THE GENTLE ART OF WRITING "BLACK-HAND" LETTERS
The reader, being now on the "inside" with us, I hope the extracts of
the "black-hand" letters given here will convey some meaning.
When we had our net closely drawn about the band of counterfeiters led
by Lupo and Morello, we raided the homes of the various members of the
gang. It fell to the lot of operative T. G. Gallagher to be among
those of our men who entered Morello's home and placed the leader
under arrest.
In this case, the diaper wrapped about the body of Morello's baby
attracted the experienced eye of operative Gallagher. The moment
Gallagher broke into the room where Mrs. Morello was nursing her baby
he noticed that Mrs. Morello tucked something away in the diaper of
the infant. The mother fingered the cloth rather nervously.
Gallagher suggested to Mrs. Morello that there might be something of
interest to the government wrapped in the cloth that protected the
little Morello, and instantly the mother became very emphatic in her
native manner of making us understand that she "no understand."
Gallagher is a man of Irish extraction from the environs of Boston. In
other words, he has the humorous instinct. So he suggested that maybe
the poor baby needed a fresh diaper! There was a flash of volcanic
fire in the mother's eye as two strong arms held her secure while
Gallagher removed the cloth from the infant's limbs and exposed the
letters, copies of which are here given.
The letters concern the admittance into the society of a man who is
questioned by the leaders in New York, and who in turn puts the
responsibility for his admittance up to the Chicago gang. Black
borders adorn both the envelopes and the paper upon which the writer
had scribbled his tale. The first of these letters is addressed to Mr.
Rosario Dispenza, No. 147 Milton Avenue, Chicago, Ill., and is from G.
La Bella Morello, No. 2069 Second Avenue, New York.
"DEAR FRIEND:
"In answer to your letter that bears date of the 10th, I hear
what you say in it. Regarding the Council, you have no right
to be present in the meetings. The Council is divided and
separated from the Assembly. But in case that some Councilman
wishes to be present in some meeting of the Assembly, he can
come but only to hear and then has no right to the floor,
neither right to an opinion or right to vote.
"Have I explained myself?
"This is for your guidance. Now regarding Calogero
Constantino. To tell you the truth, I have as yet been unable
to persuade myself as to what it is about, the letters to me
have not been satisfying or convincing. There should have
been better explanations. In this manner I cannot answer with
exact judgment and clear conscience. I cannot understand how
it is that Calogero Constantino remains arrested at Bacaluse,
Louisiana, while under the protection of so many good friends
engaged incessantly to make him obtain his liberty, and you
others of Chicago have all this contract on your side.
"I have said it more than once that I and my townsmen have
always known the Constantino family as a good family, and
none other but very good, and the boss of my town, I am sure,
cannot give you better details, though I doubt if they knew
this family just because they were not to our bearing, but
nevertheless leaning towards good people; have you seen 'the
ox, neither white nor black,' this is their bearing. But not
for this I repeat, always of good people; there have been
born at times people that had given a good account of their
being, honored and respected as always.
"We of Corleone have never had any dealings with them,
therefore could not try them and appreciate their merits.
Others that have had dealings, that is to say have known
their good merits, and have brought them to make part of our
family. Nothing extraordinary, because certainly would not
have brought them in this land if they had not known their
good merits. They have done well. We, of Corleone, will
appreciate said doings.
"In your letter you tell me that regarding Calogero
Constantino there is nothing to say, but there should be
exact information, because there are eight good workers sick
to put the work on him and of the eight persons there are
those in danger of their lives. But you must excuse me if I
and others have not understood such language.
"If you know that Constantino is of good health, also he is
severely of good health, you will take with other townsmen of
yours the responsibility here and also of the town, and we
will do everything. Neither I nor others here can understand
how you ever in your wise thinking write us in this manner.
If I have written to you more than once that this Constantino
family have never been to our hearing. Known to us only by
sight in America as in the town, and then this is not enough.
You surely should not ignore the fact Calogero Constantino
has been missing from New York at least six years.
"Now, then, I ask you why you write me and others to assume
the responsibility of said individual; if this party could be
admitted, then we assume the responsibility of an individual
that had been seen 'neither born nor raised' and who has
never been known by name or sight. This responsibility you
should ask of others, not us. You see in this that I was
right in resenting De Vito Casiaferro and Enea, and saying
that it is not done that way, in making a person, by not
asking information of the townsmen before making it, that all
these discussions now would not have been.
"Now you must ask them to assume the responsibility, those
that have made him, not us. Of us you must ask only if we
have anything to say. This, yes, is very correct. But to
assume responsibility is one thing, and asking if we have
anything to say is another thing. There is a great
difference. Therefore, we go in Court, we have undersigned,
upon our conscience and on our honor declare of having
nothing to say upon the conduct and honor of Calogero
Constantino, not regarding him only but also of his family.
All of Corleone. Giuseppe La Bella and brother, Vincenzo,
brother Ciro and brother Coco.
"PAOLO FRISELLA,
"GAETANO LOMONTE,
"STEFANO LASALA,
"FORTUNATO LO MONTE,
"ANTONIO RIZZO,
"MICHALE CONIGLIO,
"ANGELO VALENTI,
"FRANCESCO MOSCATO."
This letter was, of course, written in the Sicilian dialect, and was
translated into the foregoing "English," which, the reader will
notice, is not quite the "Queen's own." But the translation was made
close to the Sicilian, and we must take it as we get it.
The reader will, of course, see that Constantino's admittance to the
brotherhood is in doubt. That is, he is not being accepted into the
society except upon the responsibility of the Chicago crowd. Whatever
help is to be given him in his trouble in Louisiana, where he is under
arrest, must come from the Chicago brethren. Help will come from New
York, perhaps, in the last extreme. This seems to be the burden of the
letter.
Another letter follows which may also help the reader to a conclusion
as to whether such a thing exists as a "Black-Hand" Society. The
letter is addressed to Mr. Vincenzo Moreci, No. 535 S. Franklin
Street, New Orleans, La. It is dated New York, November 15th, 1909,
and reads as follows:
"DEAR FRIEND:
"Am in possession of your two letters, one that bears date
of the 5th, the other on the 10th of November. I understand
the contents.
"In regard to being able to reorganize the family, for me I
advise you all to do it because it seems it is not just to
stay without a king nor country, but I authorize you to
convey to all my humble prayer and my weak opinion, but well
understood, that those that are worthy and those that wish to
belong, those that do not wish to belong let them go.
"You tell me that from Palermo arrived good news. I nor the
others of New York have not been formally advised, therefore
I beg of you tell me something about the news from Palermo.
Who has written and whether any commission has decided to
come? I have advised my godfather La Gatutte to have in sight
the one from Morriale. I advise you further that in your last
letter I understood minutely and by wire, and sign the affair
of the friend Vincenzo Antinoro. It is well now we are well
understood. Now for the present the most interesting thing
that I desire and expect is the declaration (statement) of
Giovanni Gulotta regarding the affair Constantino and
Trombone declaration made and signed by his own hands of
Giovanni Gulotta, and then if we are there it's a wonder.
"I hear in your letter that Sunday three friends left to go
and see him. I will await patiently the answer and hope for
favorable results. Am in doubt that one of my letters may be
lost, because, as I had to say in a previous one to the last,
I had spoken also of the agreement I had made with Calogero
Gulotta. In fact, he told me in this his last that in no
other letter of mine had he understood what I said.
"I end this moment by sending you the most cordial greetings
of mine and my family to you with all your family and pray
you make it known also to the friend Zito, Piro, Sunsseri,
Benanti and their families as also Vito Di Giorgi.
"They will also receive many greetings of my brothers and
brothers-in-law and my son Calidu, my godfather Angelo La
Gatutte and all the friends of merit. Many greetings yet from
all the friends of New Orleans that you think. To you a warm
kiss. Your affectionate friend,
"(Signed) G. LA BELLA. (Morello.)"