Mussare Brothers of Olean

North Olean History - Mussare Brothers of Olean
THE MUSSARE BROTHERS OF OLEAN
ARRESTED IN BRADFORD PA. SHOOTING
A gun battle in Bradford, Pa. on an afternoon in November 1922 resulted in the shooting of Joe Feracci, alias Murphy of Lewis Run, Pa. and John Catania of Niagara Falls, NY. The following day, Tony Massare of Olean was being held in the detention room at Bradford, Pa. headquarters, while the police were seeking his brother, Fred Mussare, who also lived in Olean.

Tony had confessed to taking part in the shooting at Main and Davis Streets on that Friday and was charged with felonious assault and shooting with intent to kill. At the arraignment before Alderman Foley, Tony Mussare entered a plea of not guilty and declined to testify. His bail was set at $5000 for the next term of criminal court after the testimony of Chief of Police Solt and Roy Williams, who had witnessed the shooting, was heard. County Detective, J. J. Allison then took Mussare to the Smethport Count Jail.

Meanwhile, Fred Mussare, Tony’s brother, who also took part in the shooting, was located at his residence in Olean and was arrested by Olean Officers W. Barnick and M. Gilmore.

Joe Feracci suffered a bullet wound in his right breast, one in the left shoulder; the bullet had entered under the left arm and came out the back. He was also hit in a finger on his right hand. Catania suffered five bullet wounds, one in his abdomen, the bullet entering the right side of his back and lodged under the umbilicus. Two bullets hit his left arm, each penetrating the front of the forearm and upper arm, exiting the back of the arm. A bullet went through the thumb of the right hand and another through his wrist.

A few days later, Catania was reported to be out of danger and would recover unless complications developed. Feracci’s condition was also reported as improving.

Joseph Feracci died in the Bradford hospital on Wednesday, January 17, 1923. Fred Mussare, who had been released under bond of $3000 from the McKean County Jail in January of 1923 in connection with the shooting, was once again taken into custody by Chief Dempsey and held for the Smethport police. He was then formally charged with the murder of Joseph Feracci and held in the Smethport jail.

Before he died Feracci had told the Bradford police that he did not know the Mussare brothers and that Tony had opened fire on him and Catania without provocation.

Tony Mussare was sentenced from fifteen to twenty years, and Fred Mussare from twelve to eighteen years in the Western Penitentiary where they were lodged in June of 1923. Attorneys Melvin and Melvin of Bradford, Pa. filed a proceeding for a new trial in the case of Fred and Tony Mussare, who were convicted at the term of McKean Count Criminal Court for second degree murder of Joseph Feracci, alias Joseph Murphy.

On March 8, 1929, Tony Mussare was now a free man. The State Board of Pardons had pardoned him of the second-degree murder of Joseph Murphy.

Fred Mussare was once again arrested when over seventy prohibition raiders led by “Three Gun” Wilson visited thirty liquor joints in Bradford, Pa. on a September day in 1929. One well-known ‘respectable’ bootlegger from Olean, who made the mistake of making a delivery to Bradford that day, was also swept up in the raid. He along with the others was transported to the Smethport jail in one of the two buses.

It was shortly after midnight on an August evening in 1930, when Tony Mussare was the target of slugs from a sawed-off shotgun. Tony was in front of his building talking with a women friend when a large blue sedan turned from the main road, into the side street where his store was located. A sawed off shotgun was pushed through the window; four shots rang out in rapid succession. He was hit with several slugs in his left side and shoulder, also breaking a large glass window behind him. Tony was rushed to the hospital. This shooting was the first flare-up of gangland activities in this section in several weeks.

The following day, Asst. County Detective Al Ritchie of McKean County, and Sheriff Elmer Miller of Cattaraugus County joined in a vigorous search for the gunmen. Three men were arrested on suspicion the next day after they admitted being in on a “little party” at Lewis Run.

A few weeks later, Joe Barber, “a marked man” was entering his home on Foreman Street when a maroon colored coupe with New York license plates drove up and a shotgun barked, dropping Barber with six shots. After being rushed to the hospital it was found that none of the shots were serious and he was taken home. Mrs. Barber described the auto and recognized the occupants of the car as Thomas “Midgie” Delguidice and Tony Mussare. Mussare was arrested at this home at W. Washington Street and Constable Rocco Covine later picked up Delguidice at his place in Limestone.

Although the two men were being held on suspicion it was expected that they would be charged with the attack after Detective Allison arrived in Bradford. In the meantime Joe Barber moved to Punxsutawney, Pa. but was murdered less that a year later.

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