Battling the Black Hand: The Epic Story of a Postal Inspector Who Took on The Mob
Before the emergence of Prohibition-era kingpins such as Al Capone and Charles “Lucky” Luciano, there was the Black Hand: a Sicilian-American crime ring that preyed on immigrants from the old country.
During this time, the FBI was in its infancy, and local law enforcement struggled to respond to the rampant extortion schemes perpetrated by this rising menace.
An unlikely hero emerged—Frank Oldfield, a postal inspector from Ohio. His quest to bring down the criminal syndicate operating in America’s Heartland culminated in the 1909 capture of 16 Black Hand members.
William Oldfield, the great-grandson of the heroic postal inspector, and author Victoria Bruce will present their groundbreaking work about this little-known Mob story based on never-before-seen documents and photos from the Oldfield family’s private collection.
A book signing will follow.
Free for Museum Members or with Museum admission.