Evening star., 1951-08-17
Two Former 0SS Men
Deny Murder Charges;
To Fight Extradition


Protesting their innocence, two
former servicemen have indicated
they will fight any attempt toI
send them back to Italy for trial
in the death of their command
ing officer seven years ago.
And the Italian government has
taken no announced action to
extradite them to face charges
made by the Defense Department
that they played key roles in the
killing Of Maj. William v. Holohan
behind enemy lines in late 1914.
Maj. Holohan, head of an Office
Of Strategic Services mission
which parachuted behind German
lines to direct aid to partisans,
disappeared mysteriously.
The Defense Department said
In a statement Wednesday that
he was killed by former 1t. Aldo
Uke) Icardi. now a resident OF
Preakness, N. j., and ex-Sergt.
Carl G. LoDolce of Rochester
N. Y, with the help of twoI
Italians. Both Americans denied
the accusation fatty.
Charges Called Fantastic.
THE charges made against me
are fantastic and I am confident
that shall be completely exon
Grated" Icardi told newsmen at
the home OF his parents in
Pittsburgh.
THE Defense Department has
never confronted me with the
charges it now makes. The de-
partment has obviously prejudgedI
the case without even giving me
the opportunity to make a state
ment about it."
1cardi added that the depart
ment's unprecedented trial by
press and radio violates the most
elemental concepts of justice and
due process (of law)."
In Rochester, LoDolce told a re-
porter for the Rochester Democrat
& Chronicle that II am absolutely
innocent Of any charge made
against me in connection with the
case"
These charges can be disproved
and will be-" he added. Right
now, I can't say anything more
than that. I'm leaving the mat
ter in the hands of my attorney"
Will Repudiate Confession.
His attorney. Thomas G. Pre-
sutti, said, When all the facts
are disclosed, there will be no ques-
ton that LoDolce is innocent"
Mr.. Presutti also said a cohfes-
sion which the Defense Depart
ment asserted LoDolce made in
the summer of 1850 would be re-
pudiated. The department said
confessions had been obtained
from LoDolce and from the two
Italians.
LoDolce said he would Eight to
the utmost" any attempt to extra
dite him to Italy for trial. On
the same point, Icardi told re-
porterS "the alleged attempt to J
shanghai me back to Italy is
hardly worthy of belief"
The department has said neither {
man can be prosecuted in this
country, since the alleged crime oc-
Cured in Italy. and since both L
men are now civilians outside the p
reach of military courts. q
"A trial in Italy would be a =
farce" Icardi said. II am amazed \
that the Defense Department {
would even suggest that Italy, at
the time an enemy country, has
any authority over the members
of its own armed forces"
Extradition Procedure Outlined.
The American Embassy in Rome q
said it knew of no request for ex- 4
tradition of the two men, and the
Italian Embassy here said it had @
not been instructed to make such +
a request.
The usual procedure would be .
for the Italian government to +
make formal request, presenta- +
ton Of warrants and aff1davits, a
hearing before a United States J.
commissioner, and finally approval =
of extradition by President Tru- -
man. r
Murder is an extraditable Of t
fense under United States @
italian treaty dating back to 1868.
The two Italians named by the n
department as having had role a
in the killing of Maj. Holohan c
are to go on trial at Novara, in t.
Northern Italy, next month. f
The Defense Department re- q
fused to comment on a statement $
by Ken w. Purdy, editor of True
Magazine. that Government Off k
cials "by every device at their t,
command tried to keep the a
story from reaching the public" h
Accused Men Defended. N
The magazine is publishing an 81
account of the Holohar Staying "
in its September issue. P
Former Maj. Biagio Corvo, now Y
publisher of weekly Italian fl
language newspaper in Middle T
town, Conn.,, who said he was II
Maj. Holohan's superior, de-
Tended Icardi and LoDolce. He CT
said they did some of the finest tt
IL
LOST. LIST