Italian-American Experience: Sacco and Vanzetti: Guilty or Innocent?
Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti became symbolic but at the same time controversial figures of the American crime history. Their names and the stories of their lives are surrounded by the legends and speculations while Sacco and Vanzetti became heroes and martyrs for ones and criminals for others. Though debates about their innocence or guilt are going on for almost a century, there are still unanswered questions about the case and contradictions in the presented evidence. The summary about their involvement in the crimes they were prosecuted for can be made only after a meticulous analysis of the trustworthy vindicated facts. With regards to the facts, Sacco-Vanzetti case is a case of a first-degree murder that took place on the April 15, Til the recent time, with regards to the historical context and insufficient evidence about the guilt, the Sacco-Vanzetti case was a bone of contention for lawyers, human rights protectors and criminalists. Simultaneously this case became a turning point for the American justice that lead to significant improvements in the Sacco and Vanzetti were accused in the two murders that took place during the planned robbery. So what happened on the April 15 1920? It is definitely established that two men – a security guard Alessandro Berardelli and a paymaster Frederick Parmenter- that worked for the Slater-Morrill Shoe Company in South Braintree, Massachusetts were shout while they were transporting the payroll of the company. Alessandro Berardelli got three bullets whilst he was trying to reach for his revolver and Frederick Parmenter was shot twice with the fatal bullet that reached his back. The robbers grabbed boxes with the payroll and by the testimony of the witnesses they drove away in the dark blue Buick. Witnesses were the workers of the factory and the bygones. This violent robbery was not an outstanding event in the post-war US life and firstly attracked little attention. The police began an investigation and soon Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, two Americans with the Italian origins were arrested. Seven years later, after the appeal and a deny in the retrial both Italians were executed by the electric chair.
What is a political context of the case? Briefly, Sacco and Vanzetti are believed to be members of the Galleanists-a radical anarchists party. This party used terror and bombing in chasing of their aims, was supposed to be responsible for the number of attacks and unsuccessful assassinations. An Italian origin amid anti-italian prejusctice that arised in the USA at the beginning of the XXth century was a factor of a stance towards them. Another historical fact that without doubts influenced the outcome of the case involvement of the Italians in the Union movement that was trying to protect the rights of working class people. Going ahead, it is necessary to mention that by the time of the arrest Sacco and Vanzetti were active members of the anarchists and labor movement.
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