New-York tribune., 1921-08-19
Police Spirit
Fontano Out of
Ca111o1ra Reach
Cringing Apostate of Italian
Murder Gang Is Slipped
From the Ton,bs Before
Vengeance Strikes Him
Crilled for Four Hours


Warned of the Camorra's determina-
ton to penetrate prison walls to still
she tongue of their apostate. Bartolo
Fontano, the police have spirited their
prisoner out of the Tombs. The itin-
Grant barber spent last night in the
Raymond Street Jail, in Brooklyn.
Where he will be tonight is known
only to Acting Captain of Detectives
Michael Fiaschetti, head OF the Italian
squad
For four hours the confessed muir
derer was held at Police Headquarters
yesterday afternoon, subject every
minute Of the time to pairstaking
examination conducted by Fiaschetti.
Each time swarthy faced member of
the Italian squad entered the room
where Fontsno was being questioned
the marked man cringed in his chair.
betraying his ever present fear of the
vengeance of his fellows.
In spite Of that tear, or perhaps be-
cause of it, he gave more and more in
formation concerning tho men with
whom he has been associated in what
he describes as a murder gang. He
gave Fiaschetti additional names-how
many the detectives declined to reveal
and, what was most important, is said
to have identified the chief of the mur-
derous organization. This man. it is
understood, has made his Headquarters
in Buffalo.
The decision to take Fontano out of
the Tomos was reached after a con-
ference between the head of the Ital-
ian squad and Assistant District At
torneys Hcnnis and Mario, of the
Homicide Bureau, who have been CO.
operating in the effort to trap the en-
tire band of alleged murderers. All of
the authorities concerned are extraor-
dnarlly elated at the unusual oppor-
tunity that has presented itself of ex-
tracing information from q Sicilian
killer who is willing to talk
In the thirteen and a half wears that
Fiaschetti has been in the Police De-
partment, and practically all of that
time he has been in the italian squad,
he has never had such an opportunity
1t is almost automatic at Headquarters
that an Italian in contact with the DO
lice is mute.
The present situation is due solely
to the unusual circumstance that Fon-
tano. once a favored member of the
Camorra, learned that he was to be
.AaASU CSSoucS AC hiicW tOC iuuCn. BE-
lievlng that his only hope Of prolong-
ing his life was to get himself into
Jail. Fontano confessed-and is still
confessing.
Fiaschetti yesterday questioned the
ether men held in the Tombs, those
first involved by Fontanos confession,
but these men are in a different situaL
ton from the man who gave their
names to the police.
The Italian squad leader, asked what
he had learned from them, merely
shrugged his broad shoulders. Fias-
chetti was undisturbed by threats Of
death that have come to him since
fontano.s confession started the round
up OF Slcllian murderers.
Those are things to be expected
in this business" he said. at q de-
tectlve paid any attention to them he
would De utterly useless to the Police
Department.
word was received at Headquarters
last night that Bert Mcpherson. lieu
tenant Of detectives of the Detroit DO
ice department, would arrive here to-
Gay TO cooperate with the local police
IN Clearing up number of murders
mat nave occurred there that were en-
gineered from New York Two mem
oers OF the local Italian squad went to
Newark to see if they could pick ur
any threads leading from the murder
inere yesterday OF an italian that con-
necsed with the web of evidence given
oy Bartoio Fontano.