The Washington herald., 1914-01-30
FIRED THEAIER
FOR VENGEANCE
Blackhanders Tell Of Arson
Attempt to Avenge
Leader in Love.
"CHIEF" HEES COUNTRY
Cansster Determined to Blow Up
Family of Girl He Could
Not Get.
"CHIEF" FLEES COUNTRY
sr,,,, = n. w,.bins,op Hr.ld.

spsia 10 Ths Washington H1ah-
New York, Jan. 2.-Contnuing their
confessions of Black hand atrocities ana
East side gang politics. Alfred Lehman.
Anthony sadaitys, and Rocco Pucciarello.
whose revelations at the trial OF Angelo
syivestro for planting bomb have
caused a stir. told today to detectives In
the ONCE of Assistant District Attorney
Manley the Inside story" Of the burn
ing of the Hippodronne Theater. q mo-
tion picture place in East Houston street.
last August
The place was set OF. II seems. be
cause the janitor of the place blocked
kidnapping scheme engineered by a gang
leader An early alarm saved the kero-
sene-soaked place from being entirely
consumed.
Before going into the Court Of General
Sessions. where Sylvestro Is on trial be-
fore Judge Rosalsky, the three informers
rehearsed their testimony. They were
questioned by Detectives Jones. Fosarty.
and Di Martini.
Never heard the inside story Of the
burning of the Hippodrome Theater In
East Houston street. did yer?' asked
Lehman in his nonchalant way.
Spoiled Love Affair."
Its a deviIish. interesting yarn. and I
wouldn't mind spinning II for yer. 1t all
happened because the janitor Of the place.
Joe the Wop. butted in on the love affairs
OF Giuseppe Fararra, sometimes called
Fay, who was the head of the gang in
which We were tied up
"The reason I'm telling yer is that
you'll never get Fay. He beat It for
Italy as soon as / and one or two OF
the other feiiers were arrested last Sep
tember. He hasn't been heard from
since.
Fay was stuck on a girl named Nellie
Pecarro. who lived with her old man at
10 East Houston street. He was really
on the level and wanted to marry her, but
the old gent couldn't see II that way. He
was dead against it.
He sure was" broke in Pucciarello.
another Of the informants. In the ONCE
of the assistant district attorney. DO
yer remember how sore Fay was the
night he came back and said that the old
man wouldn't give in? He threatened to
even scores with him, all right. all
right"
and he came near doing it." resumed
Lehman. Fay was so mad that he called
five of US together and ordered US TO go
up to l10 East Houston street and get
into the girls room and kidnap her We
were to bring her to a saloon at Elizabeth
and Houston streets and Fay was to wait
for us there.
500 for .Job..
He told US he'd give us 800 each.
The thing looked pretty soft to US and
we thought we'd jump at the oppor-
tunity to pick up some easy money.
We went up to the place and began TO
look IL over. The family lived up on
the fourth floor. We went back into
the yard OF the moving picture show
and we could spot the general layout
But Joe the wop. the tanitor OF the
movie joint, glimpsed US and drove US
away.
when We went back and told Fay
this he was raving. He jumped up and
down and swore that he'd get Joe the
wop. I'll fix that butter-in.' he snarled,
and we knew tat he meant II. Then
he told US to make plans to burn the
theater The next night We met Fay.
who gave us some kerosene and ben
zine We waited our chance and got
into the theater and spread the stun
all over the floor and seats. Fay was
with u.s. He lit a newspaper and set
IL on fire and then We all skipped out.
We waited outside TO watch the place
burn.
But somebody saw the blaze in a min
ute and an alarm was turned in and
the flames squelched. This made Fay
madder than ever and he said that he'd
get Joe the Wop in another way. ne
threatened to kill him and force him out
of his job.
Bomb Fails to Explode.
Then he gave US a bomb and told
us to put it in the stoOp OF the house
of the old man of his girl. He said II
was strong enough to blow the whole
place to hi. and he didn't care much II
II did.
"If 7 can't have that girl. I'm id
sure no one else will get her. he said
and we knew that he meant II.
1t was for the placing of this bomb,
which failed to go OF. that sylvestro is
now on trial.
The inner workings of the notorious
gang were laid bare by Lehman and
Sataidtys who told of a rough form OF
tribunal before which differences and
arguments among the members Of the
dangerous coterie were settled. The
operatives were also brought before this
cout on various charges. such as
.'squealing" and cowardice. semblace
OF a trial was held and verdict of
guilty. according to Lehman and Sataid-
tvs, carried with IL the death pen
atty and there was no recourse open