Hillsville, PA: Birthplace of the Italian Mafia

[JCB1977]

Great piece here. Hillsville, PA held the first black hand trial in the U.S. back in 1907.

http://www.lawrencecountymemoirs.com/lc ... lsville-pa

[JCB1977]

https://www.lawrencechs.com/museum/coll ... lack-hand/

[JCB1977]

Great pieces by Hunt:

http://mob-who.blogspot.com/2016/10/rac ... -1909.html

http://mafiahistory.us/a031/f_calabrian.html

[JCB1977]

Article from 2015 in the Ellwood City Ledger: Black Hand, Iron Fist


https://www.ellwoodcityledger.com/7389d ... 1ce38.html

[FriendofHenry]

For years my Dad bought homemade wine from a plumber in Hillsville. His name was John LaRocca - too funny

[JCB1977]

For years my Dad bought homemade wine from a plumber in Hillsville. His name was John LaRocca - too funny

Many many homes were making wine in Hillsville. My grandma and her siblings grew up in Hillsville, my last living great aunt is still there. They all went to Bessemer High School. Every time I come back to town to visit, I always spend some time in Hillsville because my cousins still lives there. It is still a throwback to the old days

[Confederate]

I remember reading somewhere that the first Black Hand Group was actually in the deep South being in New Orleans, La. They were operating in the 1880's. There was another competing group also operating in New Orleans during this time. They were all Sicilian Immigrants.

[JCB1977]

I remember reading somewhere that the first Black Hand Group was actually in the deep South being in New Orleans, La. They were operating in the 1880's. There was another competing group also operating in New Orleans during this time. They were all Sicilian Immigrants.

The first Black Hand trial in the U.S was the Rocco Racco group in Hillsville in 1907. There was activity going on in the late 1800’s as well in Hillsville, primarily Calabrians.

[JCB1977]

I remember reading somewhere that the first Black Hand Group was actually in the deep South being in New Orleans, La. They were operating in the 1880's. There was another competing group also operating in New Orleans during this time. They were all Sicilian Immigrants.

The term Black Hand wasn’t used until 1903. NO, Pueblo and Birmingham had Sicilians operating extortion crimes since the 1850’s. They weren’t organized.

[Confederate]

I remember reading somewhere that the first Black Hand Group was actually in the deep South being in New Orleans, La. They were operating in the 1880's. There was another competing group also operating in New Orleans during this time. They were all Sicilian Immigrants.

The term Black Hand wasn’t used until 1903. NO, Pueblo and Birmingham had Sicilians operating extortion crimes since the 1850’s. They weren’t organized.

I don't know how accurate this information is from Wikipedia but upon further research the name of this extortionist family was the Matrangas in New Orleans. They were referred to as a Black Hand Group in the 1880's. It said a Police Chief named Davis Hennessy was murdered during this time. Some of the Matrangas were on trial for the murder but they were acquitted. In 1891, an angry mob in New Orleans lynched some of them. Do you know to what I am referring?

[JCB1977]

I remember reading somewhere that the first Black Hand Group was actually in the deep South being in New Orleans, La. They were operating in the 1880's. There was another competing group also operating in New Orleans during this time. They were all Sicilian Immigrants.

The term Black Hand wasn’t used until 1903. NO, Pueblo and Birmingham had Sicilians operating extortion crimes since the 1850’s. They weren’t organized.

I don't know how accurate this information is from Wikipedia but upon further research the name of this extortionist family was the Matrangas in New Orleans. They were referred to as a Black Hand Group in the 1880's. It said a Police Chief named Davis Hennessy was murdered during this time. Some of the Matrangas were on trial for the murder but they were acquitted. In 1891, an angry mob in New Orleans lynched some of them. Do you know to what I am referring?

I do. The term Black Hand was first used in 1903 in NY regarding the Barrel Murder involving Giuseppe Morrello.

[Confederate]

I found this Article to be interesting and informative: <Tales From "The Black Hand" - The Secret Link Between New Orleans and The Mafia>.

[UTC]

Yes, Hennessy had been the hero of the city for a while. It is a huge story.

[JCB1977]

Correct. The New Orleans Case were Sicilians. The Hillsville trial of 1907 was the first case in US History that prosecuted Calabrians, who came to dominate the Black Hand in the Pa, OH, WV area.

http://mafiahistory.us/a031/f_calabrian.html

[JCB1977]

Here is a great piece on the killing of Seely Hauk, PA State Game Warden by the Black Hand Society.

http://movies2.nytimes.com/books/first/ ... -game.html