MAFIA TRIAL

Hokitika Guardian, 24 July 1930, Page 8

MAFIA TRIAL

A SECRET SOCIETY. / The Mafia is a secret society of Sicily. It had its origin in 1812, when the island was granted a constitution and the old feudal troops oecame brigands. Loosely organised into active members who sought and shared the plunder, and passive, the ordinary folk who were pleased to place themselves under the protection of others, the Mafia gradually acquired great influence and with knife and gun terrorised those who did not support them. Their unwritten code, the omerta, embodied the vendetta, and candidates were admitted after oy trial by duel and taking an oath lo resist all law and order. The work of exterminating the Mafia root and branch was seriously oegan in 1924 by order of Signor Mussolini, who gave personal instructions, and the task lias been carried out with indefatigable energy, by Signor Mori, Prefect of Palermo, who is an old friend of Signor Mussolini and had been Prefect of Mi.an, and by General di Giorgio, commander of the troops in Sicily. General di Giorgio, who is married to an English woman, is well known in England and speaks English perfectly. He was for some time Signor Mussolini’s Minister of War, and on his resignation was sent with a soecial mission to Sicily. Both the .Prefect and the general are Sicilians. TRUCK-LOADS OF PRISONERS. Shortly afterwards Carabinieri and troops, became actvio in every part of the island, and trucks filled with Mafia criminals were unloaded at the prison doors in numerous provincial centres, and the Mafia chiefs, who had been accustomed to dictate and levy contributions at will among the inhabitants were surprised to find themselves arrested, handcuffed ana shut up in cells. The trials which have followed, were invariably marked by severe sentences.. The wholesale condemnation of some of the most notorious leaders of three separate gangs from what is known as the .Madonie Region has been effected. The Madonie Mafia was orginally headed by the ferocious brigands, Gatetauo Ferrarello, Guisoppe Andaloro, and Antonio Albanese. Gaetano Ferrarello was a notorious Mafia chief thirty years ago, and in 1896 'he escaped the pursuit of the Carabinieri, w r hp had orders to effect his capture. When Gaetano saw recently that there was this time no chance of escape he stoically committed suicide and left a sort of testament, in which, revengefully, he had noted down all his lieutenants and henchmen of the present and the past which was of great use to the police. The original hand under Ferrarello Andaloro and Albanese, broke up into three rival groups, who held different districts in the territory between Palermo and Caltanisetta, and who fought, murdered and plundered each other occasionally and had deadly fueds. They constituted entire Mafia families, father, sons, brothers and cousins joining together and commanding subordinate bands. At Avola the Mafia band consisted of forty: individuals who had become ,so bold that they demanded the recall of the Police Commissary and the removal of the mayors. The inhabitants, in despair, formed a Committee of Safety, but their properties were ravaged, and such damage was caused that finally they compounded with tho Mafia, which undertook to guarantee order and peace on condition of heavy contributions, which were regularly levied. FOREIGNERS UNMOLESTED. Desperate, however, as conditions were for the inhabitants, it must not be supposed that foreigners were in any way molested. On the contrary, the Mafia as a rule showed great respect and friendliness for foreigners. They only desired to levy contributions from tradesmen or hotel proprietors, who profited by the presence of tourists. Hardly a single case of travellers being molested is recorded, and if, by mistake, ns happened to some English tourists five years ago, travellers were relieved of their purses and belong- | ings on the highway, the Mafia men j themselves restored the money with ' apologies for the annoyance. They exacted their tribute chiefly from landed proprietors, and also occasionally removed from life some objectionable miser or usurer who had i hoarded up millions. The millions I were, naturally, collected wdien posj sible and appropriated 'by the. Mafia. | A GREAT MAN-HUNT. i The campaign. against the Mafia has proved to be the greatest man-hunt ever known in the country. Nearly 1000 prisoners, including the heads of the society, were captured. Among the men arrested was the mayor of a Sicilian town. He had organised a reception to the King of Italy when his Majesty visited the town. Only after the arrest of the mayor was suspicion aroused. Many other crimes weie arranged by apparently blameless citizens, and wealthy men were robbed, who dared not retaliate or set the law in motion. The Mafia has long been known in America among the thousaris of Italian emigrants settled there. In May of last year sentence was imposed on 148 members of the Mafia who were found guilty of various crimes. Forty received sentences _of r. i • x twßtifv-three vears’ im- 1