Black Hand (Chicago)

Black Hand extortion was a criminal tactic used by gangsters based in major cities in the United States.

The Black Hand gangsters of this time period differed from the Mafia by lacking formally structured hierarchies and codes of conduct, and many were essentially one-man operations.

In an effort to fix the problem, he recruited Johnny Torrio, who was a member of New York's Five Points Gang at the time, to come to Chicago.

Torrio would later become the famous successor to Big Jim Colosimo and mentor Al Capone as the organized crime ruler of Chicago.

[4] Although an investigation turned up the name Eugeno Monaco as the murderer, Filippo Catalano was allegedly killed by Johnny Torrio.

On March 27, Filippo Catalano (from above) was alleged to have shot John Jocko in front of 1821 South State Street.

On June 5, 1910, Catalano walked out of the restaurant at approximately 3 a.m. with Edgar K Accetta, a New York lawyer in town on business, and a third man, Eugeno Monaco.

The three men were walking toward an approaching car when Monaco allegedly drew a revolver and shot Catalano five times.

[4] Filippo Catalano's death occurred within the 1909–1911 time period that Johnny Torrio was assigned to assassinate Chicago Black Hand gangsters who were extorting his uncle.

All that was found left in the apartment was a small doll, a book titled "Roman de la Rose", and a shawl that belonged to Eleanor.