In 1903, Nicholas Capiello, a building contractor, received a letter with daggers drawn on it. The message was clear: if he didn’t pay $10,000 in cash, his home at 107 Second Place in Brooklyn would be dynamited. The gangsters signed the letter with “Mano Nera,” or “Black Hand,” when translated from Italian.

Although the Brooklyn police quickly solved the case and two men were jailed, individuals saw that sending threatening letters claiming to be from the “Black Hand” could induce fear. Consequently, extortionists started employing this strategy to pry money from people.