The Sacco-Vanzetti Trial has always been ð fascination for the media, even recently after gaining ð lot of media coverage. On April 15, 1920 at three in the afternoon ð paymaster and his guard were gunned down. Fredrick Parmenter and Alessandro Berardelli were carrying the payroll for ð shoe factory through the streets of South Braintree, Massachusetts. The payroll was worth $15,776 (Dickinson, 1972). Two men standing in the street suddenly drew guns from their dark apparel and shot down the payroll officers. The two men then grabbed the cash and swiftly escaped into ð getaway car containing several other people and then drove away from the crime scene.
Investigators questioned bystanders. Quite ð few witnesses avowed that the burglars were Italians. This wasn't ð big lead for investigators, but it was something. Although at first this common post war crime only amused the locals in whom it most closely effected, it would soon be one of the most notorious political trials of its time.
Bartolomeo Vanzetti (left) and Nicola Sacco in han...
Italiano: Immagine di Nicola Sacco e Bartolomeo Va...
Protest to save Sacco and Vanzetti in London, Engl...It was three weeks before any suspects were apprehended. Authorities of Braintree set ð trap strictly targeted to lure the felons of the payroll crime. The turn out of this plan was the capture of Bartolomeo Vanzetti and Nicola Sacco (Felix, 1965). The only evidence at the time that was being held against the two was that they were in fact Italians, and they were both carrying guns. Neither Sacco nor Vanzetti had criminal records, but they were known anarchists and they were thought to have stolen the money to support their anarchist political campaign.
Before this trial was to begin, Vanzetti was being tried on another crime he supposable committed. Vanzetti was convicted ð robbery in Bridgewater. Although he had ð strong alibi he was found guilty and sentenced ten to fifteen years.