Author Reveals How Italian Immigrant Cops Took on Gangsters

Paul Moses, a Brooklyn College journalism professor emeritus and former reporter and editor at New York Newsday, will speak on his book, “The Italian Squad: The True Story of the Immigrant Cops Who Fought the Rise of the Mafia” at Dorothea’s House on Nov. 1.

In 1904, with the press and the public in an uproar over immigrant crime, New York’s police commissioner formed a special team of foreign-born detectives called the “Italian Squad.” Led by Lt. Joseph Petrosino, the Italian immigrant sleuths were nationally celebrated for their exploits—even as they struggled against deeply ingrained prejudice to convince both the public and fellow police that Italian immigrants were largely law-abiding people who would be good American citizens.

Participants are encouraged to bring refreshments to share at a post-program reception. Doors open at 4:45 p.m.