Nicola Sacco: Anarchist Shoemaker and Controversial Execution
Nicola Sacco (April 22, 1891 – August 23, 1927) was an Italian immigrant and anarchist. He was executed for a murder conviction that most historians now consider unfair, becoming the center of one of the largest causes célèbres in modern history.
Early Life and Education
Sacco was born April 22, 1891, in Torremaggiore, Province of Foggia, in the Apulia region of Italy. Before immigrating to the United States at age seventeen, he worked on his father’s vineyard, often sleeping in the field at night to prevent animals from destroying the crops. He arrived in the US in 1908 and worked as a shoemaker and night watchman.
Career and Achievements
Sacco worked as a shoemaker and night watchman after settling in the United States. He became a follower of Luigi Galleani, an Italian anarchist who advocated revolutionary violence. Sacco and fellow anarchist Bartolomeo Vanzetti did not meet until a 1917 strike, though both had arrived in America in 1908.
Notable Events and Milestones
On April 15, 1920, Sacco and Vanzetti were accused of murdering Alessandro Berardelli and Frederick Parmenter during an armed robbery of the Slater and Morrill Shoe Company in Braintree, Massachusetts. After jury deliberation on July 14, 1921, both men were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. The conviction drew suspicion of anti-Italianism, anti-immigrant, and anti-anarchist bias.
A series of appeals followed over six years, funded largely by the Sacco and Vanzetti Defense Committee. These appeals were based on recanted testimony, conflicting ballistics evidence, a prejudicial pretrial statement by the jury foreman, and a confession by an alleged robbery participant. All appeals were denied by trial judge Webster Thayer and the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. By 1926, the case had drawn worldwide attention, and in 1927, protests on their behalf were held in major cities across North America, Europe, and beyond, including Tokyo, Sydney, São Paulo, Buenos Aires, and Mexico City.
Celebrated writers, artists, and academics pleaded for their pardon or a new trial. Harvard law professor Felix Frankfurter argued for their innocence in an Atlantic Monthly article later published in book form. Even Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini was convinced of their innocence and attempted to pressure American authorities for their release. Massachusetts Governor Alvan T. Fuller appointed a three-man commission to investigate after receiving a massive influx of telegrams urging pardon. Following weeks of secret deliberation, the commission upheld the verdict.
Awards and Honors
Sacco received no formal honors during his lifetime. On August 23, 1977—the 50th anniversary of his execution—Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis issued a proclamation stating that Sacco and Vanzetti had been unfairly tried and convicted and that “any disgrace should be forever removed from their names.” The proclamation did not include a pardon.
Additional Resources
The Sacco and Vanzetti case remains one of the most studied legal controversies in American history. Investigations continued throughout the 1930s and 1940s, and the publication of the men’s letters intensified public belief in their wrongful execution. A ballistic test in 1961 suggested Sacco’s pistol was used in the murders, though later commentators questioned its reliability and conclusiveness. Readers seeking deeper exploration of this landmark case can consult Wikipedia’s comprehensive entry and other historical archives dedicated to this pivotal moment in American legal history.
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