August 23: On This Day in World History … briefly
Based on recommendations of the Office of Legal Counsel, Dukakis declared August 23, 1977, the 50th anniversary of their execution, as Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti Memorial Day.
1927: Prejudice threatens true justice
In one of the most controversial cases in American legal history, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti went to the electric chair on August 23, 1927. In July 1921, a jury found the men guilty of the murders of a factory paymaster and a guard during a robbery in South Braintree, Massachusetts. The guilty version was challenged on the grounds that the judge and jury had been prejudiced against the two political anarchists and immigrants.
Calls for a retrial were denied, even when in 1925 condemned criminal Celestino Madeiros gave evidence that the murders had been committed by the Morelli Gang. Governor AT Fuller refused clemency for the two Italians, supported by an independent committee inspecting the case. Questions concerning the administration of justice remained unanswered.
Most notable historic snippets or facts extracted from the book ‘On This Day’ first published in 1992 by Octopus Publishing Group Ltd, London, as well as additional supplementary information extracted from Wikipedia.
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