Murder of Vito Lauisso

[Sullycantwell]

Possible scranton mafia a link:

The Murder of Vito Lauisso:

At 5:00 A.M. Wednesday February 27, 1895? James Coolican, on his way to work, discovered Vito Lauisso dead body on “duck” or willow street, Dunmore in front of J. H. Davitt’s bottling business

It was so cold out Vito Lauisso’s body was “partially imbedded in a sheet of ice”

Vito Lauisso died from multiple gunshot wounds

In Lauisso’s pockets were an “opened faced silver watch, a chain with a ring and cheap charm attached, three razors, a scissors [sic], a pocketbook containing two pennies, a letter, a pipe and a paper of tobacco with a bullet hole through it.”

This suggest it probably wasn’t a robbery; the watch wasn’t stolen

The night before (February 27), Leonardo Rosa, Pasquale Bevalaqua, Joseph Fabiano, and Salvatori Cerminore (or Cerminore Salvatore or Salvatori Cerminori) went to Leopoldo Nicotera’s house at 211 willow street (Vito Lauisso stayed there)

Mrs. Nicotera was awoken by the men and noticed they were wearing masks, but she recognized their voices

Leonardo Rosa wasn’t wearing a mask; he was the only one not wearing a mask

The men were able to convince Lauisso to get out of bed and hang out with them, they arrived at 9:00 P.M. and they left at 10:00 P.M.

They asked Lauisso to bring a guitar

Mrs. Nicotera, who was in a room by the kitchen heard this exchange and at one point she looked out to the kitchen and saw Leonardo Rosa reach into his pocket and pull a revolver out and move in to a different pocket

Naturally, this shocked Mr. Nicotera and she couldn’t sleep. At 11:00 P.M. a group came to their house and she recognized the voices of Lauisso and Rosa.

Mrs. Nicotera said they sounded angry, however she couldn’t understand what they were saying. She urged her husband to get up and let Lauisso in because “he would get beaten” if he wasn’t let in. her husband felt it would be ok and didn’t do anything

The men left, and Mrs. Nicotera fell asleep, but a little while later she was startled by a “pistol shot.” She said she didn’t a hear any more so she fell back asleep.

Joseph Rosa, Leonardo's brother, wasn’t on good terms with Vito Lauisso. Joseph went to Mrs. Nicotera's house Tuesday afternoon (February 26) and asked her "why she harbored such a man as Vito Lauisso?" shockingly he even said he wanted "to have the last drops of Vito's blood.” despite this, Mrs. Nicotera said she didn’t know Leonardo Rosa had a problem with Vito Lauisso

Mrs. Nicotera stuck up for Vito saying, “he’s alright” he also mentioned that he would only be staying for a little bit since his family is coming to America so he’ll probably move. Joseph Rosa made another grim comment saying, “He might need someone to bury him before his family arrived.”

Rosa did not like Lauisso because Lauisso owed Rosa money (one newspaper said it was $40)

The men went to a (or multiple) saloon[s]

At 1:00 A.M. they went to Bartholomew Corbo’s house (where the original 4 stayed)

Rosa walked in later than the rest Lauisso home and during their walk Lauisso’s debt to Rosa was brought up, and they got into an argument

This is when Rosa shot Lauisso and Lauisso was killed

Rosa and the three other men were arrested

An Austrian detective named Frank Agli was arrested for being “drunk and disorderly”

Agli was placed in the same cell as Rosa and they spent four days together

According to Agli, Rosa confessed to the crime and then Agli reported the alleged confession

Agli relayed the story as written above, he also said that Rosa told him he hid the murder weapon (it was a revolver) “in between rafters on top of a wall in a cellar basement in a house in dunmore”

The police along with Agli visited the scene and were able to find the revolver in the exact spot where Agli had stated.

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The trial:

John R. Jones and T. V. Powderly were the prosecutors

James J. H. Hamilton and John G. McAskey were the defense attorneys for Rosa

Rosa was found guilty and appealed it

The Scranton tribune stated that Rosa contradicted himself many times

In his affidavit, Agli said that he hadn’t told everything at the trial and he didn't mention Rosa charged Lauisso with scissors

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A group of 500 Italians were alleged by one newspaper to put a hit out on the Austrian detective Frank Agli. The newspaper thinks this group may have been the mafia.

Leonardo Rosa (brother to Joseph Rosa) allegedly murdered Vito Lauisso

Joseph Feresi, prince of Naples society, said the mafia does not exist, but it once did, he said it was destroyed.

Salvatore DiMartino, president of the Victor Emmanuale society, denied claims of a mafia association.

The chairman of the meeting was Frank Carlucci

The men elected to secretaries were John Delre and Gimlio Daina

Gimlio Daina is a instructor at the school of Mechanics

Frank Williams, president of the Corona Di Italian society, said the article reporting the alleged contract on Agli is wrong because the society hadn’t even had a meeting in months.

Antonio Costanzo, president of the old forge guards of Rome, said all members are law abiding citizens.

Source:

https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn ... nge&page=1

[Sullycantwell]

Does anyone know if any of these men have been linked to the mafia? Besides the last newspaper i linked, I didn't find anything linking the men to the mafia, but worth a shot to see if anybody has info on these men.