Sacco and Vanzetti: Condemned for murder or because of racist prosecutors. Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, two Italian born Anarchists of whom became the news of the century. Sacco and Vanzetti both left their homeland for the United States during early adulthood. Sacco’s workmanship involved shoe edge trimming and supporting his American family. While Vanzetti on the other hand was a bachelor that jumped from various odd jobs throughout the cities. The United States is where Nicola and Bartolomeo first met. Interested in the same anarchists view, they both fled to Mexico once the U.S. entered World War I. Soon after Sacco returned to his family, while Vanzetti traveled around Midwestern America for a year. Both these men were reunited in New England questionably by fate to spread the anarchist way.
Little did they know, the actions that occurred on April 15th, 1920 affected their lives forever. He to men were seen going to a garage to pick up their automobile, which was believed to be seen at where the crime occurred, when they were arrested. Due to the post-war economic troubles, street fights were common and most people armed themselves with weapons. The two were both carrying firearms but pleaded guilty to the murder earlier. Though Vanzetti already had somewhat of a criminal record. He was charged for an earlier holdup that previous December. His alibi argued innocence but due to the lack of poor translation from his fellow Italians, the American jury sentenced him for 10-15 years. Though for no one actually being hurt and solid evidence the time allotted exceeded that of normal time. A worried justice system or a prejudice jury?
The trial of the 1920 murder battled back and forth. Even though they had clean criminal records previously they were recognized as anarchist militants who had been extensively involved in labor strikes, political agitation, and antiwar propaganda and who had several confrontations with the law. And to make matters worst their crimes coincided with the dramatic political repression in American history, the “Red Scare” from 1919 to 1920. Though these men had also added to their problems through perjury, which only made the problem worst. Their believed crimes were almost finalized as guilty. But these men were doing great things by lying believing to conceal the secrets of their comrades and fellow anarchist followers. Sacco and Vanzetti were granted a new lawyer after a certain time named Fred H. Moore. He realized that he had to change the nature of the legal strategy. Mr. Moore tried to fight their case not by what murders they may have done, but solely by their anarchism. That the real reason these men were prosecuted was from their radical activities. He tried to prove that the government was trying to suppress the Italian anarchist movement for desires to aid the federal and military authorities. The case now went on as a political fight between patriotism and radicalism. Moore fought hard and even ended up bringing the Italian government into play, which turned this murder case into an international dispute. Despite Moore’s actions, Sacco and Vanzetti were still found guilty on July 14, 1921. The final decision however extended until 1927, during which time the defense made many separate motions, appeals, and petitions to both state and federal courts in an attempt to gain a new trial.
The two men were prosecuted from evidence of perjury by prosecution witnesses, of illegal activities by the police and the federal authorities, a confession to the Braintree crimes, and strong evidence that acknowledged the gang in the Braintree affair as the notorious Morelli gang. The Judge who ruled the motion was the same as the one who prosecuted Vanzetti in the earlier holdup offense. The Judge, would even rule on a motion accusing himself of judicial prejudice. On April 9. 1927, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were sentenced to death. Their trial was one that led many to question the government they lived in, to be fair or one of many problems. 676
