In New York, in the district of Little Italy, the memory of Italian immigration continues to be told through figures that marked the history of the city. Among these is Joseph Petrosino, among the first investigators to systematically deal with the organized crime related to the so-called “Black Hand” at the beginning of the twentieth century. Over a century after his death, his story returns to the centre of attention thanks to a historical research, giving a reinterpretation of the origins of the Italian-American identity.
The event will be held on 9 April at the Italian American Museum, an institution born to document the history of Italians in New York. At the heart of the meeting will be the documentary project “My Name is Petrosino” by Oscar-winning director Anthony Giacchino. During the evening will be shown some extracts of the film, followed by a conversation about the process of historical reconstruction: from the use of original sources to the narrative transformation of documents, photographs and testimonies. The initiative is organized by the Petrosino Association in collaboration with the museum, as part of the exhibition “How Petrosino Paved The Way”, dedicated to the detective’s investigative heritage.
The figure of Petrosino occupies a special place in the history of the American police: born in Padula, Campania, emigrated to the United States as a child, entered the New York City Police Department at the end of the nineteenth century and was among the first to work under cover against the criminal networks that affected the Italian communities. In 1909 he was killed in Palermo during an investigative mission, becoming the only agent of the NYPD who died abroad. His history has been the subject of books, films and academic studies, even in Italy, where his name is often associated with the origins of the fight against mafia in an international way.
L’articolo A documentary about Joseph Petrosino, the detective killed by the Italian mob proviene da IlNewyorkese.
