The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-11
RIzzO RELATES
OWN STORY OF
SLAYINC UNCLE
Collapses in Paroxysm of
Tears AS He Tells of
Mothers Wrong.
VENGEANCE IN HEART.
FEIGNED FRIENDSHIP
Years Since Palermo Incl
dent Failed to Temper
Heat of Anger.

Inquest into the death of Angelo
Rizzo, shot by his nephew, Michael
Rizzo, as the victim was. entering his
home, 173 Sterling street, Monday
night, has revealed one of the strang-
est and most interesting crimes ever
staged in this country.
That blood heritage, fi1ial devotion
and irnpu1siveness of the Southern
European races may not be overcome
by one generation in the great Amer
lures disclosed in the frank confess
sion Of the young slayer who sought
to tell in person the unique story to
Coroner John J. Phelan.
Tradition, 1mpreSsioniStic stories of
wrong, cool deIiberation to murder
followed by qualrns because of the
blood relation that were finally over
come by sudden impulse, and the pleas
of the dying man for succor from the
mortal wounds that were received by
him without premonition of the cause
were other features that stood out
prominently in the testimony given.
The story of young kizzo, still a
minor, which supplemented the story
told the police by him yesterday and
was again related by witnesses at the
inquest and which caused him at it's
conclusion to collapse in a paroxysm
of tear~ sobs and prayers to his
Dear Mother was dramatically told
by the prisoner to the clank1ng chant
of a pair of handouts left dangling at
his wrist.
Rizzo said that nLthe night of the
tragedy he had felt lonesome for a
brother, in this city, who was working
at the Remington Arms & Ammuni-
ton Co.'S plant. He went over to the
lodgings of his uncle. His uncle was
eating. He was asked to join in some
spaghetti. Having been taught that
it was tmpolite to stay in room
where others were eating without
joining them, and having just COM
pleted a plate of ice cream at a near
by store, he refused the offer and in
timated that he would take a walk.
His uncles asked by the comely sis
ter of his landlady to get a box of
candy and some flowers for her fore
woman the shop, said he would join
his nephew.
Twenty eight hours before that
time, Salvatore Mazzetta, a companion
who was alleged by the prisoner to
have tried previously to kill his uncle.
had recalled the fact that the uncle
dared not go to Syracuse and face
MichaeFs father, whom the uncle had
wronged years ago.
This had inhamed the youth to such
an extent that he had decided to kill
Angelo Rizzo and he took from his
drawer a revolver he had bought for
protection only. Though the sight
of his uncle had always resurrected
the spectre Of his dead mother be-
fore his eyes, yet the devotion of the
uncle to the nephew with whom h
worked constantly in the Textile
works. had each time deferred him
from the shooting.
Uncle and nephew walked down
Congress to Main street. /The uncle
was chatting aniabIy and apparently
young Rizzo was unperturbed. They
bought the box of candy, (which was
under the victims arm when he was
shot. They sought flowers at Main
and Bank streets, but found the shop
closed. They then walked together
to a store above the Lyric theatre
They walked back to the house, Rizzo
still intent upon killing his uncle.
Even to the door of the uncle's house
they walked without a hint of his
doom being given to the victim.
AS they said goodbye and the elder
received his mortal wounds from be-
hind.
''I could not help it." shouted the
prisoner as he concluded his state
rnent to Coroner Phe1an.
For 28 hours my. mind was in
whir1. wanted to kill him all the
time. I left my house with that in
tention, but I could not do it on the
street. Even to the very end of
the walk I could not do it, AS he
turned to go in the house I said to
myself, it must be done. must re-
venge my poor dead mother. Oh! my
mother! my motherI"
81 have never done anything wrong
before in my life. I could not help
1T only saw the wrong that had
been done to her and which I thought
all Bridgeport knew
The crime of murder for which Riz-
20 will undoubtedly be charged in the
Continued on Page 12)