On April 15, 1920, five bandits robbed and killed a paymaster and his guard in a Boston suburb. The police charged Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti with the crime. They were local immigrant workers associated with a detested anarchist group. A year later, a jury convicted Sacco and Vanzetti of murder during a period of anti-communist hysteria in America. They were executed after six years of failed appeals, despite proven misconduct by prosecutors and the judge and a confessed participant in the crime who swore that the two Italians were not involved. Worldwide protests erupted. Millions claimed the two were framed and executed for their political beliefs.
Author Ted Grippo takes the reader through the trial, disclosing and examining new documents and other recently discovered evidence supporting a conspiracy to frame Sacco and Vanzetti. While the debate over their guilt may continue for some, With Malice Aforethought will end the argument for many.
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A comprehensive history of shocking abuses of the criminal justice system that resulted in the conviction and execution of Sacco and Vanzetti.
Greg Jones, former First Assistant US Attorney
An important story revealing the treatment of Italian immigrants in 1920s America.
Bill Dal Cerro, President, Italic Institute of America.
About the author
Ted Grippo is a retired Chicago lawyer with over fifty years experience in law enforcement and private practice. He has been active in promoting Italian American cultural and civic activities for many years. Ted and his wife, Marlene, spend weekends with family and friends at their summer home in Fontana, Wisconsin.