In The United States
Sentenced for the kidnapping of the Baroness of Valpetrosa in 1898, Cascioferro was released in 1900. To escape special police surveillance in Sicily, he sailed to the United States and arrived in New York City at the end of September 1901. He lived for about 21⁄2 years in New York, acting as an importer of fruits and foods. He also spent six months in New Orleans.
On May 21, 1902, Cascioferro was arrested in connection with a large counterfeiting operation in Hackensack, New Jersey. He was arrested at the barbershop of Giuseppe Romano on First Avenue that had been distributing the counterfeit money. Cascioferro managed to escape conviction—his alibi was that he worked at a paper mill—while the other gang members were tried and sentenced.
In New York he became associated with the Morello gang in Harlem, headed by Giuseppe Morello and Ignazio Lupo. In September 1904, he returned to Sicily shortly after police sergeant Joseph Petrosino of the New York City Police Department ordered his arrest for involvement with the Barrel Murder; his application for American citizenship was consequently blocked. Petrosino traced him to New Orleans, where Cascioferro had gone to escape detection.
Some observers consider Cascioferro as the one who brought the extortion practice of "continuing protection" in exchange for protection money (pizzo) from Sicily to the United States. "You have to skim the cream off the milk without breaking the bottle," he summarized the system. "Don't throw people into bankruptcy with ridiculous demands for money. Offer them protection instead, help them to make their business prosperous, and not only will they be happy to pay but they'll kiss your hands out of gratitude."
Read more about this topic: Vito Cascioferro
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