New-York tribune., 1921-06-04


the boy back in the morning He told
me that he did not have the money
and he begged me not to kill the boy,
that he would go to the bank at Forty
second Street and Eighth Avenue in
the morning and TO go back to his
home the following night and he would
give the money at 10 p. M, June 2.
Ny friend, John Meichionne, went up to
get the money, but ] remained down
stains in front of 354."
Hoped to Get Cash Of Varotta
According to the police all the pris-
oners except Marno admitted they
hoped to get money from Varotta. Rug
gieri confessed to writing the black
mailing letters at the instigation Of
Marino, his stepfather, they say. The
second letter which was signed "Po-
luaza," meaning chief of the Black
Hand, ran as follows:
"You are damn fool to notify the
police. They can do nothing for you.
If they start at the Battery and search
from house to house over the whole
city they will never find your Kid. Give
the money to him. If you don't give
him the money third letter will be
sent to you which will tell the day and
hour on which you boy will be killed
and his body thrDwn into the East
River"
Detectives patrolled East Thirteenth
Street yesterday in the neighborhood
Of Second Avenue. Several times dur
ing the day they had to disperse the
crowds of curious children who sur
rounded the Varotto home There was
intense excitement in the morning
when Mrs. Marino, wife of one of the
men under suspicion, crossed the street
and invaded Mrs. Varotto's little apart
ment. There was an angry altercation
IN Italian, which was speedily stopped
when q policeman appeared and made
Mrs. Marino leave the premises.
Demand Based on Chance Remark
Mrs. Varotta admitted to a Tribune
reporter yesterday that facetious re-
mark she made to neighbors about be.
ing able to pay $4,000 for motor may
have instgated the kidnapping of Giu-
seppe. She was speaking in fun, she
said. but it may have been taken seri,
ously, for two days later the boy dis
appeared and ransom of S2,50O was
demanded. AS matter of fact, she
and her husband could not have pro.
duced $500 had it not been for the
assistance of social workers.
Varotta, haggard with sleepless
nights and consuming anxiety, was
plunged in gloom yesterday. He has
taken the pessimistic view all along
that the Black Hand has done away
with his boy. He wanders up and dowr
the block, clinging to the idea tn al
Giuseppe may be in the neighborhood
if alive at all. Varotta is consdera
bly, more emotional than his wife anc
he pleaded with the prisoners, on his
knees and weeping, to return his boy
Neither the father nor mother harbors
any idea of vengeance. Mrs. Varotta
although in delicate health, is more
cheerful. She feels reassured since the
arrests have been made. She said yes.
terday that Giuseppe can speak French
/ English and Italian and would readily
| frbl his way home from any section ot
the city.
"If they would only give US back
our boy or tell us where he is" she
declared yesterday. eve do not want
the men are punished or not. They
were all good friends of ours uHtl thir
happened"
uiuseppe's parents are enthusiastic
in their praises. of Mrs. Rae Nicoletti
the Italian policewoman who took up
her post in their. home and was re
sponsible for the arrests. She is
slender and delicate looking and is
herself the mother of a nineteen
months-old baby AS soon as she heard
o. the kidnapping of Giuseppe she was
interested, she said yesterday, and
when Coptain Michael. Fiaschetti, head
OF the Italian squad, said he wanted