I was searching for articles of the Joseph Petrosino's Italian Squad and found some interesting ones for those who like to read about the early days.
1904 an article about the mafia/black hand activities in NY. Bombings, kidnappings of children, arson, murder etc. Great drawings from black hand letters... scary stuff
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1904-08-21/ed-1/seq-13.pdf1905 Police has information that there are 5000 Camorristi in New York, and 30 000 in all of US under 12 leaders. They considered it all to be Camorra families at that time.
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86063381/1905-10-19/ed-1/seq-1.pdf1907 Hundred armed Italians arrested after a policeman was shot in Washington Square Park. Police raided saloons and restaurants that were mafia hangouts.
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030272/1907-04-16/ed-1/seq-1.pdf1920 $250 000 worth of cocaine seized (at the bottom of the page)
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1920-06-23/ed-1/seq-1.pdf1921 Police arrests five men for the kidnapping of a 5 year old Giuseppe Varotta
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030193/1921-06-03/ed-1/seq-1.pdf1921 article having to do with
The Good Killers Gang, a Castellamarese faction in Brooklyn
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1921-08-22/ed-1/seq-4.pdf
