The New York herald., 1921-05-30
$4,000 SUIT Lure
IN BOYS KIDNAPPING
Abductors Believe Father Col
lected Damages for Injury
to Another Son.
COUNT ON FRIENDS AID
Black Hand Letter Threatens
Death to Child Unless Money
Is Left Outside Door.

The misfortune that befell Adolph
Varotta two years ago when he suf-
fered burns which twisted his face
and scanned it with frightful scars is
believed by the police to have fur
nished the principal reason for the
kidnapping of Adolph's five year old
brother, Giuseppe, who was abducted
last Tuesday afternoon as he played
on the doorstep of his home, No. 354
East Thirteenth street. The father
OF Adolph and Giuseppe is a truck
driver, barely able to support his wife
and six children on his wages, but
the theory of the police. Is that the
kidnappers think he has collected large
damages for the injury to his son and
that he will be able to pay the ran
som demanded.
1t is true that Salvatore Varotta. the
father. has brought suit for $4,000
against the owner of a truck that ccl-
lided with his machine two years ago
at Camp Upton. when he had his son
Adoph riding beside him. but Varotta
said last night that the case never has
been tried and that he has not received
one cent for his sons frightful injuries.
II Is also true that Varotta has IN
nuential friends who took an interest In
him when he was truck driver In the
army at Camp Upton ana they were war
workers at the cantonment. and the po-
lice think the kidnappers believe that IL
ctaA - 10 Oh
to pay their ransom out or the money
received in his suit he will be able to
borrow it from these people.
Mask Provided for Boy.
The basis for this belief is the kind
ness that the men who knew Varotta at
Camp Upton have shown to the family
since Adolph was injured. One of them,
William A. w. Stewart of Cold Spring
Harbor. and member of the law firm
Of Stewart & Shearer, In As Wall street,
has procured a mask behind which
Adolph hides his scars. and is under
stood to be paying for treatment for
the boy at a hospital. Eventually he
intends to have the boy operated on
by one Of the surgeons who did such
remarkable work in plastic surgery
among the wounded American soldiers,
making over their faces until they had
an entirely new set of features.
Mr.. Stewart said last night that IL
was probably. true that Varotta's =
friends would come to the aid of Va
rotta II II was necessary to furnish
mohey TO save the life OF the kidnapped
boy and insure his safe return to his
mother. He said that he himself would
be willing TO furnish whatever amount
of money the kidnappers demanded.
but that he did not intend to do II be-
cause he felt that If he did IL would
only lead to further hdnappings. On
the other hand, Mr.. Stewart said, he
would be willing to spend several times
the amount demanded by the kidnappers.
which has never vet been higher than
s2,500. to accomplish their capture and
put them behind the bars.
Has Clues to kfdnappers.
Capt. Michael Fisachetti, in charge of
the Italian bomb squad detectives, said
last night that he had obtained several
clues to the kidnappers and that he ex-
pected his men would make an arrest
within a few days. The principal one
OF these clues is believed to be the
fidHQ feLttT WHICH was TcCelNtu
by the kidnapped boys mother last
Thursday. II came through the MATS
and was written on poor paper sur
mounted by the sign of the dagger and
signed with the imprint Of a Black
Hand. Beginning with the customary
Italian salutation. the letter said
I'VE know very well that you have
that much cash, and you'll never see
your boy Giuseppe alive again unless
you leave the money outside your front
door on Friday morning at o'clock.
The boy. he'll be killed certainly, and
then something bad will happen TO the
rest of your family. No one must be at
home when the money Is called for"
No one was at home. but dozen or
more OF the bomb squad detectives were
hidden about the vicinity when the hour
came for the kidnappers TO collect the
ransom. No~one came for IL.