144 records matched your query       

Author:

Oldfield, William (Archivist), author.

Title:

Inspector Oldfield and the Black Hand Society : America's original gangsters and the U.S. Postal detective who brought them to justice / William Oldfield and Victoria Bruce.

Edition:

First Touchstone hardcover edition.

Publisher:

Touchstone,

Copyright Date:

2018

Description:

vii, 326 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm

Subject:

Oldfield, Frank,--1867-1916.
Black Hand (United States)--History.
Organized crime--United States--History.
Postal inspectors--United States--History.

Other Authors:

Bruce, Victoria, 1966- author.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 281-309) and index.

Contents:

The printer -- Politics -- The raven -- Society of the Banana -- The inspector -- The immigrant -- Stakeout -- The boss -- The takedown -- the trial -- Good-byes -- Outcomes -- Epilogue.

Summary:

"The incredible true story of the US Post Office Inspector who took down the deadly Black Hand, a turn-of-the-century Italian-American secret society that preyed on immigrants across America's industrial heartland--featuring fascinating and never-before-seen documents and photos from the Oldfield family's private collection. Before the emergence of prohibition-era gangsters like Al Capone and Lucky Luciano, there was the Black Hand: an early twentieth-century Sicilian-American crime ring that preyed on immigrants from the old country. In those days, the FBI was in its infancy, and local law enforcement were clueless against the dangers--most refused to believe that organized crime existed. Terrorized victims rarely spoke out, and the criminals ruled with terror--until Inspector Frank Oldfield came along. In 1899, Oldfield became America's 156th Post Office Inspector--joining the ranks of the most powerful federal law enforcement agents in the country. Based in Columbus, Ohio, the unconventional Oldfield brilliantly took down train robbers, murderers, and embezzlers from Ohio to New York to Maryland. Oldfield was finally able to penetrate the dreaded Black Hand when a tip-off put him onto the most epic investigation of his career, culminating in the 1909 capture of sixteen mafiosos in a case that spanned four states, two continents--and ended in the first international organized crime conviction in the country. Hidden away by the Oldfield family for one hundred years and covered-up by rival factions in the early 20th century Post Office Department, this incredible true story out of America's turn-of-the-century heartland will captivate all lovers of history and true crime."--Amazon.com.

ISBN:

1501171208
9781501171208

OCLC:

(OCoLC)1033558889

Locations:

SAPG074 -- Cedar Falls Public Library (Cedar Falls)

TYPH572 -- Cedar Rapids Public Library (Cedar Rapids)

BAPH771 -- Des Moines Public Library (Des Moines)

UGPF911 -- Indianola Public Library (Indianola)

OVUX522 -- University of Iowa Libraries (Iowa City)

YEPF572 -- Marion Public Library (Marion)

ZLPD437 -- Missouri Valley Public Library (Missouri Valley)

LAPH975 -- Sioux City Public Library (Sioux City)

CDPC522 -- Solon Public Library (Solon)

BIPB251 -- Van Meter Public Library (Van Meter)