The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-02-05

ated judiciously this one graft should have
kept the gang in comfort for quite while.
Now and then, to be sure, there would be
some slight misunderstanding.
Perhaps some badgered shopkeeper
would take the long, long chance and kick
the CRATER out of his shop. But-not so
often. 1t became so that just as soon as
the wife Of the bold one learned that a
member OF Morello's crowd had been re-
fused money by her husband she sought
an interview with her favorite undertaken
and drew from the till the price of weeds
merely mention this by way of giving
you something of background against
which I shall arraign Morello. Much has
been written of him and told of him. He
has become enveloped in mystery. Ulti-
mately he will be looked upon as big, bad
man, but he wasn't and isn't. He was
little bad man. He was vicious, vindictive
and dangerous generally. SO far as know
he confined his crime to his own race. He
was treacherous, but yellow.
His mob was, like all mobs a fuctuating
quantity. He enlarged it or decreased it
to suit his immediate purposes. His staff
was composed of as sinister an aggrega
tion of cutthroats as have ever surveyed
arrested and sent to prison. There was
Ignazio Lupo-Lupo the Wolf. / give you
my word, Lupo needed only to touch you to
give you the feeling that you had been
poisoned. And then there was Antonio
Cecala and Nicolo Sylvestre, vincenzo
CYCLIC, Salvatore Gina, Giuseppe Gallichio
and Giuseppe Palermo.
A pretty mob, that.
They all went to Jail together back in
1910 for counterfeiting. The sentences
ranged from thirty to fifteen years. Lupo
received thirty and Morello twenty-five
Not so long ago Morello was paroled. The
sentences were heavy because while these
men were convicted of cheap counterfeit
ing only 1t was thought best to lay 1t on
bit thick because the testimony became in
volved in so much murder talk and Black
Hand evidence that the good Of the COM
munity was taken into consideration by
Judge Ray.
Inasmuch as this story has to do with
Morello we shall confine ourselves to him
in so far as may be. Now and then the
others will rear their homely heads, for
their endeavors were interlocking, but 1t
was Morello who for years was the boss
of the Malta in New York.
Morello possessed what education the
crowd boosted. Maybe I do slight injus-
tice to Lupo. Lupo was extremely intelli
gent and he was by all means the best
looking of the lot But old Morello's was
the evil mind that planned and connived.
And as for his hand--well, it could not be
called fine and italian, but assure you 1t
was effective.
Trailing the Black Hand Letter
Interested the u. S Authorities
In the PRESENCE Of the staff Morello
would write a letter to an Italian mer-
chant and mail 1t. Observe that he mailed
it. There again the United States Govern
ment took hand in the affairs of Morello.
The letter would inform the merchant that
the writer, who did not see the necessity
of signing his name, desired money. 1t
might be 500 or 5000 or even $500. Upon
receipt of this letter the merchant would
place the money at designated spot where
the writer would be pleased to accept 1t.
Under no circumstances was anything
to be said about it, inasmuch as that would
cause a grave misunderstanding, and In
consequence the ears Of the merchant
would be severed from his head by the
friends of the author Of this tender senti
ment And there was the bare possibility
that the heart of the disobedient merchant
might be pierced by HIS supplicant's bullets
were anything to go amiss.
You will understand of course that am
not quoting the letters accurately. The
phrasing, believe, was somewhat differ
ent. have preserved the sentiment, how
ever.
Morello would wait just long enough to
be sure that the prospective victim had
received the letter. lie liked to follow the
letter into the shop by a matter of ten
or fifteen minutes. That took nice gauging
Of time. But to arrive Immediately after
the letter was to find the merchant In
more or less impressed state OF mind.
"Ah, Padrone Morello," cried the panic
stricken merchant, you come like an angel
at the moment have greatest need for
your counsel See here. have received
threats. They would take money from
me Or. Padrone Morello Is powerful in
the Malta. He will make Inquiries among
his friends and assure them that Pietro
Caporale is unable to pay so much money
and has beautiful wife and seven-no
eight-children to take care Of"