Aniello Prisco (c. 1880 – December 16, 1912) was an Italian-American gang leader and extortionist. Born in Naples, he immigrated to East Harlem and operated a Camorra gang, becoming involved in the Black Hand extortion racket, robbery, and murder. Despite his numerous arrests, he was never convicted of any crime. After entering a business belonging to crime boss Giosuè Gallucci and demanding a payment of $100, he was shot to death by Gallucci's nephew, John Russomano. Russomano was arrested but released three days later after a jury decided he had acted in self-defense, as Prisco had been threatening Gallucci with a revolver.
Aniello Prisco | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1880 |
| Died | December 16, 1912 (aged 32) |
| Cause of death | Gunshot wounds |
| Organization | Camorra |
| Criminal charges | |
Early life
Aniello Prisco was born in Naples[1] around 1880. At some point, he left Italy and settled at 2133 First Avenue in East Harlem.[2][3] He received the nickname "Zopo (lit. 'lame') the Gimp"[3][4] due to his hobble, which was purportedly caused by a bullet wound to the leg which he received following a confrontation in Long Island.[5]
Criminal career
Prisco operated a Camorra gang based mainly out of Brooklyn;[6] frequently, there was conflict between him and crime boss Giosuè Gallucci.[7][8] Prisco was heavily involved in the Black Hand extortion racket and was known as the "King of the Black Hand"[9] and "one of the most dangerous Italian outlaws in [New York]".[10] He gained a reputation for the robbery and blackmailing[2][3] of Italian business owners.[5]
Giosuè Gallucci blamed Prisco for the murder of his brother, Genaro, which occurred on November 14, 1909.[9] After a woman named Nellie Lenere stabbed gangster Frank Monaco to death on October 29, 1911, her mother, Pasquarella Spinelli, was shot to death;[11] Prisco was implicated in the crime and arrested in June 1912, but was not convicted.[5] He was also arrested in connection with the murders of Antonio Zaraca, a Harlem gangster, and Giuseppe Jacco in September 1912.[10][12] He was arrested at least three times for carrying concealed weapons, and less than three weeks before his death, he was arrested for robbery. Despite his many arrests, he was never convicted of any crime.[5]
Death
On the morning of December 16, 1912, Prisco entered Giosuè Gallucci's coffee shop located at 318 East 109th Street in Manhattan, the same shop in which Genaro Gallucci had been murdered three years prior, and demanded a payment of $100 while holding Gallucci at gunpoint with a .38 caliber revolver.[2][5] John Russomano, Gallucci's nephew and bodyguard,[8] retrieved a revolver and shot Prisco in the head, killing him.[5][13] The occupants of the coffee shop then scattered, except for waiter Michael Morelles, who claimed to be ignorant of what had occurred.[12][14] Policeman George L. Smith, who had been posted a block away, heard the shots and arrived to the scene first, finding Prisco dead.[5][14] Russomano surrendered to the police and was held on a $5,000 bail;[5][9] Gallucci and Morelles were both held as witnesses.[5][14] Three days after Prisco's killing, Russomano was released after a jury decided that he had acted in self-defense.[3]
Notes
- ^ Critchley 2008, p. 160.
- ^ a b c "Blackmailer Killed as He Made Threat". Brooklyn Eagle. December 16, 1912. p. 4. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Slayer of "Zopo" Freed". New York Tribune. December 20, 1912. p. 16. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
- ^ May 2017, p. 264.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Prisco, Lame Gunman, Meets Death At Last". The Sun. December 17, 1912. p. 16. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
- ^ May 2017, p. 146.
- ^ May 2017, p. 145.
- ^ a b "Million Dollar Leader and His Son Shot by Assassins Who Have Slain 10 of His Aids" (PDF). New York Herald. May 18, 1915. p. 7. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Black Hand Slays Victim Who Doffs Chinese Armor" (PDF). New York Herald. April 10, 1913. p. 1. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
- ^ a b Critchley 2008, p. 161.
- ^ Critchley 2008, p. 151.
- ^ a b "Bold Blackmailer Slain". Evening Post. December 16, 1912. p. 16. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
- ^ Critchley 2008, p. 162.
- ^ a b c "Blackhand King Shot Dead When He Demanded $100". Bridgeport Evening Farmer. December 16, 1912. p. 3. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
References
- Critchley, David (September 15, 2008). The Origin of Organized Crime in America. Taylor & Francis. p. 160. ISBN 9781135854928.
- May, Simon (May 2017). Influenced transplantation: a study into emerging Mafia groups in the United States pre-1920 (PDF) (Doctoral thesis). Coventry University. Retrieved October 12, 2024.