New-York tribune., 1912-03-21
MURDERED IN VENDETTA
Mother of Cir! Who Slew Monaco
Shot to Death in Stable.
HAD EXPECTED HER FATE
Two Men Escape as Mrs. Spinelli,
"Hetty Green" of Harlem
Little Italy, Falls.

The "fatty Green" OF IIarlems Little
Italy" Mrs Pasuuarella Spinelh, whose
daughter. Nellie, stabbed Frank Monaco 10
death last October when he entered the
house and tried to rob the family safe. was
herself shot and instantly killed early last
evening i'm n stable i'm East 10sth street
The murderers were two men. who, after
the shooting. ran out Of the stable with
smoking revoIvers in their hands. charged
through a crowd Of excited people in front
Of the stable. and escaped toward Secohd
avenue The police have a good descrip-
ton Of the pair and believe they VIII De
captured soon.
Mrs Srinell went to the stable shortly
before o'clock last evening. \ staplehah'
Giovanni Ravvo, was washing buggy III
tho small ward back of the building, ana
was the only employe there at the time
Mrs Spinelu entered the front door. walked
about inspecting tho horses and the feed
bira and then started mp long runway
into the upper part of the building, where
marc horses we've quartered.
when about thirty feet up this runway
,bo ,purderers. who had been concealed III
the dark shadow Of the passage"ay' 'eaPe'
ont Roth raised their rcvolvers and began
firing at Mrs. Spineli. The approaching
dusk. however. made the interior OF the
stable so dark that their aim was bad, and
although seven shots, and perhaps more
,,.ero drod only two Of them took effect.
one ploughed through the right side OF
Mrs. Spinellis neck, and, as shc reeled and
fell another bullet entered her right tenn
ple. penetra ting the brain. She pitched Tor
ward on tho runway, and lay where she
fell without sound.
Both Gun Men Escape.
Tile men turned and ran M the passage
Uav and toward the entrance. The sharp
reports Of the revolvers had been heard in
the street and when the men dashed
through the door into 1osth street hundred
people, some Of whom had stopped, were
watching the stable. As the men started
toward Second avenue most of tho crowd
stopped still or scattered. The murderers,
their guns still clenched i'm their fists.
cowed them. Before they disappeared some
Of the more coura geous started after them.
but. after running a few blocks, gave up
the chase.
Mrs. SpineIi was one Of the characters
Of the Little Italy section of Harlem.
The sobriquet Of "Hetty Green she re-
ceived years ago, not only on account Cf
her great reputed wealth, but also for the
manner in which she had acquired and kept
it, Although she owned stores, markets,
stables and tenement houses to the value
4 many thousands Of dollars she never
trusted their management TO any one, and
each day. her trips timed to the minute,
she made d complete round of every piece
Of property she owned and saw that every
thing was being conducted properly.
Not only did she collect bills, buy pro-
visions for her stores and trade horses in
her stables. but she frequently cleaned her
tenement houses herself, swept up the sta
blcs in her rounds and watered horses.
She was on her way to feed the horses i'm
the lOsth street stable last night when Ghe
was shot down.
Girl Killed WouId-be Thief.
II was her reputation of wealth that at
tracted Frank Monaco TO her house. Mrs.
SpincMs daughter was there alone on the
afternoon OF October -, when Monaco en-
tered and demanded money. When she re
fused To give him any he seized her by
the throat beat her. kicked her and dragged
her about the room until, fearing that she
would he killed, she gave him the COM
fiuation Of a small safe that stood in a
corner.
The moment she was released she
slipped into an adjoining room, grabbed
up a sharp carving knife and crept back
To see Monaco bending over the safe try
ing to work the combination. The girl
crept up behind him as he was crouched
before her with his back turned and
stabbed him to death. Twenty-one knife
wounds were found in his body.
Nellie Spineli made a full confession to
the police. and after being detained for
some time was acquitted of the charge of
murder. The affair was far from settled,
however, for on the day of Monaco's
| funeral friends who met for the cere-
monies walked along to the coffin at the
close of the service and took the an lent
| vendetta" oath over his body
Since then mother and daughter have
! kept to the house after dark, knowing that
| their lives were in danger Several times
they were assured by anonymous letters
| that they would have to pay for MOnaco's =
| life with their own, and Mrs. Spinelli
! firmly expected TO die at the hands of as
| sassins, although she was not looking for
| the attack when IT came last night.
! The police have such a minute descrip-
/ tion of the two murderers that they re-
! fused to Jeopardize their chances of a
capture by making it public. They feel
| certain both men will be rounded up to-
day Ravvo, the stableman, was detained
! as material witness.
| Dr. Leblanc, Coroner Hcllcnstcins phys-
| elan. I'm examining the body of Mrs. Spi-
| - r-,...I Z, tl,irA l.,lII,t r,.,nnIAh hnl lnNN