Vito Cascio Ferro (1862- 1945) -- Sicily

Vito Cascio Ferro is believed to be the one man primarily responsible for establishing the communication between the Sicilian and U.S. Mafia (or the "Black Hand" as it was known in the early 1900's). In 1900, Cascio Ferro came to New York with the backing of the Inglese family after having established himself in the honored society in Sicily where he was accused of kidnapping, extortion, arson, and threatening officials.

Although his activities in the U.S. are not clear, it was recorded that Don Vito was suspected in a brutal killing of at least one man. The individual, Benedetto Madonia, had been trying to establish a counterfeiting ring in Don Vito's territory without permission or authority. Madonia was stabbed, chopped to pieces and stuffed into a barrel with his penis and testicles jammed into his mouth. Don Vito fled to New Orleans before the police could apprehend him where he spent time organizing his own counterfeiting ring along with establishing a connection for heroin smuggling with Sicily.

One police officer, Lieutenant Joseph Petrosino, pursued Don Vito from New York down to New Orleans forcing Don Vito to return to Sicily where he quickly established himself as head of all mafiosi. His power was derived from showing strength and not instilling fear in the local business owners and small farmers. He was known for his generosity and kindness but also for his brutality towards those he considered weak and worthless. Don Vito is attributed with being the first to instituted the method of pizzu, which means "wetting the beak," a system by which the Mafia collects small amounts of payment from all businesses as a form of tribute or for protection. If the payment was not made then Don Vito would have these business owners' shops or homes destroyed and farms burnt down.

In 1909, Lieutenant Petrosino had gone to Sicily in hopes of gathering evidence to expose the connection between the U.S. and Sicilian mobs and hopefully to have certain criminals extradited back to the U.S., including Cascio Ferro. Petrosino was soon murdered in Sicily in the Piazza Marina by three gunmen -- one of them supposedly was Don Vito himself, a story that was never proven but it is said that the mafia chieftain only denied these allegations to the police when he was arrested for the murder in 1909.

The killing of Lieutenant Petrosino further cemented Don Vito's stature in both the Sicilian and U.S. underworlds and also helped establish him as a well respected legitimate businessman in Palermo. It was not uncommon to see him well received by bankers, politicians, judges and even foreign dignitaries. But after years of Mafia rule, the Italian government, under the helm of Bennito Mussolini, sought to destroy the powerful organization that Cascio Ferro had established. In 1927 Don Vito, who had already begun sending mafiosi to the U.S. to help build a criminal empire, had sent Salvatore Maranzano back to New York to organize crime under one leadership. It was never clear if Don Vito meant to remain in Sicily and allow Marranzano to lead this criminal empire, or if he planned to follow Marranzano and take over leadership himself. He never got the chance. In 1929, Cascio Ferro was arrested by the Mussolini's henchman, Cesare Mori on trumped of charges of murder. At his trial, Don Vito Cascio Ferro refused to speak until the end where he stated:

"Gentlemen, since you have been unable to find any evidence for the numerous crimes I did commit, you are reduced to condemning me for the only one I have not."