Biography
Nicola Sacco was an Italian immigrant and anarchist-leaning labor activist in the United States, part of radical circles shaped by workplace organizing and opposition to World War I. In 1920 he and fellow anarchist Bartolomeo Vanzetti were arrested and charged with a payroll robbery and the murders of two men; after a highly publicized trial they were convicted in 1921. The case became an international cause célèbre, with supporters arguing that anti-radical and anti-immigrant prejudice influenced the prosecution and verdict. After years of appeals and worldwide protests, Sacco was executed in 1927, and the controversy surrounding the evidence and fairness of the proceedings has persisted for decades.
Case
Charlestown State Prison
