Putnam patriot., 1914-05-08
WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS
NiUpine New York 6lackhand Con-
 spiracy in the Bud

,oins in this country. But not quite. ra failed at the very outset of what would have been, had it succeeded in getting started, one of the most sue eessful blackmailing and robbing con sniraeies that ever emanated from the .vil minds of the Italian Black Hand men who live by terrorizing their fel- low eeuntrymen in American cities. Teoni ran little private bank for tba accommodation of his own coun- trvmen in Elizabeth street, in the low or Italian quarter of New York City. He made no pretense of doing a big business. nor of securing his deposi- tors and patrons against loss by any great capital of his own. He had started in as a steamship agent, sell ing tickets for a couple of the lines that make a speciality of carrying the cheaper class of passenger trade be- tween New York and the Mediterra- mean ports. That was ten years before ,be events here to be related ever began.
 From a seller of steamship tickets Leoni began to branch out, and soon he was running a little Italian em- ployment agency in conjunction with his original business. He satisfied ev- erybody concerned with his dealings in this. and soon the Italian emigrants who had found work through his of- flee began to entrust to him the task of conveying safely to the loved ones back in Italy part of the funds earned by the newcomers in America.
 The private bank was the next step. The newly arrived Italians were loathe to trust their hard-earned money with any of the strange bankers in this strange land. Leoni was one of them, a son of their own beloved Italy. He had welcomed them upon their arrival at Ellis Island he had brought them up the bay and found them rooms in the crowded quarters of the east side. Work they had secured through him. and their steps in the new land had been generally guided by his advice. What more natural than that they should turn to him when they began to accumulate little sums of money which they wished to save?
 ISO01 LOOK care Ol llielI IlOHty Witn great satisfaction to them and con- siderable profit to himself His power and influence and the prosperity of his little private bank-so private that the state bank examiners had nothing to do with it-grew until in March 1911, he had on deposit in his Elizabeth street office over $150,000 placed in his care by his trusting countrymen.
 I had never heard of Leoni until he came to the office of the Burns De- tective Agency and asked for protec- -tion.
 It is the Black Hand-the Mano Nera-that is after me" he said. They have threaten me. Me, Pas quale Leoni, whom all good Italians trust-these bad men have threatened that they shall take my life or am to give them $25. .000."
 He dove into his pocket as he spoke and showed us letter written in Ital- ian and addressed to him. Translated 1t read:
 Dear Prosperous Brother:
 Many of the ,countrymen are out of work. Times are not as rich with all as they are with you. Those who have much should help those who have little or nothing. Brother, you have much; we have nothing. You should be glad to help. There are many of us. That we all should get a little you must give much. But it is not much to you, who has so much. Brother you must have $25,000 to give us in two weeks when we ask for it, or We will remove you as a traitor to your poor Coountrymen.
 "The Beautiful Society" except that the amount was away be yond the usual demand.
 How did you have the nerve to come here about this?" asked the of- flee manager. You know Italians usu- ally are afraid to speak even to their wives about communications of this sort
 ITO the police I would not go," said Leoni But you think l can trust Anyhow, I will die before l give up this money. I want you to protect me by finding the writer of this letter and putting him in jail. I have heard that you do such things very well.
 The office manager turned to me.
 Want to take the case, Corneiif he asked. We don't usually touch anything of this sort"
 Certainly" I said. Its all part of the game to me-"
 Leoni and I got together then. l took the letter and examined it care fully It was in a fairly good hand writing and carefully punctuated and phrased Apparently it was the work or an educated man.
 l reasoned that this letter probably was the work of one of the men whom Leoni had had dealings with In one way or another. Probably somebody who had deposited money with him and who knew how prosperous the private banker was becoming.
 How did the letter come to your" I asked.
 It was showed under the door at night" he said 'I found it when open store in the morning"
 l put the letter under a microscope and examined 1t carefully.
 Did it come just the way 1t was! asked.
 Yes"
 No envelope?"
 ssNo pc&htc~ h,,x ~rha% vou have