Tomasso Petto
Arrested with Giuseppe Morello on 15 April 1903 in the barrel-murder inquiry and photographed in police custody; the records filed here state no charge, trial or sentence for him.
- Died
- 1905
- Aliases
- Tomas Pecco (New-York Tribune, 16 April 1903, as the OCR reads it), Petto (The Sun, 16 April 1903; Secret Service report, April 1903)
- Rights
- Biography on this page is limited to what the cited records state.
On the record
- 1903 — The Library of Congress photograph titled by Library staff "[Detective Lt. Joseph Petrosiino( left) , Inspector Carey and Inspector McCafferty escorting Mafia hitman Petto the Ox (Tomasso Petto, second from left)]" shows him in police custody. The title's description of him is the Library's wording, not a finding.
- 15 April 1903 — The New-York Tribune of 16 April lists "Tomas Pecco, clothes presser" (as the OCR reads it) among eight men arrested; the Sun of the same day reports that detectives seized Morello and Petto at the Bowery and Delancey Street and took a revolver from each. Newspaper reports.
- 16-17 April 1903 — The Secret Service report received on 17 April lists "Tomasso Petto" (as typed; the film is blurred) among the suspects then under arrest (NARA 151173326, page 107).
The Library of Congress subject heading reads “Petto, Tomasso, d. 1905 – Capture & imprisonment – New York (State) – New York.” The death year on this page comes only from that heading; no record of his death is filed here.
“Mafia hitman” and “Petto the Ox” are the Library’s words in a title devised by its staff. They are quoted as the catalog’s wording and are not adopted here. No record filed here states a charge, trial or sentence for him, or a role or family; those fields are empty.
Records
itemTomasso Petto escorted by Detective Joseph Petrosino, 1903 (Library of Congress)Photograph from the New York World-Telegram & Sun collection showing Detective Lt. Joseph Petrosino, Inspector Carey and Inspector McCafferty escorting Tomasso Petto, dated 1903. A copy is stored here.clippingNew-York Tribune, 16 April 1903, page 1: eight arrested in the barrel caseThe New-York Tribune front page of 16 April 1903 reports the arrest of eight men by police and Secret Service agents on suspicion of counterfeiting and of the killing of the man found in a barrel two days earlier, and names Giuseppe Morello among them.clippingThe Sun (New York), 16 April 1903, page 2: how Morello and Petto were arrestedPage 2 of the Sun of 16 April 1903 carries a long account of the barrel-murder inquiry, crediting Secret Service Chief Flynn, Inspector McClusky and Detective Sergeant Petrosino, and describing the arrest of Morello and Petto at the Bowery and Delancey Street.
itemSecret Service daily reports, New York District, 14-17 April 1903: the body identified, the arrests, and a telegram about a letter to New Orleans (T915 roll 109, pages 103-111)Secret Service reports received on 17 April 1903: an operative's identification of the body at the Morgue as a man seen 'with Morrello et al.' the day before, the arrests of 15 April, a telegram to Chief Wilkie about a letter that 'indicated that murder was to be done', and the list of suspects.