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SECRET SOCIETIES II:
THE CHINA -MAIL SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11,
The Sign Of The Black Hand
life
GASPARE PISCIOTTA, serving a
sentence for banditry, paced his cell in Palermo Prison. It was spring and the yoar was 1953.
An escort of picked Carabinieri, specially brought to Sicily from the Italian mainland, was on its way to escort him to the local court-house.
Pisciotta former trusted lieutenant and cousin of the now legendary Bandit King of Sicilly, Salvatore Giuliano, had made his decision and intended to stand by it. But the waiting made him
nervous.
Giuliano was never a memper For seven years, Giuliano hudl terrorised the dusty, B of the Man. Nor were any scorchert countryside of Sielly m of the bandits who supported his for Stellian a private war against Halion remantle demands duminmilon.
Independence.
Now, Pelotta, self-confessed
But during his brief reign of betrayer of his leader, had ourced 10 help the Italian murder, robbery and primitive authorities in a new campaign chivalry, Giuliano enjoyed the Mafin's blessing. He had a business-like arrangement with
10 stamp out the Maña,
Gluliano's death, the 31. Sinco Italian Police had been prepar- in proceedings against manny of the lenders of this dreaded orgattiantion, whose visiting card was a black handprint.
Like
all other thieves, cut- thrents, extortionists, block- nudlers and murderers on the island, Giuliano peld for his pro- tection in cash-and made him-
Placotta was to be the chief selt available to carry out nets
withcar
He knew the truth about Giuliano's dealings with polit!- cians and corrupt police offletals. More important, he knew about his cousin's association with the Mana
As he waited to be taken to evart, Pisciotta drank his morn- which he had ing coffee into first put medicine prescribed for his tuberculosis.
of violence on Maña's behalf.
But the agreement was de- clared void when 37-year-old Giuliano shot five Maflost after a quarrel.
the Maña for its salvation from: foreign oppression.
of the
A WARNING WE'RE WASTING
TOO MUCH TIME IN
THE SPACE RACE
ARE you, the stake-holders in Britain's future, being given the rup-around on the urgent issue of whether the Government should get into the Sputnik business, which is now a Russian and U.S. monopoly?
I have compelling reasons for suspecting that you are. After inquiring into what is going on under the cover of consdential memes, I doubt whether there is any sincera drive to somUTO Britain orbiting room in space.
Mr Aubrey Jones,
the Supply Minister, has given" the Im-
pression that
t
high-powered group
of scientists in the
Royal Society hos
By
CHAPMAN PINCHER
formally been asked to brief the Government contracte or serving Government on the relentine as paid consultants. worthwhileness of a satellito- In any case the issue is to i Inunching programme.
linked with defence that it must But what do I find on ques- eventually be settled by poli- tioning Professor William Hodge, tieal consideration. secretary of the Royal Society? Professor Lovell has already No group, committee, or oven auswered the Government's |sub-committes has been set up questions in a private talk to to do this job on which a M.P.s at Westminster, A decisión,
10 possibly vital
The alternative to Brilish Britain's future, is supposed to satellite programme is to leave depend.
the possible folds of weather Why Because only a request control, rocket `flight, and an for advice on a most informal foreseeable developments to the basis was made by the Supply Americans and Russians, he Alinity, Indead, Professor warneth,
Hodge was outspoken in saying Since that warning the British that Mr Aubrey Jones had over- Blacks Knight rockat has stated the Royal Society's achieved satellite launching position in the matter.
One man.....
height at its first Bring. But my inquiries canvinco mo that the Government still has ΠΟ intention of diverting money br One Royal Society scientist, effort from immediate defence etentiile spuce In the 1920s Mussolini almost Professor Harrie Massey, has projects into
In wiping out the taken on the task of proparing a research. succeeded Malla. He did it by using report, Professor Hodge told me. The Defence chiefs, dre Fascist
convinced methods based on the It is up to him to seek any unshakably
that Mada's own system of terrorisni. opinions from his colleagues if Beliain cannot afford i Pro-
he wishes,
fessor Lovell, who belloves we
But 35 lime passed, the police always found themselves became the basis of future gang- movement that startot out to up against a barrier of alience, alerism. fight tyranny became itself mora At the beginning of the pro-
the sign Carthaginians, tyranical, more ruthless, more sent century Greeka.. Romans,
In the Spaniards, Germans pitiless than
Ty of the Black Hand appeared Italings-all and
ruled this triangle of near-barren land and I laughter-loving peasants.
Giuliano was not killed at once. In fact, he was stil raid Ing and looting the homes of zich landowners two years after
Each succeeding Conqueror the incident. But the lawless was worse than the last, ex- Within an hour, his face dis- Mudo, whose ancien! laws are ploiling local inhabitants, giving
vengeance and silence, withdrew tle in return.
end was the torted by
of is protection, His agonj
Inevitable.. atrychnine poisoning, Plactotta lay dead in his cell,
So the Mafia was created. To The Mana was born more the oppressors of the pour le sent than 500 years ago in the hoveis
The tyrant who re- warnings of Stelly's squalld peasantry.
By
REX LAWRENCE
foreigners who had ruled Sicily. Peasanta were made to pay Each village, for "protection." euch, town, had its Main ogents.
At first, its vic- United States, tims were Italian migrants.
The lack of urgency behind cannot afford to ignore it, is a this arrangement is shown up by lone voler crying in the cosmos.
he fact that Professor Bernard 'Wake up
Lovell, of radio-telescope fame,
tho
But I by
fward to take heed you a dagger rough justice swiftly adminis- working under Lieut. Petrosing, Irland-Uelica, In the Elpari wagon to
Sleliian, discovered group.
The Duce sent a battalion of armed Carabinieri to Sicily. Hal appointed vigorous Cesare Meet Prefect of Palico, giving him power to arrest anyone on mera
who is Dritain's chief expert on I can appreciate the views of suspicion and send them to satellite-tracking, has not been the Defence chiefs, though I prison without trial.
Consulted. Ho is
one dengree with them. Fundreds of people were scientist of eminence who has object to being fobbed off In 1905, a special department banished to Italy's little "Devil's campaigned to hitch Britam's Ministerial assurances that the matter is under scrioue scrutiny satellite. Secret trials, were held and of Italian-speaking detectives
merely been I can see no valid reason why when the Royal Society should have. "Passed to you, Jadk." But Mori falled.
boon burdened at all with this Mr Aubrey Jones and his responsibility. The nation's best colleagues should wake up to
and Once when a Mafios! was rocket, electronic
radar the realisation that, when murdered during a festival in scientists, including many in competing with the Russians, Favara more than 3,000 of those the Royal Society, are either in "Passing it, to Jack" is tanta- present wore questioned by Government service, involved in mount to "Passing it to Ivan," Mori's men, But none would: odmit having seen anything.
Prison had proved no sune
Sicily, conquered more times pitiless secret, tuary from the society of criminals known as by different races than any other in his back,
Island in the world, looked to the Mafin.
National
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himself a tered. Sentences ranged from that the society had a member-
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ship of more than 3,000 in New and York alone. Taxes wer "kick-backs" word demanded from workers' wages,
imposed
Initialion ceremonics were secretly held all over the Island, Petrosino was sent to Palermo, Those accepted into the society Sietly, lo collaborate with Italian had to swear never to betray 1. police in an effort to stop the
Today, the Mada in Bielly is bitration of Muần members again firmly established as the Mon leaders took over the into America. But during this real civil power in the island. fruit market and wine producing mission Petrosino was shot dead concerns the Island's most in a Palermo hotel, lucrative industries.
Recently, Turin's respected
In his pocket was a letter in- newspaper La Nuova Stampa Sicilians, though aware of the forming him that he would die. evil power of the Mana, were it was afraid to denounce their op- Hand.
pressors,
As far back as
signed with "z Black wald: "Italy must make up its
mind to wipe out this power
Mana wás not kept out of 1874, the America and the criminal know which is more efflolens than the island's authorities tried to sup- how that members of the Black police."" pless the organisation. But the Hand gang brought with them
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