Murder of Joseph Scutella

North Olean History - The Murder of Joseph Scutella
All information about the murder of Joseph Scutella and of the entire murder trial was gathered from several Olean newspapers. Life was tough coming to a new land and dealing with the ways of life in a new country, raising a family and suffering a terrible tragedy. The family can hold their heads up high knowing they all led respectable lives and raised good families. Joseph Scutella was my great-grandfather who came to the United States from Italy and lived in North Olean on North 4th St. with his wife and children. ~Dawn Reckard

MURDER OF JOSEPH SCUTELLA Joseph Scutella was born on June 2, 1883 in Italy. Joseph Scutella died on September 14, 1927 at Olean General Hospital in Olean N.Y. His death and the trial that followed to convict his killers became a legend not only in Olean but also throughout western New York and northwestern Pennsylvania.

Scutella was thought to have been a victim of a vendetta revenging Joseph Lioi, who was convicted in the 1925 murder of John Barber in Olean, that resulted in Lioi being sentenced in the Auburn prison twenty years to life. Scutella had been an important witness at the Lioi trial.

Scutella, age forty five years, of 909 North Fourth Street, had been missing from his home for three days before he was found nearly dead from numerous knife wounds along the bank of the Allegany River about three-quarters of a mile southwest of Allegany on the morning of September 14, 1927. A tramp that had slept in a barn near the spot on the night of the alleged murder stated that he as he walked along the river road the next morning he heard moans coming from the vicinity of the river. Upon investigating the source of the sounds he saw the body of a man, which was partially hidden by a brush growth, lying in a pool of blood at the bottom of the bank. He immediately went to a neighboring farmhouse and told of his discovery to George Klice, an Allegany milk dealer, who returned to the scene with him. Mr. Klice notified John C. Dempsey, Chief of Police, who with officer Amos Blakeslee instigated an immediate investigation. They found Scutella suffering from a deep gash in his head that apparently had been made by a sharp instrument splitting the skull, exposing the brains and severing the left ear from the head. Scutella, because of his weakened condition caused by the loss of blood, could not talk. He was rushed to the Olean General Hospital where he died a few hours later. Before he died police authorities stated that Scutella said that Delgudice and Femia were the men who had attacked him. Scutella was evidently either struck and rendered unconscious or lured into a waiting automobile because tire tracks showed where a car had turned around near the scene of the crime. It was thought that he was either thrown or dragged down near the scene of the crime. He had been in fear of gang warfare death for some time, and seldom ventured far from his friends or relatives alone. Scutella was last seen on September 12 about ten o'clock at night less than two blocks from his home. He had stopped to talk to a friend and from that time until he was found on the bank of the river, nothing could be learned of his whereabouts. When he failed to return home on that Monday night, the police were notified at once and an effort was made to locate him.

Unless his slayers were captured the final chapter in the tragedy of Joseph Scutella, Olean's latest vendetta victim, would be closed when he was laid at rest in St. Bonaventure cemetery the morning of September 17, 1927. Rev. John F. Gardiner held the services for the murdered man at nine o�clock on that Tuesday, with the celebration of a Solemn Requiem High Mass at St. John�s Church in North Olean. The pallbearers were Peter Lisi, James Ambrose, Dominic Riccici, Frank Vitale, Mike Russo and Tony Pasquale. The services were attended by hundred of friends, not only local friends but also by many from Bradford, Salamanca, Buffalo and surrounding towns. Nearly sixty automobiles followed the remains to the cemetery, and two cars were needed to carry the profusion of flowers that were sent as tribute to the dead man and his family.

Police and county authorities, who had been working on the case since Scutella was found in a dying condition from knife wounds on Wednesday morning, September 14, 1927, admitted that they had no new evidence. Nothing could be learned definitely of the dead man's movements after he left his house on Monday night never to return. The authorities agreed that it was mere conjecture to try and piece together what had happened from that time until he was found dying on the riverbank west of Allegany. During his conscious moments at the hospital Scutella steadfastly refused to name his assailants and went to his death with his secret.

Two suspects� one being Thomas Delguidce of Limestone was apprehended in Bradford by Cattaraugus County and Bradford authorities. He was indicted on December 7, 1927, on the charge of first degree murder in the death of Joseph Scutella and was arraigned in Supreme Court before Justice George Larkin of Olean. The other arrest was made on Thursday, December 29, 1927, when Frank Femia, age 25 of Olean, who had recently been making Bradford, Pa. his home, was arrested on Davis Street. The arrest came when the county authorities went to that city where they enlisted the aid of Detective Fairbanks in the search. Femia was apprehended at five o'clock in the afternoon while a passenger in a light sedan said to be the property of Joe Barber, who was driving at the time of the arrest. Sheriff Knight drove his car around the Barber sedan forcing it to come to a halt. Deputy Sheriff Annis and Detective Fairbanks leaped out of the official car and covered the fugitive and his companion with drawn revolvers before the men were aware of the presence of the officers. Femia made no attempt at resistance when arrested. "He had no opportunity to try to get away," said Detective Garen Fairbanks. He was arrested on a bench warrant charged with murder in the first degree issued at Little Valley following his indictment on December 7, by an action of the Grand Jury. Since the indictment, county authorities had been conducting a diligent search for clues that might lead to the arrest of Femia.

Read next about The Trial of Femia and Delgiudice
Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV
Murder of Frank Femia
Who was Thomas Delgiudice?

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