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Friday, March 16, 2012

1906: "LA MANA NERA;" THE DREADED "BLACK HAND"

Trenton had its share of illegal activities back in the first decade of the 20th century. Today we know of it as the Cosa Nostra or perhaps the Mafia. In what was apparently its infancy, law abiding Italian immigrants in Trenton were victims of the extortion and physical attacks of a group known as "The Black Hand." Like today's non Italian gangs, they had a language all their own. The article tells of the Black Hand method of communication with each other, while we are all familiar with the various hand and finger manipulation engaged in by today's street gangs.

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