On April 15, 1920, a double murder set off a sequence of events that led to the controversial, and later declared unjust, trial convictions of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti. Their execution on August 23, 1927 is blamed on anti-Italian prejudice and fear of their anarchist political beliefs.

The charges against Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were for the robbery and murder of a paymaster and his guard, Frederick Parmenter and Alessandro Berardelli, as they delivered wages to a shoe company in South Braintree, Massachusetts.