The+Trial+of+Sacco+and+Vanzetti

 **__T__ __h__ __e__  __T__ __r__ __i__ __a__ __l__ __o__ __f__ __S__ __a__ __c__ __c__ __o__ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;"> __a__ <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">__n__ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">__d__ <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">__V__ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">__a__ <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">__n__ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">__z__ <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">__e__ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">__t__ <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">__t__ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">__i__ ** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">** The trial of Italian immigrants, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, polarized America of the 1920's further. The growing nativism and discrimination enabled the execution of these men, creating greater social disharmony and controversy over the fairness of the legal system and after time, a desire for a more diplomatic America. ** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">**<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 20px;">__Suspects:__ ** <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 15.6px; line-height: 20px;"> Two Italian-born anarchists living in Boston

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; vertical-align: sub;">**//<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px;">__Nicola Sacco__ //** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; vertical-align: sub;">
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Born as "Ferdinando" in Torremaggiore, Italy in 1891
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Dropped out of school at age 14
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Emigrated to US in 1908, settled in Milford, MA
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Started as water-boy, then went to doing textile work
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Began to take lessons on shoe-trimming
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Attended weekly meetings of Circolo di Studi Sociali (25 member anarchist group) **
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Subscribed to <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; vertical-align: sub;">//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Cronaca Sovversiva, // <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> Luigi Galleani's anarchist newspaper
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Followed Luigi Galleani, an anarchist leader who believed in revolutionary violence using bombs and assasinations
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Sacco wrote for Galleani's newpaper **
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; vertical-align: sub;">**<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Met Vanzetti in 1917 ** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">: <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; vertical-align: sub;">**<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">They along with other anarchists moved to Mexico to avoid WWI draft, took on pseudonyms (Nicola) **
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Moved back to US a few months later
 * // __Bartolomeo Vanzetti__ //**
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Born in Villafelletto, Italy in 1888
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Father took him out of school to work at pastry shop at age 13
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Contracted pleurisy (disease inflames membrane around lungs, difficult to breath)
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Arrived in NYC in 1908 after mother died of cancer
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Worked in restaurants and clubs in city until 1909 when moved to Springfield, MA and worked in a brick factory
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Constantly moved around and changed jobs
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">** Read books on political philosophy, attracted to anarchism **
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; vertical-align: sub;">** Received ** //** Cronaca Sovversiva **//
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">// Escaped to Mexico to avoid draft //
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">// Moved back to Plymouth, MA and took up fish peddling before arrested //



<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">** __What Happened? What Are They Accused Of?__ **
 * //<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">__Murder and Armed Robbery (April 15, 1920)__ //**
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Both accused of shooting and killing Frederick Parmenter (a paymaster) and Alessandro Berardelli (his security guard)
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Vanzetti accused of theft of $15, 776.51 from Slater-Morrill Shoe Company in South Braintree, MA
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Parmenter and Berardelli carrying payroll when two men jumped out and fired
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Sped away in getaway cars

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">**// __Attempted Robbery__ //**
 * **//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 90%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">Vanzetti later accused of a failed holdup attempt //**
 * **//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 90%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">December 24, 1919 in Bridgewater //**

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">** __The Arrests and Early Trial Proceedings:__ ** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">**// __Suspicions__ //** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">//** __The Arrests__ **//
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Police focused on local Italian anarchists
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Sacco and Vanzetti had no previous criminal record
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">BUT they were known as radical militants and followers of Galleani
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Associated crimes with Galleanist anarchist movement
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Police believed robberies were committed to go to an ongoing bomb campaign
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Arrested in Brockton, MA on May 5, 1920
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">At a garage, picking up a car thought to be used in robberies
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Had guns on them and anarchist literature
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Vanzetti had shotgun shells like those used in robberies

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">//** __First Convictions__ **// <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 29px; line-height: 29px;"> **//<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">__Evidence/Eyewitnesses__ //** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 190%;">
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Vanzetti first to be tried for armed robbery: was convicted
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Both then convicted for murder
 * //<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">__The Trial__ //**
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Vanzetti claims to be fishing when the incident occured
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Sacco says he was in Boston - has alibi: the waiter at the restaurant he ate at
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Waiter cannot testify due to poor health: government takes this to show how even the people he was eating with were anarchists
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Prosecution uses material evidence (ex. size of the bullets) to "prove" that it had to be Sacco and Vanzetti
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">No direct evidence tied either men to the crime
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Prosecution had ELEVEN eyewitnesses
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Before trial, said events were too quick for positive identification
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">But at trial, said it was definitely Sacco and Vanzetti
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Bullets "matched" using ballistics---> ballistics were new at time
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Matched markings on bullets to Sacco
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Vanzetti owned same type of gun used to killed guard
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Lied about how they knew each other, and when and where Vanzetti got a gun
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Lied to protect their fellow anarchists and their other activities--->not incriminate themselves but Judge allowed evidence of anarchist beliefs and this influenced trial
 * __Trial results:__ **
 * // __Sentencing__ //**
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">After deliberating for three hours, the jury finds both Sacco and Vanzetti guilty
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Both men were conviced to death by the electric chair in 1921
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Electrocuted in 1927
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Later, supporters would say they were only convicted due to their anarchist beliefs

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">**//<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">__Appeals__ //** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 30px;">
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">As the public protested this ruling, governor Fuller of Massachusetts created an "advisory committee"
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Made up of Judge Robert Grant as well as the president of both Harvard and MIT
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The trio reviewed the information for two weeks before deciding it had been fair


 * //<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 132%;">__Death__ //**
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Both men refused priests
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Sacco's last words: "Viva l'anarchia!" and "Farewell Mia Madre"
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Vanzetti shook hands with the guards and said "I wish to forgive some people for what they are now doing to me"
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Anarchists outraged by this - continued to fight for Sacco and Vanzetti
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">In 1988 evidence came out that it had not been Sacco or Vanzetti


 * //<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">__The Aftermath and Controversy__ //**
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Trial taking place during Red Scare
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Nativism raging-->people feared Bolshevism, immigrants, communism
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Quick to blame Sacco and Vanzetti as being anti-American
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Others thought trial was unjust
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Courts did not adhere to laws in giving them fair trial
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Evidence was loose, only convicted due to associations with anarchist group and discrimination against Italians, not because guilty

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 18.9px; line-height: 30px;">People were sympathetic. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 18.9px; line-height: 30px;">And many still are. <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 18.9px; line-height: 30px;"> This is shown in this great song. media type="youtube" key="C3SuTTcj2u8" height="405" width="500" <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 30px;">**<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">__Relevance to Today:__ ** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Nativism still exists today
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Hostility towards Mexican immigrants and issues at borders
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">After 9/11, discrimination towards those of Middle-Eastern descent
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Discrimination and racial profiling still affect law and law enforcement, bias still exists
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Fairness of trial compromised in these situations
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Sacco and Vanzetti Commemoration Society was created> demonstrations and marches to remind people how law was blatantly ignored