The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-01-08
HE SEEKS REVENGE.
Fatal Avenger Strikes Death Many
Times-One of Twelve Left.

found dead in the hallway of a vacant
building in Brooklyn recently does
not carry with it great deal of ill.,
portance. But behind the finding o1
the bullet-riddled body of the Italian
is the story of an avenger that has
not been eQualed in many years. 1t is
the story of a man, who, having
sworn a terrible oath, has about full
filled it. His hands are dripping with
blood, but he has kept his word.
The death of Farino leaves alive
only one of the dozen men arrested
in 1903 for the death of Francisco
Madenio, crime famous the country
over at that time as the barrel MUIR
der" 1t was believed at that time
that Madenio was a member of no
torious gang of Italian counterfeit
ers, operating in and about New
York city and that he was slain by his
comrades who feared he would be-
tray them to the police.
The twelve men were held nearly
year while detectives worked on
the case. They were released for
want of evidence. Since then 1 l
have been murdered in various parts
of the world-one in Chicago, one
in Palermo, Italy, four in Brooklyn,
one in New York city, and several in
PENNSYLVANIA towns. But one re-
mains, "Lupo, the Wolf,' now serv-
ing a long term in the Federal prl-
son at Atlanta following a conviction
for counterfeiting. But he will be
released some day, and the myster-
ious avenger-for it is practically
certain that it is just one man-is at
liberty and it waiting to fulfill mis-
oath.
Giuseppe De Primo is believed to
be the mysterious avenger. He is bet
ter known to the, Italians of New
York and Brooklyn as the man with
the crooked SMILE Not only is he
at liberty but the Brooklyn authori
ties have no idea where he is, and if
they did would hesitate to arrest
him, as they have no direct evidence
to connect him with any of the pre-
vious crimes.
1t was ten years ago last April
that the body of Francisco Madenio
was found stuffed in barrel in d
New York street. 1t had been literal
ly cut to pieces and the mystery fur
nished one of the principal news sto-
ries of the day. The body was identi-
fed finally by crucifix the young
man wore about his neck, and it was
also established as moral certainty
that he was member of band Of
desperadoes whose chief occupation
had been making and passing coun-
terfeit bills. The twelve arrests fol-
lowed, but proof of the crime was
hard to establish, and, after being
held eleven months, the men we're re.
leased.
De Primo. the man with the
crooked SMILE" was in Sing Sing at
the time, serving a sentence for coun.
terfeiting, for he, too had been con-
nected with the band Madenio was
his cousin and his closet friend, and
his rage at the news of the killing
was only exceeded by that 1 months
later when he learned that the sus-
pected men had been released. Then
and there he swOre horrible yet,
to Italians, sacred oath to fully
avenge his kinsman's death or die IN
the attempt.
He was released in the fall of 1904
and secret service men met him at
the door and placed him on board
ship bound for Italy with warning
to keep away from the United States
in the future. But Brooklyn Italians
declare that the man with the
crooked smile" was back in less than
a year after he had been deported.
Since then his sole business has been
the carrying out Of his vendetta. One
more death and he will have ended
this horrible, self-imposed task.
The members of the counterfeiting
band had heard of De PrimO's oath,
and by the time he was released from
prison they had separated to the four
corners of the globe. But the smile On
the pale face of the undersized ltai-
ian only became little more crook
ed as he set about his task of whole
sale blood-letting.
The first to fall was Tomasso Pet
tro, known as the OK because Of
his great size and strength. He was
shot to death outside his home IN
Pottstown, Pa, in 1905. 1t was said
he had heard of De Primo's oath and
had fed New York following tie