New-York tribune., 1921-06-18
Gang Victim
Spy for Police
In Varotta Case
Slain Italian Declared TO
Have Been Marked for
Death After. Betraying
Band That Killed Boy
Terror Seals Other Lips
Dying Man and 2 Wounded
Boys Mute and Detectives
Get 18th Black Hand Note

Detectives Investigating the revolver
battle. which resulted in one death
and the woundiag of six persons at
Schiff Parkway and Chrystie Street
Thursday night established yesterday
that the encounter grew out of the
kidnapping and murder of Giuseppe
Varotta, the -year-old Italian boy
whose body was found in the Hudson
River last Tuesday after five of his
alleged abd1ctors had been arrested.
Information obtained by Captain
Michael Fiaschetti, head of the Italian
SQUAD, from Vincenzo Alfalo, the man
killed in Thursday nights shooting, is
declared in the Italian quarter to have
brought about Alfalo's assassination,
The man is said by persons who knew
him intimately to have been police
stoolpigeon who had given valuable
information preliminary to arrests
made in the case.
Boy Almost Home Once
A late development in the Varotta
case is the discovery, according to Cap
tain Fiaschetti, that on the night Of
June 3, when FIVE Italians were ar
rested near the Varotta home, the boy
had been driven by them to within q
few blocks of his fathers house. The
driver of the automobile in which the
men arrived was told, according to po-
lice information, that if Varotta paid
the money the boy would be turned
loose at the point where the car
awaited the return of the gang, Thir-
teenth Street and Second Avenue. In
case the blackmailers did not return,
the chauffeur was under instructions to
take Giuseppe back to his place of
concealment and turn him over. to
others, who would see that he was
done away with.
Fiaschetti refused last night to dis
cuss Alfalo's alleged police connection,
It became known, however, that the
police statement first given out, that
gamblers feud had caused the shoot
ing, was merely blind to conceal
the true facts. All efforts of Fiaschet-
it's men yesterday were devoted to fol-
lowing up the Varotta connection, and
information is said to have been OBJ
tanned that may result in important
arrests.
Pasquaie Cappolo nineteen years
old, of ia Chrystie Street, and Saliva
tore viscone. eighteen, of sio East
ing, were held without bail on arraign-
ment yesterday. Nicholas Ventura,
thirty-two, of "a Schif Parkway, who
is dying at Gouverneur Hospital, re-
gained consciousness several times but
refused to make statement. Cappolo
and Viscone have resisted police ef-
forts to elicit Information. Alfalo, the
dead gunman, is said to have had FIVE
aliases and several addresses beside
Prince Street.
Italians Terrorized
Alfalo's death and the arrests of
Viscone and Cappolo are declared by
the police to have caused terror in
Italian criminal circles. The belief
that Alfalo knew all about the kidnap-
ing and had been three times in con-
ference with Fiaschetti after the ar
rest of the five kidnapping suspects was
said last night to have resulted in gen.
eral belief that Alfalo would be dis
posed of by the gang. There had been
threats made against him for several
days, according to police information.
Captain Fiaschetti yesterday re-
ceived the thirteenth letter threaten
ing him with death since he began the
Varotta investigation.
''rhe case is one involving all the
usual ramifcations Of Black Hand
crimes," said Captain Fiaschetti last
night. "We have to contend with a
mass Of false information and arrive
at our facts by process of elimina-
ton. j believe we are in fair way