Inspector Oldfield and the Black Hand Society
America's Original Gangsters and the U.S. Postal Detective Who Brought Them to Justice

William Oldfield and Victoria Bruce

Sometimes heroes are found in the unlikeliest places. While perhaps not an edge-of-your-seat page turner, this book casts a fascinating light on a department and subject that is the last place one would think to look for convicting Mafia gangsters - the U.S. Postal Service.

The author is a descendant of the titular Inspector Oldfield who discovered that through malice, malaise, or bureaucracy, the story of the disruption and conviction of the Black Hand Society at the hands of his ancestor had never been told, and indeed, was completely left out of official documentation. Fortunately the family had held onto what memorabilia they were able to throughout the years, and the digitization of newspapers made additional information available. The story traces from our heroes early life and failures, through his appointment to a job he, frankly, thought would be uninteresting, to the final conviction of organized crime members.

I did find it a bit more interesting than some might, as a name was featured that I had personally interacted with in the past, and I must say, the police photographs just might show some family resemblance to the individuals I had encountered. Perhaps those speculations all those years ago about a businesses practices weren't so far off after all...