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41 (Continued from Page 1) lies an apatatant county detective of McKean County, are believed to have pulled tigher the bonds that drew phn to his death. An aestat oul (pb County Detective Jack Ali son, Ritchie was Instrumental , the arrests of a number of Dre- keay County cofleggers and police see evidence of Kingtrom's revenge in bia killings Only four weks ago Al told a representative of The Herald that his days were numbered. “I just want to live long enough In square things with a few fellows who have done me dirt,” he said. Al's predetion was correct. Although engaged in ilicit, activi ties as far back as his record goes, Ritchie came of good stock and had a High degree of intelligence. Al's real name was Alberto Ver rusia Ricci. He was a descendent of the Marquig of Verrusia of Naples, and, himself was entitled to use that minor title of nobility. He was born in America but was taken back to Italy when a boy. In Italy he attended the public schools and later the military academy at Mo lena. The loss of his family's for cane cub short his éducation ga@ at the age of 18 years he came to the United States again. ] Here, he only told reporters, he took up detective work as a pro fession. ‘Al became ‘well known to Boston, Buffalo, Binghamton, Scranton, each time in some alleged illicit enterprise. When prohibition ar rived he gravitated naturally unione , the hootlegging business and made money and lost it. At one time Alf was a boxer of sorts and claimed to have been apnering partner of old Joo Gans, the colored cham pion. Rilenle’s wanderings finally f orought him to Olean, where her: opened “Sinnet ‘Tan” about two miles from the city on the Buffalo road. Here he engaged in boot legging; it is said, Al Jet Clean about two years ago and immediately appeared in Bra¢l ford as assistant to County Detec tive Allison. After staging a number of Liquor ris the news suddenly came out that Rilchit had been “fired” although he seems to have retained a certain connection with the police. At the while he was deeply interested in running one or more Siliert booze places in Bradford, authorities believe. Al always claimed to be in on the know regarding the numerous gangland killings in this vicinity. When Sig Joe Barber, former Mc- Jrean County hooties king, was found murdered on May 4, Al did not conceal his elation. There were those who believed he knew more about the case than he told. A con nection 13ayer being faced be tween Barber's death and Ritchie's slaying. Although claiming that he had then put “on the spot” fire aif fevent times, the only other known attempt on Ritchie's ire was made when an unknown assailant fired a shotgun charge into his car is North Union Street, Olean, nearly two year ago. As Sixth Murder Als Milling makes the sixth mir ror that has been commmiteed in and about Bradford since the first of the year. All the others were ‘henchmen of the now dent Ring, Jon Barber, y Rii he was always willing to talk gibhly of gangland killings and yeas very free with Information as to who perpetrated them. The Killingey according to Al, were 5+ ually due to the activities of the Barberiug Among Al's other rativities came the task of becoming a writer. A nationally known magazine recently published a series of s#elicles by ‘Ritchie, in which he purported to expose the activities of the so called “black hand ring. At that time of hid death Ritele was come posing a hook, which he said was to show Up eeima conditions In the Olean-Bradford-Salamanca section,, Hitehle van Mh years of age, My Is survived by a wife and had no children. ‘The genveh for Lorenzo was progressing today, Bradford police god County Detective Jack Allison cmoperating.lorenzo came to Bradford four months ago to work In a bakery. At the hospital Maccio is said to have whispered’ that a man named “Tony” did the shooting. A long chain of racket murders was being [nlt together by city and county authorities as they flought solution of the Ritchie slay ings Police said they were convinced the Ritchie slaying was another chapter to the long story of gang killings that has fotaled nearly a score in little more than two years. Officers thumbed through rec ords which started with the slay ing of John Barker in Olean, May 35, 1925, and for which Joe Liai, of Youngstown, Ohio, is how serving a 16-year penitentiary term, Ritchie assisted in the investigat ion into the slaying Sept. 19, 1927, of Joe Stufills, Olean grocer. This skilling, like that of Barber, was laid to beer warfare. In the Spring of 1920 authorities of both New York and Pennsyl vania were purgued by the “fro slaying” of Palsy Lopreste. Lo preste’s body was found on a s0- chided highway. ‘Two frogs were nailed to a sewer wbere the body, John Anna, Bradford, was slain in a gun battle in a street in Brad ford, last Christmas Eve. Samuel Nicolletti, said to have been a Brooklyn gunman, was shot down in a street in Bradford, only a few days after he arrived there. Police said they had information which tended to how Nicoletti had been brought here by enemies of Ritchie. In February of this year, John Conk and Joe Valentino, repaved racket men were found slain if as automobile at a cross road near Bradford. Last April, Frank Babalos was shot to death at Masontowne. May 3, last, Joseph Barber, brother John Barber who was slain in 19:4 was left shot to death on a secluded road near Bradford.
Newspaper Details
Olean Evening Herald
Olean, New York, US
Sat, Jun 06, 1931
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Kaleigh A.
USA 12 Jun 2026
Other Publications Near Olean, New York
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