Beware the Black Hand

Way back before Prohibition in the States gave them an easy way to make money exporting contraband hooch, Canadian no-goods, hoods and thugs got by on nickel-and-dime rackets like extortion, kidnapping and arson.
   Seventy-five years ago this week, Montreal was hit by a wave of Black Hand* extortion in which a typical victim would receive a grimly illustrated note threatening death if a certain amount was not delivered.
   Here's a wee newspaper item from back then which, oddly, doesn't mention any dollar demands.
(* Not to be confused with the Black Hand brotherhood of Serbian nationalists whose actions triggered World War One.)


BLACKHAND GANG WORKS MONTREAL The Quebec Chronicle Thursday, August 24, 1922
Musicians Receive Letters Threatening Instant Death As Punishment
Montreal, Aug. 23 -- An organized blackhand gang is at work in Montreal, according to reports made to the police.
   Threatening letters saying that instant death will be the punishment have been received.
   Pieces of paper with pictures of daggers dripping blood, skull and cross bones, and weird inscriptions have been pinned to the front doors of citizens.
   In every case the person receiving letters and papers is a musician.
   Last night one of the recipients was brutally assaulted.
   He was hit over the head with a cane which had two nails in the end.
   The stick is at Detective headquarters.
   "This is the last notice. We kill you in twenty four hours. Don't let this go to the police." Signed Black Hand.
   This was one of the letters received by Vincenzo Indeluca, of 1655 De Laroche Street.
   The message bore pictures of skull and cross bones, daggers and other characters.
   The same man awoke this morning to find a piece of white paper pinned on his door bearing pictures of daggers and saying that [he] would die within the next twelve hours.
   Another who has received black hand letters and been threatened is D. Weinberg.
   While returning to his home from work last night he had occasion to pass a large tree. Just as he was opposite a figure dressed in dark clothes hit him over the head with a cane.
   Weinberg struggled with his assailant and managed to wrest the cane away from the man.