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{{Short description|Gangland warfare tactic}}
A '''barrel murder''' was a method of execution used by early American [[mafiosi]] since the [[1870s]] <ref>Sifakis, Carl. ''The Mafia Encyclopedia: Second Edition'', New York, Checkmark Books, 1999. (pg. 33)</ref>, although the earlier recorded barrel murders in New York were reported in 1895 <ref> {{cite web |url=http://aboutmafia.nm.ru/132.html |title=History of the Mafia |accessdate=2007-05-06 |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher= |pages= |language=Russian |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= }} </ref> and 1900 <ref> {{cite web |url=http://www.onewal.com/maf-chr2.html |title=Mafia Chronology: Section II (1900-1929) |accessdate=2007-05-06 |author=Hunt, Thomas |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2005 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=The American "Mafia" |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= }} </ref>.
A '''barrel murder''' was a method for disposing of the bodies of people killed by early American [[mafiosi]] since the 1870s,<ref>Sifakis, Carl. ''The Mafia Encyclopedia: Second Edition'', New York, Checkmark Books, 1999. (pg. 33)</ref> although the earliest recorded barrel murders in New York were reported in 1895<ref>{{cite web |url=http://aboutmafia.nm.ru/132.html |title=History of the Mafia |access-date=2007-05-06 |language=ru }}{{Dead link|date=October 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and 1900.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.onewal.com/maf-chr2.html |title=Mafia Chronology: Section II (1900-1929) |access-date=2007-05-06 |author=Hunt, Thomas |year=2005 |publisher=The American "Mafia" |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070404122837/http://www.onewal.com/maf-chr2.html |archive-date=4 April 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


The victims, usually Italian immigrants, would be found stuffed inside a barrel after being shot, stabbed, or strangled to death, and left on a random street corner, back alley, or shipped to a nonexistent address in another city. First used by the Sicilian [[Provenzano crime family]] in [[New Orleans]] and the [[Morello crime family]] in [[New York]], the Barrel Murders eventually alerted authorities of the existence of the Mafia leading to the later investigation by New Orleans police chief [[David C. Hennessy]] whose eventual assassination by Sicilian mafiosi in [[1890]] would expose organized crime in the [[United States]]. New York detective [[Joseph Petrosino]]'s early investigations into the New York barrel murders would also lead to crackdown against the Black Hand and the Morellos until his assassination in 1909. The Morellos, suspected of over 100 murders, continued to use the barrel murder for over thirty years until eventually ceasing after the (now well-publicized) murders, which obtained unwanted attention from local authorities, as did the practice of other non-Italian criminals drawing police suspicion away from themselves onto the Morellos and other Italian mafiosi.
The victims, usually Italian immigrants, would be found stuffed inside a barrel after being shot, stabbed, or strangled to death, and left on a random street corner or back alley, or shipped to a nonexistent address in another city. First used by the Sicilian Provenzano crime family in [[New Orleans]] and the [[Morello crime family]] in [[New York City]], the barrel murders eventually alerted authorities to the existence of the Mafia, leading to the later investigation by New Orleans police chief [[David C. Hennessy]], whose own eventual assassination was attributed to Sicilian mafiosi in 1890, resulting in one of the [[March 14, 1891 New Orleans lynchings|largest mass lynchings]] in U.S. history. New York detective [[Joseph Petrosino]]'s early investigations into the New York barrel murders would lead to a crackdown against the Black Hand and the Morellos until his assassination in 1909. The Morellos, suspected of over 100 murders, continued to use the barrel murder for over thirty years until eventually ceasing after the (now well-publicized) murders resulted in unwanted attention from local authorities. Other non-Italian criminals used the same method to draw police suspicion away from themselves onto the Morellos and other Italian mafiosi.


==Recent use==
==Recent use==
The method was later used in [[Johnny Roselli]]'s death when he was found in a 55 gallon oil drum off the coast of [[Florida]] in 1976 although it is argued, given Roselli's involvement with the CIA, whether this was made to look like Mafia or CIA related assassination.
The method was later used in [[Johnny Roselli]]'s death when he was found in a 55-gallon oil drum off the coast of [[Florida]] in 1976.<ref name="Time">{{cite magazine |title=Deep Six for Johnny |url= http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/Weisberg%20Subject%20Index%20Files/R%20Disk/Roselli%20John/Item%2008.pdf |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |pages=23–25 |date=August 23, 1976 |via=The [[Harold Weisberg]] Archive}}</ref> It is generally believed Roselli was murdered in revenge for his skimming profits from Las Vegas casinos, but given Roselli's involvement with CIA plots against [[Fidel Castro]] in Cuba, others have suggested that Roselli's death was not at the hands of fellow mobsters but that the killers used the barrel method to cast suspicion towards the Mafia.<ref name="Time"/>


==Resources==
==Resources==
<references/>
<references/>


==External links==
[[Category:Organized crime events]]
*[http://www.gangrule.com/events/the-barrel-murder-1903 "The Barrel Murder (1903)"]. Gangrule.
[[Category:Organized crime terminology]]

{{American Mafia}}

[[Category:Gangland warfare tactics]]
[[Category:Criminal homicide]]
[[Category:American Mafia]]

Latest revision as of 10:29, 11 January 2024

A barrel murder was a method for disposing of the bodies of people killed by early American mafiosi since the 1870s,[1] although the earliest recorded barrel murders in New York were reported in 1895[2] and 1900.[3]

The victims, usually Italian immigrants, would be found stuffed inside a barrel after being shot, stabbed, or strangled to death, and left on a random street corner or back alley, or shipped to a nonexistent address in another city. First used by the Sicilian Provenzano crime family in New Orleans and the Morello crime family in New York City, the barrel murders eventually alerted authorities to the existence of the Mafia, leading to the later investigation by New Orleans police chief David C. Hennessy, whose own eventual assassination was attributed to Sicilian mafiosi in 1890, resulting in one of the largest mass lynchings in U.S. history. New York detective Joseph Petrosino's early investigations into the New York barrel murders would lead to a crackdown against the Black Hand and the Morellos until his assassination in 1909. The Morellos, suspected of over 100 murders, continued to use the barrel murder for over thirty years until eventually ceasing after the (now well-publicized) murders resulted in unwanted attention from local authorities. Other non-Italian criminals used the same method to draw police suspicion away from themselves onto the Morellos and other Italian mafiosi.

Recent use

[edit]

The method was later used in Johnny Roselli's death when he was found in a 55-gallon oil drum off the coast of Florida in 1976.[4] It is generally believed Roselli was murdered in revenge for his skimming profits from Las Vegas casinos, but given Roselli's involvement with CIA plots against Fidel Castro in Cuba, others have suggested that Roselli's death was not at the hands of fellow mobsters but that the killers used the barrel method to cast suspicion towards the Mafia.[4]

Resources

[edit]
  1. ^ Sifakis, Carl. The Mafia Encyclopedia: Second Edition, New York, Checkmark Books, 1999. (pg. 33)
  2. ^ "History of the Mafia" (in Russian). Retrieved 2007-05-06.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ Hunt, Thomas (2005). "Mafia Chronology: Section II (1900-1929)". The American "Mafia". Archived from the original on 4 April 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-06.
  4. ^ a b "Deep Six for Johnny" (PDF). Time. August 23, 1976. pp. 23–25 – via The Harold Weisberg Archive.
[edit]
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