Vito Cascio Ferro (1862 - 1943), known as Don Vito, was a prominent Sicilian gangster who also operated for a time in the United States, where he was a "pioneer" of sorts in the American Mafia. 1862 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... Sicily (Sicilia in Italian and Sicilian, Σικελία in Greek) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,700 sq. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Mafia, also referred to in Italian as Cosa Nostra (Our Thing or This Thing of Ours), is a secret society formed in the mid-19th century in Sicily. ...

Cascio Ferro was born in Palermo and worked in his early adulthood as a revenue collector, which provided a cover for his protection racket. He traveled to New York City in 1901, where he became associated with an extortion ring known as "La Mano Nera" (The Black Hand). In 1903, he was arrested on suspicion of murder by New York police officer Giuseppe "Joe" Petrosino, a pioneer in fighting organized crime. Cascio Ferro was acquitted, however, and returned to Sicily, where he became increasingly involved with the Sicilian Mafia. Petrosino was murdered in Sicily in 1909 while there on New York police business. Cascio Ferro was arrested for the murder but released after an associate provided an alibi; however, he later told other crime figures that he had killed Petrosino, a claim which helped propel him into the position of capo di tutti capi (boss of bosses). Nickname: Palermu Motto: Official website: http://www. ... The word protection has several uses: Protection is a euphemism for contraception. ... Racket may mean: Racket (crime), a systematised element of organized crime Racket (or Racquet), a sporting implement Racquets (sport), a ball game Racket (movie) (1997) This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Nickname: Big Apple Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ... 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Black Hand was a type of extortion racket. ... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ... Lt. ... Organized crime is crime carried out systematically by formal criminal organizations. ...

Cascio Ferro was arrested sixty-nine times for various crimes but always acquitted. After his seventieth arrest, however, he was convicted by Benito Mussolini's anti-mob prefect Cesare Mori and sentenced to fifty years in prison. Cascio Ferro was killed in 1943 during an Allied air raid in Palermo while serving his sentence. Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (July 29, 1883 – April 28, 1945) led Italy from 1922 to 1943. ... A prefect (from the Latin praefectus, perfect participle of praeficere, to make in front, i. ... Cesare Mori was born in 1872 and was raised in an orphanage. ... In general, allies are people or groups that have joined an alliance and are working together to achieve some common purpose. ... Strategic bombing is a military strategem used in a total war style campaign that attempts to destroy the economic ability of a nation-state to wage war. ...

References

Marino, Giuseppe Carlo (2001). I Padrini. Rome: Newton & Compton.

External links

• Biography of Vito Cascio Ferro on Gangrule
• Mafia-International.com - Vito Cascio Ferro