CHAPTER XXII
THE GENTLE ART OF WRITING "BLACK-HAND" LETTERS
The reader, being now on the "inside" with us, I hope the extracts ofthe "black-hand" letters given here will convey some meaning.
When we had our net closely drawn about the band of counterfeiters ledby Lupo and Morello, we raided the homes of the various members of thegang. It fell to the lot of operative T. G. Gallagher to be amongthose of our men who entered Morello's home and placed the leaderunder arrest.
In this case, the diaper wrapped about the body of Morello's babyattracted the experienced eye of operative Gallagher. The momentGallagher broke into the room where Mrs. Morello was nursing her babyhe noticed that Mrs. Morello tucked something away in the diaper ofthe infant. The mother fingered the cloth rather nervously.
Gallagher suggested to Mrs. Morello that there might be something ofinterest to the government wrapped in the cloth that protected thelittle Morello, and instantly the mother became very emphatic in hernative manner of making us understand that she "no understand."
Gallagher is a man of Irish extraction from the environs of Boston. Inother words, he has the humorous instinct. So he suggested that maybethe poor baby needed a fresh diaper! There was a flash of volcanicfire in the mother's eye as two strong arms held her secure whileGallagher removed the cloth from the infant's limbs and exposed theletters, copies of which are here given.
The letters concern the admittance into the society of a man who isquestioned by the leaders in New York, and who in turn puts theresponsibility for his admittance up to the Chicago gang. Blackborders adorn both the envelopes and the paper upon which the writerhad 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 wastranslated into the foregoing "English," which, the reader willnotice, is not quite the "Queen's own." But the translation was madeclose to the Sicilian, and we must take it as we get it.
The reader will, of course, see that Constantino's admittance to thebrotherhood is in doubt. That is, he is not being accepted into thesociety except upon the responsibility of the Chicago crowd. Whateverhelp is to be given him in his trouble in Louisiana, where he is underarrest, must come from the Chicago brethren. Help will come from NewYork, perhaps, in the last extreme. This seems to be the burden of theletter.
Another letter follows which may also help the reader to a conclusionas to whether such a thing exists as a "Black-Hand" Society. Theletter is addressed to Mr. Vincenzo Moreci, No. 535 S. FranklinStreet, 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 underst
ood 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.)"