Evening star., 1952-01-18
New Probe Opened in Mystery
Death of OSS Major in Italy
Brother Testifies in New York Hearing
As Possible Prelude to Prosecution Abroad

ClOn. 1ney nave Claimed the
major was killed in ambush.
The men can not be tried by
criminal courts in this country
because the alleged crime occurred
outside United States jurisdiction
and since they both are out of the
Army they can not be tried by the
military.
At today's hearing before Com
missioner Martin c. Epstein
held at the request Of the Italian
government-Joseph r. Hollahan
of Brooklyn said his brother was
slain by Lo Dolce because the
major refused to give Commu-
|nists exclusive rights to arms
dropped to partisans by the Air
Force. 49,.
MIR. Hollahan, who spells his
name differently from his dead
brother, did not give the source
Iof his information but indicated
|it came from American investi-
gators Of the staying.
Mai. Holohan. whose body was
found in an italian lake five
years after bis death, headed q
secret mission team, which in
|cluded Lo Dolce. .Icardi and two
Italian ,partisans to enlist the sup
port Of the Italian underground
against the Germans.
His brother testified today that
when the major learned that a
"rightist" partisan group had not
received arms dropped to them
but that the "leftists. the known
Communists" did, he made it plain
there would be no more drops un-
til it was certain that the arms
would be divided equally.
Charges Killing Was Planned.
From that day on they planned
to do away with him." the witness
testified.
The witness indicated that by
they" he meant the other mem
bers Of the mission.
Mr.. Hollahan said. on the basis
|of information he had received,
the members Of the mission first
attempted to poison the major.
One Of the partisans purchased
some cyanide of potassium from q
druggist on the pretext he wanted
to- use it against Fascists, the
witness said.
He said the poison was placed
in the majors soup while he was
distracted hy Icardi."
M4t0r Made Ill.
Mr.. Hollahan said that these
events ensued:
The soup was hot and the ma
jor felt Ill before consuming very
much of it. He went up to his
room to lie down.
Icardi, Lo Dolce and the two
partisans became concerned that
il the major lived "the jig will
be up."
The Americans first tried to get
the partisans to shoot the major.
but they refused on the ground
that they already had obtained
the poison and had done their
share. Then Icardi and Lo Dolce
tossed a coin.
Lo Dolce and Icardi went to
Mai. Holohan's room.
Shot Twice in Head.
Lo Dolce shot Holohan twice In
the back Of the head. Icardi
went to a place In the room where
Holohan kept more than $4,000
in Italian Ira. Swiss francs and
American gold to finance partisan
activities and took the money.
Maj. Holohan's body then was
placed in a sleeping bag, weighted
with about 100 pounds Of stone,
rowed out onto the lake and
thrown over the side.
Rumors that arose in the
vicinity led to an italian police
investigation and recovery Of the
body in l949. The body was
brought back to the United States
and buried here.
The Italian government has
said it plans to try Lo Dolce and
Icardi in Italy If enough evidence
is obtained and II . way Is found
to extradite them.