The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1916-12-02
ITALIAN MERCHANT MURDERED
Paui Fontano and Tony Falsetta Ac-
cused of Killing M. Randazzo.

| Matteo Randazzo, a prominen
Italian merchant storekeeper Of thi.
city, was shot and instantly killed al
IL O'Clock Thursday night; his
| nephew, Salvador Randazzo, was seri
ously wounded in the fusillade which
| caused the death of the storekeeper
and Frank Randazzo, 14-year-old sor
OF the slain man, sustained a Slight
wound in the left wrist. Paul Fon-
tano, an Italian storekeeper whose
place of business is one block away
from that of Randazzo, in the same
street, and Tony Falsetta, proprietor
of bakery at the corner of St. Pat
rick and Claiborne streets, one block
above the Randazzo store, are in Jail
charged with the murderous attack.
They are accused by Salvador and
Frank RandazSo, both of whom de-
clared before the coroner's jury that
they recognized Fontano and Falsetta
as the men who stood at the front
door of the Randazzo store and fired
the shots which killed Matteo Ran
The de bis of the tragedy as
CLEANED fl, d. these witnesses are to
the effefescaRe,, at about II o'clock
Thursds night ithey and MatteoaRan-
daZzo were in the saloon portion Of
the latter's store. Salvador and
Frank Randazzo were sitting down,
and Matteo Randazzo was walking
backward and forward. Suddenly a
shot was fired through, the glass front
DOOR of the store, at a moment when
Matteo Randazzo was facing that di-
rection. He fell to the floor mortally
wounded, whereupon the assassins are
said to have commenced shooting at
Salvador and Frank Randazzo. One
buckshot struck the former in the
right chest, penetrating the body, and
another inflicted a flesh wound in the
left side. His injuries are regarded
as serious, but not necessarily dan
gerous. A single buckshot struck
Frank Randazzo in the left wrist,
causing slight wound
Sheriff E. C. Hanson, Chief of Pc
lice Robert Dill and other officers ar
rived on the scene a few minutes af
ter the shooting. Upon hearing the
story told by the two Randazzos, they
proceeded to Paul Fontano's store, at
the corner of st. Patrick and William
streets, where they found the accused
seated in his bar-room. Tony Fal-
setta was preparing to retire when
the officers arrived at his residence
and took him into custody.
Dir. D. C. Brumfieid, of barrow,
coroner Of the parish, was summoned
and held an inquest over the body OF
Matteo Randazzo, finding that death
was caused By nine buckshot wounds
in the left breast just above the
heart. The ceroner's jury was COM
posed Of Charles Well, Ernest Capella,
Willie Casso, C. C. Savoia and L. J.
Acosta.
Frank Randazzo's testimony was as
MY father, uncle and my
self were sitting by the counter, talk
ing. All at once a shot came from
The door and hit my father; the sec
md shot hit me, and the third hit my
uncle. The fourth shot broke q drum
If gas. saw two men at the door.
Then went out on the street and
picked up two guns, double-barrel
shotgun and rifle. / saw one man
-un up st. Patrick street; the other
nan went down st. Patrick street.
Tony Falsetta went up the street and
Paul Fontano went down the street. :
Salvador Randazzo testified that