Pietro Inzarillo
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Pietro Inzarillo or Inzerillo (1858–1905) was a New York underworld figure and a member of the Morello crime family. He is not to be confused with Pietro Inzerillo, brother of powerful Mafia boss Salvatore Inzerillo.
Early years
Inzarillo immigrated to the United States from the Marineo area of Palermo, Sicily with his wife and five children and settled in New York City. In the early 1900s, he became involved in counterfeiting and Black Hand operations with the Morello gang. His Elizabeth Street pastry shop, the Cafe Pasticceria, became a hangout for the Morellos. In January 1903, Giuseppe Guilambardo was arrested at the shop during the 'Morristown Fives' counterfeiting investigation.
Barrel Murders
During the infamous "barrel murders" investigation, U.S. Secret Service agents searched Inzarillo's cafe and found a barrel identical to the one used in the murder of Benedetto Madonia. Further investigation revealed that the barrel was ordered from the Wallace & Thompson bakery. Their records showed that Inzarillo received this barrel in February 1903 after placing an order for sugar.
On the morning of April 16, 1903, police arrested Inzarillo along with Giuseppe Morello, Ignazio Lupo, Tommaso Petto, and seven other suspects. On May 1, Inzarillo testified before the coroner's court investigation into the Barrel murder. Although initially excused by the court, Inzarillo was later rearrested on a bench warrant from the US District Court. Indicted along with Ignazio Lupo on counterfeiting charges, Inzarillo was released after posting bail on June 25, 1903. Although Inzarillo would later forfeit the bail, the counterfeiting charge was eventually dropped.
Death
It was reported that Pietro Inzarillo was shot to death in October 1905. He was allegedly killed by several unidentified gunmen with Giuseppe de Priemo, a Black Hand member and counterfeiter recently released from Sing Sing Prison. However, in 1910, Inzarillo was reportedly seen with Morello and Lupo when the Secret Service were tracking the Morello counterfeiting operation in Upstate New York.
Further reading
- Carey, Arthur A. and McLellan, Howard. Memoirs of a Murder Man. New York: Doubleday, Doran and Company, 1930. ISBN 1-4181-8804-2
- Sterling, Claire. Octopus: The Long Reach of the International Sicilian Mafia. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1991. ISBN 0-671-73402-4
- Wilson, Colin. The Mammoth Book of True Crime. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 1998. ISBN 0-7867-0536-1
References
- "Mysterious Murder Credited To Mafia". Washington Times. 16 Apr 1903
