New-York tribune., 1921-06-03
Police Guns Cover Prison
ers During March to
Headquarters 10 Pre-
vent Black Hand Rescue
Suspects Said
To Admit Guilt
Money Offer LuresA1leged
Child Stealers; Missing
Boy Has Not Been Found


The mystery of the abduction Of five
year-old Giuseppe Varotto, the most
battling with which the police have had
10 deal since the famous Scimeca case
years ago, was solved, it is believed,
last night when five prisoners were
taken to Police Headquarters by de-
tectives who kept their revolvers lev
eled at the manacled men all the way.
suspicious of an attempt at rescue by
black-hand gang.
The, prisoners are John MeIchionne,
who lives in lodging house near
Chatham Square; Santo Cusamano, of
o49 East Thirteenth Street, and An
tonic Marino and James Ruggiere, of
the same address, and Roberto Raf-
1alg, of Union Hill, N. j. According to
the police, all of them have made ad-
missions duplicating them in an at
tempt to eXtort money from Giuseppe s
father, Salvatore, and in the actual
kidnapping of the boy.
Boy Has Not Been Found
Giuseppe has not been found vet
After hours of questioning the police
We're not certain that they had OBJ
tanned the truth from their prisoners
as to his hiding place. They did, how
ever, obtain information which sent
detectives speeding away in automo.
bi1es in the hope of recovering the boy
His father, pale-faced and silent, seat.
ed himself at Headquarters to await
their return.
The information upon which the ar
rests were made was obtained by de-
tectives-one of them a woman-who
have made the fiat Of the Varotto fam
lily their home ever since the first
Black Hand letter was received. The
woman, Rae Nicoletti, posed as a cousin
from Detroit. She made beds, helped
with the cooking and washed dishes
The man, James Pellegrino, came in
the guise OF a plumbers helper, and
hammered on the pipes and loafed
This unusual step was taken because
Michael Fiaschetti, head of the Italian
squad at Headquarters, decided early
IN the case that this was not the ordi-
nary neighborhood abduction, inspired
generally BY q family feud, but was a
genuine activity of the Black Hand
BY placing his representatives in the
Varotoo household he made sure not
only of learning all that went on, but
also that the Varottos should not be
terrified into playing the game of the
kidnappers.
Miss Nicoletti was invaluable in both
respects. She is said to have had sew
eral conversations with Marino when he
called at the house to conduct g1larded
negotiations for the payment Of the
money. At first, she said, he was sus.
picious Of her in spite of her fluent
Italian. Then, one day he came in unex-
pectedly and found her frying eggs.
That convinced him, she said, that She
was what she said she was, cousin
from Detroit and the only member of
the family who had any money. Thence
forth they talked with less constraint.
Child Stolen in Daytime
Giuseppe was stolen in broad day
light May "a as he played in the
street. His father had started suit for for
$4,000 damages for injuries received
by his eldest son, Adolph, at Camp
Upton, and it is believed that the kid
nappers thought that he already had
received the money, or part of it.
The next day he received letter de-
manding $4,000. Otherwise, he was
told, his son would be killed and his
body thrown into the East River.
Varotto was frantic. He was ready to
give up all the money he had-far less
than $2,50o-but the kidnappers sent
no emissary that night.
Varctto's fears so preyed on him dur
ing his nght-long vigil with his savings,
that the following day he reported the
abduction to the police and after that
acted in accordance with their advice.
Neither his grief nor his fear was al
layed, however, and Miss Anne Morgan.
her sympathy aroused by his pitiful
case, offered reward Of $500 for the
recovery of the boy.
Marino is said to have visited the
house, 334 East Thirteenth Street. sew
eral times, each time limiting broadly
that he was on familiar terms with the
gang that held Giuseppe, asserting that
the boy was safe and promising to see
that he was returned if the $4,000 was
given to him to transmit.
After several Intellectual visits, he
appears, according to the police, to
have been convinced that $4,000 was ut
terly beyond Varotto's means. At a
few minutes after midnight Thursday
Raffale said to have taken up the
tale, coming to the Varotto door and
giving it mighty kick.
"Where's the money!" he is said to
Continued on pass four)