Polk County in Iowa

Des Moines in Polk County

Dominico Barretto

Homicide

Dominico Barretto
25 YOA
“Little Italy”
Des Moines, IA
Polk County
March 27, 1921

By Nancy Bowers

On the night of March 27, 1921, 25-year-old Little Italy resident Dominico Barretto was walking across his front yard on the way home from a dance.

A neighbor heard a loud noise. When he opened the door, Barretto fell dead at his feet, shot through the heart with a sawed-off shotgun.

Barretto’s money and jewelry were intact.

Thousands of Italian-Americans were terrorized by the extortion activities of the Black Hand

Des Moines police believed Barretto’s death was related to Black Hand extortion activities and to the unsolved murders of Francis “Frank” Oliverio on August 6, 1917 and of Dominic Sposeto on July 22, 1919.

As Barretto lay on his funeral bier in his home, his friends, according to the Waterloo Evening Courier, swore over his remains, “The man that killed Dominico Barretto must be punished by death.”

However, the Courier went on to say, “Friends and relatives of Barretto, their lips sealed by fear of the dread ‘blackhand’ [sic] refuse to help police in the case,” even though they swore he had not received a Black Hand letter.

Barretto, who was born September 5, 1895, was buried in Woodland Cemetery.

Patrick Sposeto, 18, a family member of the earlier-murdered Dominic Sposeto, was arrested and questioned in connection with Barretto’s murder but not charged.

A year later, on February 26, 1922, a fourth murder occurred — that of reputed “King of Little Italy” Angelo Ferrari — which was believed connected to the first three.

Questions and information about the unsolved 1922 murder of Dominico Barretto should be directed to the Des Moines Police Department at 515-283-4864, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 515-286-3306, or Iowa Cold Cases through the Contact form.

Sources

• “2 Italians Shot From Ambush; 1 Dead,” Waterloo Evening Courier, August 6, 1917.
• “Blackhand [sic] Victim at State Capital,” Waterloo Evening Courier, July 22, 1919.
• “Fear Vendetta Will Cause Another Death in Des Moines Case,” Waterloo Evening Courier, March 29, 1921.
• “Italian Gardner Slain: Shot To Death By Young Man,” Des Moines News, July 22, 1919.
• “Italian Is Victim of Mysterious Murder,” Waterloo Evening Courier, March 2, 1921.
• “Murder of ‘King Of Little Italy’ Still Mystery,” Davenport Democrat and Leader, March 1, 1922.
• “Two Italians Shot,” Muscatine Journal, August 6, 1917.