
force in Sicily are said to be members
Of the Malta, three-fourths the judges
the same and fully half the men given
to depredations upon the others.
In the past twenty-five years there
have come to this country fully 3,000,
900 Italian immigrants. Considering
the fact that three-fourths of these arc
from Sicily and that one out of every
ten is a member of the Malta, or Cam
ORA, we get, in round numbers, 225,OO0
Mafosi in this country. And of these
not even fifty have been sentenced to
Imprisonment.
When it is considered that most Of
the victims of the black hand keep
their mouths shut and say nothing to
the police, the first vague view of the
extent of the workings of the organiza-
tiQn is seen. Men will not even tell
their wives that they are its victims,
because women go running to the po-
lice for protection. They simply pay
the price that is asked or suitable
portion of it and keep still. It's all
right for while, but before long an
other request comes and again they
pay.
If a man is merchant and wants
to put new cash register in his store,
its very appearance is the sign thai
black hand letters are coming. If he
is a. barber and puts new pole in
front of his shop the mail-carrier has
an unusually large. number of letters
for him.
The Black Hand works entirely
among the people from Italy. It leaves
Americans alone. 1t preys upon the
fear and hatred of the Italians and
Sicilians of the Malta in Sicily, and it
accomplishes its desire. Lieutenant
Petrosino said that not one-half per
cent of the money given to the organ
ization is ever revealed. Sam Lima,
a Marion, O., fruit dealer, is said to
have sent $4,000 to Sicily in three
months from his dingy store. He and
his friends are said to have demanded
that $4,000 be given them by John
Amicon, the Columbus fruit dealer.
When these Italians come here they
have practically nothing beyond their
passage money. Every year they send
back to Italy $1o,o00,0o0 Of savings. In
New York City alone the estimated
material value of the property in
Italian colonies is $l20,oo0,oo0, aside
from $100,oo0,oo0 invested by them in
commerce, $50,000,000 in real estate.
$20000,000 in banks-and the Italians
are not a people who, as rule, be-
Heve in intrusting their money to
banks. This makes total of $290,000,-
600 which is known to be in the posses
sion of New York Italians.
In other cities and states there are
fully 100000 Italians, the New York
colonies totaling approximately $780,
0o0 Therefore, a small estimate of the
financial worth of these people in this
country is s1,5oO,OQo, 900.
It isn't reasonable to suppose that