Case Details
One of the most socially divisive legal cases in United States history was the 1927 execution of two Italian-born political radicals, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti. The crime they were found guilty of took place on April 15, 1920 in South Braintree, Massachusetts. A payroll worker and security guard for a shoe company were fatally shot by two men who proceeded to steal thousands of dollars and flee the scene in an unidentifiable automobile. The prime suspects, Sacco and Vanzetti, did not have criminal records. They were, however, political anarchists in addition to being already marginalized Italian immigrants. Sacco and Vanzetti were arrested and charged with the crimes based on circumstantial evidence—including a pistol similar to Sacco’s and an automobile similar to the one seen fleeing the crime scene. During the original September 1920 trial, witness statements were inconsistent and provably inaccurate.
The prosecutor included his own opinions about their political beliefs in order to influence the judge and diminish the integrity of the defense. The jury convicted the defendants in July of 1921, inciting outcry and massive protest from socialists, liberals, radicals and left-leaning intellectuals. Although the defendants’ lawyer motioned for a new trial on the basis of new evidence, the trial judge denied them a new trial. In 1925, a local murderer on death row, confessed that the crimes were carried out by members of his gang and had nothing to do with Sacco and Vanzetti. The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts denied a new trial even after the confession. Many respected lawyers and politicians were strong advocates of Sacco Vanzetti, claiming that the men were victims of ethnic and political bias.
On April 9, 1927, Sacco and Vanzetti died in the electric chairs, setting off massive protests and political upheaval. This case continues to shine light on the struggles and prejudice faced by immigrants and social outcasts in the United States in a 1920s context, but its relevance is still seen today among a variety of social disparities.