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Dec. 21st, 2015
"The pizzo is protection money paid to the Mafia often in the form of a forced transfer of money, resulting in extortion. [...] The practice is widespread in Southern Italy [...]
One of the first to refuse to pay protection money was Libero Grassi, a shopkeeper from Palermo."
"Grassi eventually had his shop broken into in early 1991 and the exact amount of money that had been demanded of him was stolen."
"In August 1991, he wrote an open letter to the Giornale di Sicilia, the local newspaper. Published on the front page, it was addressed to an anonymous "Dear Extortionist". It caused an uproar but, barely three weeks later, Grassi was dead."
+1'd by:
One of the first to refuse to pay protection money was Libero Grassi, a shopkeeper from Palermo."
"Grassi eventually had his shop broken into in early 1991 and the exact amount of money that had been demanded of him was stolen."
"In August 1991, he wrote an open letter to the Giornale di Sicilia, the local newspaper. Published on the front page, it was addressed to an anonymous "Dear Extortionist". It caused an uproar but, barely three weeks later, Grassi was dead."
+1'd by:
Permalink: https://plus.google.com/115290581164606462017/posts/cKBzmDiofVu
New-York Herald, July 8, 1849:
"For the last few months a man has been traveling about the city, known as the “Confidence Man,” that is, he would go up to a perfect stranger in the street, and being a man of genteel appearance, would easily command an interview.
Upon this interview he would say after some little conversation, “have you confidence in me to trust me with your watch until to-morrow;” the stranger at this novel request, supposing him to be some old acquaintance not at that moment recollected, allows him to take the watch, thus placing “confidence” in the honesty of the stranger, who walks off laughing and the other supposing it to be a joke allows him so to do."
"For the last few months a man has been traveling about the city, known as the “Confidence Man,” that is, he would go up to a perfect stranger in the street, and being a man of genteel appearance, would easily command an interview.
Upon this interview he would say after some little conversation, “have you confidence in me to trust me with your watch until to-morrow;” the stranger at this novel request, supposing him to be some old acquaintance not at that moment recollected, allows him to take the watch, thus placing “confidence” in the honesty of the stranger, who walks off laughing and the other supposing it to be a joke allows him so to do."
Permalink: https://plus.google.com/115290581164606462017/posts/PMgZi2sTgsR
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