Barbary Coast-Black Hand Mary

North Olean History - Barbary Coast-Black Hand Mary
A SECTION OF OLEAN’S BARBARY COAST – 1910
THE CARTOON, DRAWN BY STANLEY LEWIS, APPEARED IN THE OLEAN HERALD IN JULY OF 1910 DESCRIBING THE RUN DOWN CONDITIONS OF THE 500 BLOCK BELOW THE PENNSYLVANIA TRACKS IN THE CITY OF OLEAN.
The following is a description of the cartoon by John Coad At first glance this picture may be taken for a scene along the waterfront in New York city, or the worst section of the famous Bowery. But it isn’t. Nor is it the “Barbary Coast” in San Francisco, lower Clark Street in Chicago, or a scene from the last act of “Fun Nights in a Bar Room”. It is a realistic reproduction by Stanley Lewis of that section of Olean’s main thoroughfare, located between the Pennsylvania tracks and Wayne Street. Stroll along there most any summer evening from 7:70 to 10 o’clock, and you will see it. Wouldn’t your heart beat with civic pride to have your wife or mother elbowed off the sidewalk by such an outfit as this? Would you not enjoy escorting prospective investors (to whom you might be explaining the beauty and natural advantages of Olean) over plank sidewalks, containing more openings than an allcock’s plaster on a peek-a-boo waist. Or wouldn’t you enjoy the contemplation of the vista of beautiful Union Street, punctured by an occasional fall over planks nailed over the holes, or stumble over a beer keg, or a somnolent souse? Are your eyes for the beautiful gladden over the prospect of dirty, half naked and full naked children; your ears pleased by cuss words in all the languages of Europe; or is a stench beside which the triple-distilled extract of forty stables is as the perfume of Araby a joy to your nostrils? Then stroll along this strip of Union Street and you will hear, see and smell it all. Here it is that a veteran of the Grand Army was slugged and robbed of his pension money. Here it is that in Tony Brunesta’s saloon, Allen Franklin was stabbed almost to his death last Saturday night. Here flourishes the dive of Big Mary. Here it is that your life would weigh as nothing in the balance with a silver dollar. But, softly, Horatio! Possibly these denizens of the dark section have votes. You may not place a post upon your curb to support a sign; your sidewalk must be above reproach and your garbage can sprinkled daily with disinfectant, yet these embryo citizens located on the main street, may freely violate every regulation of the street department, the health department, the building laws and the police ordinances. This condition had existed for years, but Chief Thorne has taken a step towards clearing out some of the holes. Let us hope that he will be backed up to such an extent that some result will follow. You may think this picture is overdrawn, but it isn’t. It may not be the most desirable kind of advertising for Olean, but if heroic measures will cure the disease, let us grit our teeth and stick it out while the knife that is to remove the cancerous spot cuts it way through.”

BLACK HAND MARY – 1877-1974 Throughout the years there was much talk about ‘Black Hand Mary’. But who was she? All I ever heard was just the mention of her name. But she was more than that. Mary Trotta was born in Italy. On December 31, 1917, Mary Crotta (Trotta) and Giulio Candreva, the son of Michel Candreva and Clestina Forte of Italy, took out a marriage license and were married by Justice James E. Fane. Thomas Palmer and Frank Bloiza were the witnesses. Giulio was the proprietor of the Star Restaurant located at 442 N. Union Street sandwiched between Forness Garage and Bordonaro’s Olean Fruit Supply. Mary and Gulio resided upstairs over the restaurant.

‘Black Hand Mary’ or Mary Trotta was a notorious saloonkeeper during the days of “Little Italy” when she was also known as ‘Big Mary’.
Mary had a daughter named Rosa Laffred, who at age 15 married John Barber, age 21, of 403 N. Fourth Street. The wedding took place on September 9, 1915 before Justice John G. Duke. Her mother, Mary Trotta, who had to give her written consent for her daughter to marry, accompanied the bride. Mary also had to make out an affidavit that her husband, Francis Laffred, had left her ten years earlier, and that she had not heard from since and did not know of his present whereabouts. Rose, who was born in Italy, lived at 451 N. Union Street. John Barber was born in Italy, the son of Frank Barber and Catherine Pedro. He was the John Barber, who was later shot and killed on Wayne Street in Olean in 1925.

In July of 1910 there was a stabbing at Tony Brunesta’s disreputable joint on North Union Street as a result of a quarrel woman. The victim, although severely wounded survived. In connection with the stabbing, Chief of Police Thorn made out an information sheet and warrants were sworn out for Tony Brunesta, Dominic Gregory, Mary Trotta and Tony Ross, charging them with keeping a disorderly house.

Marry Trotta along with Philip Zemer and Tony Ross were arrested in July 1913, for maintaining gambling rooms in their respective businesses. They were released on $500 bail each. A few months later five men got into a free for all in Mary’s saloon. The police arrested the men with two of them being sentenced to the Erie County Penitentiary in Buffalo.
It was on Christmas Day in 1913, when trouble again brewed in Mary Trotta’s saloon. Joseph Foote and James Ross got into an argument over where they came from in Italy. They were ordered outside where Foote attacked Ross with a razor. Foote was later arrested at Liberty, Pa.

In October of 1915, Mayor Simpson made a comment about the vice situation that existed in Olean and had existed for the past months. He said that is was pretty bad when the District Attorney could come in and indict four disorderly houses right under the nose of the police. As a result of the mayor’s war on vice, the following were indicted: Tony Ross for leasing his premises for immoral purposes, he was given a suspended sentence; Florence Smith of Coleman Street pleaded guilty to renting rooms for immoral purposes; Mary Trotta, Arnold Stambaugh and Tony Augimeri were indicted for each running a disorderly house and bail was set at $500 for the three. Tony Montelone was indicted for keeping a disorderly house, but was fined $200 when he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of maintaining a public nuisance.

In May of 1936, the Olean Police arrested Juilio Candreva along with Patricia Dowling in a raid. Julio was charged with operating a disorderly house and Dowling was charged with vagrancy. At the sentencing date Julio Candreva was fined $300 by Judge Nevins and was given a three month suspended sentence on the condition that he employ no one in his place of business without the sanction of Chief of Police John C. Dempsey. Patricia Dowling forfeited a cash bond of $125 that she had posted.

The unoccupied house owned by Julio Candreva was completely destroyed by a fire of incendiary origin in June of 1937. The house was located on Delaware Avenue behind the Star Restaurant.

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