The Black Hand: Terror by Letter in Chicago
This book examines the history of Black Hand crime in Chicago primarily from 1905 to 1920 and challenges the belief that the Black Hand was an extension of the Sicilian Mafia. A crude method of extorting money from primarily wealthy Italians, the Black Hand involved sending victims a letter stating that they would come to harm if the blackmailers' demands were not met; the threatening letter often included a drawing of a black hand or other frightening symbols.\ \ While many...
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Unraveling the truth about the sinister extortion scheme that preyed on innocent Chicagoans.
Introduction 11 Italians in Chicago 112 The White Hand Society 303 The Black Hand Squad 694 The Prohibition Years 1075 The Causes of Black Hand Extortion 1196 The Social Construction of Deviance 161Conclusion 194Notes 205Index 231Illustrations follow page 106
