The Case of Sacco and Vanzetti

• The Robbery

  • 3pm 15th of April 1920
  • Armed robbery committed by 2 Italian immigrants.
  • 2 shots, and $15k stolen.
  • No leads at first - Sacco + Vanzetti were both carrying guns at the time and were both anarchists.
  • They were also viewed as guilty from the beginning, and this was heightened by the fact that they lied to the police originally about their Anarchist beliefs.
• The Trial

  • Judge was likely to be unsympathetic because of their political views.
  • 12 on jury - 167 witnesses.

  Guilty: Ballistics, Vanzetti had prior convictions, lied to the police, some eye witnesses.

  or

  Innocent: Ballistics evidence was inconclusive, good reputation, lied due to their connection with the red scare, both had valid alibis.
• The results:

  Judge who sentenced them was known to be very anti-anarchist.

  Decision made 14th July 1921 at 7:55p.m.

  Despite failure of Sacco and Vanzetti's defence, people began to challenge US anti-immigrant position .
• The Results

  • Protests around the world
  • United immigrants in USA +raised $300,000 to support S&V defence.
• The execution:

  • Executed in 1927: Story was not forgotten
  • Governor of Massachusetts would not pardon them, but he agreed to make August 13 1977 the 'Nicola Saco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti memorial day'
  • Believed they had been denied a fair trial.