The Italian Squad

April 17, 2023
Journalism professor Moses (An Unlikely Union) provides the definitive account of a fascinating chapter in New York City’s law enforcement history with this look at the early 20th-century activities of a special NYPD unit comprising Italian Americans who were charged with stunting the growth of the Mafia. In 1904, Giuseppe Petrosino became the first commander of the Italian Squad, and achieved renown combatting a group of extortionists known as the Black Hand. In 1909, Petrosino travelled to Sicily on a secret mission, but was gunned down in the street. From there, Moses focuses on the victories and vicissitudes of Petrosino’s successors, including Anthony Vachris, who completed Petrosino’s deadly mission in Sicily, and Michael Fiaschetti, who headed the unit until it was disbanded in 1922. Utilizing extensive primary documents, Moses recounts numerous crimes the unit thwarted and details their impact on the public image of Italian Americans without sliding into hero worship. He’s careful to separate fact from fiction, emphasizing that the Black Hand was not “a massive criminal conspiracy rooted in the Old World” but “more of a brand name adopted by disconnected bands of thugs.” That dogged pursuit of truth over salaciousness lends the volume authority, which Moses supplements with brisk pacing. New York history nuts will be in heaven.