A CRIMINAL HISTORY OF MANKIND

After Esposito’s departure (he spent the rest of his life in prison), the New Orleans criminal
fraternity - at least, its Italian section - was organised by two brothers, Charles and Tony Matranga,
the latter a saloon keeper. Like their Sicilian counterparts, the Matrangas angled for political power,
and expanded cautiously into ‘legitimate’ business. Apart from the Matrangas, one of the most
influential Italian families in New Orleans was headed by three brothers named Provenzano; their
contracts with shipping companies gave them a monopoly on loading and unloading fruit at the
docks; they employed several hundred Italian workers, and paid them relatively high wages - forty
cents an hour for day work and sixty cents for night work. In 1886, a new shipping firm called
Matranga and Locascio appeared at the docks and began competing with the Provenzanos. With
their strong-arm methods, the Matrangas took only two years to wrest control from their rivals. The
Provenzanos decided to retaliate. On 5 May 1890, Tony Matranga, Tony Locascio and three other
men finished supervising the unloading of a banana boat and drove off in a fruit wagon; suddenly,
shots were fired from ambush, and three men, including Matranga, were wounded - Matranga’s leg
had to be amputated.
The chief of police, Dave Hennessey - who had arrested Esposito nine years earlier - took charge of
the case. The Provenzanos were his friends, but the evidence indicated that they were responsible
for the ambush, and two of the brothers - and three of their employees - were arrested and put on
trial. But Hennessey was aware that the Matrangas were just as much to blame. He determined to
end the power of the Mafia in New Orleans, and wrote to the police in Rome for photographs of
Esposito bandits who were believed to be members of the Matranga gang. He received an
anonymous letter warning him that he would be killed if he persisted, but he ignored it. The
Provenzanos were found guilty, but their lawyer succeeded in winning a retrial. Hennessey
announced that he would appear as a witness in favour of the Provenzanos, and would produce
evidence about the Mafia in New Orleans. (His brother Mike had been killed - allegedly by the
Mafia - in Houston, and Dave Hennessey was out for revenge.) On the night of 15 October 1890,
Hennessey was walking home through heavy rain, accompanied by a police captain; he and his
companion said goodnight, and a few seconds later, several shots sounded. The police captain
rushed back to find his chief dying. Asked ‘Who did it?’ Hennessey answered: ‘Dagoes.’ He died a
few hours later in hospital.
New Orleans was outraged. There was talk of lynching, and some eminent Italian families
published advertisements in the newspapers, disavowing all connection with the killing. Mayor
Shakespeare took over the case, and told the police: ‘Scour the Italian neighbourhood - arrest every
Italian if necessary.’ Nineteen Italians were arrested, including a fourteen-year-old boy who was
alleged to have signalled Hennessey’s arrival. Their trial opened in February 1891. With a single
exception - Huembert Nelli in The Business of Crime - writers on the case agree that the evidence
against the Italians was overwhelming. The chief witness for the defence was a shady private
detective named Dominick O’Malley, who had been indicted several times for bribing jurors and
intimidating witnesses. One of the accused admitted in court that he had been present at a meeting
where the death of Hennessey had been decided. Yet in spite of this, the jury declared an acquittal.
There was helpless rage among the American population of New Orleans, and rejoicing among the
Italians, whose market stalls were adorned with bunting. The accused were taken back to prison for
their own protection, but allowed to wander freely; they celebrated that night with Chianti and
spaghetti. Two days later, angry citizens marched on the jail, overcame the guards and found eleven
of the fourteen Italians. Most were clubbed to death; one was hanged from a lamp-post. Whether or
not they were guilty of the murder, their end caused an abrupt reduction in Mafia activities in New
Orleans.