Thursday, July 6, 2017

THE BLACK HAND : THE EPIC WAR BETWEEN A BRILLIANT DETECTIVE AND THE DEADLIEST SECRET SOCIETY IN AMERICAN HISTORY
by Stephan Talty

At the beginning of the twentieth century, thousands of immigrants came to America to begin a new life. Most of the influx were from Italy. They arrived in New York City and began to establish themselves with successful businesses. The other nationalities distrusted them and considered them to be savages. Better people should have the right to become citizens not the Italians. It was a constant fight for the Italians to be accepted. This wasn't the only hostility they had to deal with.
During the summer of 1903 The Society of the Black Hand reared its ugly head. The Black Hand was an extremely dangerous crime organization that used extortion, kidnapped children, assassinated tons of people, and bombed businesses and residences. They were from Sicily and were the original mafia. Letters would be dropped into mailboxes of anyone who had done well in the new world and an exorbitant sum of money would have to be coughed up.  If they went to the police, the absolute worst could happen to them or to their children. Within a period of time, not only New York City was in a panic but the fear had spread to other cities all over the United States.
The only person who was deemed to be able to destroy the Black Hand was Joseph Petrosino. He was known as the "Italian Sherlock Holmes." Using disguises and a huge network of informants, Petrosino worked relentlessly to capture the members of this insidious Society and bring them to justice. Eventually, he would have to travel to Sicily to annihilate the source of the Black Hand's power.
The Black Hand is a tremendous book and Stephan Talty is one heck of a writer. This is definitely true crime at its finest. Joseph Petrosino was an incredible detective and an American hero. He prevailed against being a target of the Black Hand (they HATED him), lack of help from the government, and even being shunned by some of his fellow Italians. Petrosino put his life on the line for his dedication to the new immigrants and for his love of America.
Highly recommended.