The ‘trial’ and execution by Italian fascists of comrade Michelle Maggiora Della for the killing of two blackshirted thugs in 1928.

‘The Execution of an Anti-Fascist’ by An Eye Witness from Labor Defender. Vol. 3 No. 12. December, 1928.

Translated By L. Candela

MANY lies were spread by the Fascist press about the shooting of Michele Della Maggiora, during and after the trial. M. Della Maggiora was an old guard of the labor movement. He was a member of the Socialist branch in Ponte Buggianese, then joined the Communist Party at its foundation together with a majority of the members of that branch and remained a member of the Communist Party until his death. During the time he was in France he was also a member of the Communist Party.

Gino Moschini and Giovanni Bonamici, the two killed, were two Fascists of the old guard (squadristi) who, during 1920 to 1921 had made many assaults and committed many acts of vandalism against the working class elements without being molested once by Fascist justice, even before the so called march on Rome took place.

It is one of the two killed fascists that was known as the killer of the brother of Bruno Spadoni (the other Communist worker who has been tried as an accomplice of Della Maggiora and has been sentenced to 18 years in the penitentiary).

The trial began on October 13th before an audience made up of Fascist officers. The Special Fascist Tribunal refused to let the defendant pick out his own lawyer. The lawyers picked for the defendant were two well known Fascists and they played the parts dictated to them by the President of the Fascist Tribunal. When one of the two lawyers (Manassero) delivered his speech on behalf of the defendant, he praised Mussolini. Michele Della Maggiora promptly stated that the lawyer was expressing a personal opinion of which he did not approve. He said plainly to the court, “Since you do not allow me to have an anti-Fascist lawyer, I refuse any legal defense. I can defend myself without the help of any lawyer.”

During his examination in the court, Comrade Della Maggiora maintained a bearing so straightforward and so powerful that the Tribunal, the public and the officers of the Fascist Militia were amazed. He spoke about one hour in his own defense. He described how when he was a boy he came into the Socialist Party and why in 1921 together with the majority of the Socialist branch of Ponte Buggianese he went to the Communist Party.

Della Maggiora recalled amidst the frequent interruption of the President the violences committed by the Fascists against the city administration of Ponte Buggianese, made up of honest workers who enjoyed the full confidence of the population. He pointed out how this workers’ administration was chased out by force by the Fascists. Well known Communists and Well known Communists and Socialists were beaten and badly wounded by Fascists. coming from other cities. The brother of coming from other cities. The brother of his co-defendant, Spadoni, was killed and the killers were well known in all the city and were let go unmolested.

“My situation was not an isolated one”, he said, “Many other workers were also treated as I was. We were like slaves, we could not speak, we could not look for work even in the cities near to ours. Meanwhile I learned that in the city of Pisa a workers demonstration was suppressed with guns, and also in Pistoia there were more demonstrations. Hunger and unemployment were on the increase. These were the facts that had determined me to defend myself with arms against the Fascist provocateurs. I knew well that the killing of two or three Fascists would not bring a change of regime. The Fascist dictatorship can be overthrown only by means of a general insurrection of the workers. But for me there were left only two ways open; to be killed by Fascism or defend myself with arms. I chose the second way, because any worker and peasant persecuted by Fascismo has the right, even with arms, to defend himself. Therefore, I manifested with arms my hatred as a worker, which is also the hatred of all the workers, against Fascist tyranny.”

The self defense of our comrade created a deep impression amongst the anti-Fascists present in the court. The death sentence read by the Tribunal did not perturb our comrade, who received it with calmness and contempt for the court. A certain perturbation indeed, was evident on the faces of the Fascist hangmen, who saw in the death sentence the reflection of the weakness of the Fascist regime, and in the courageous attitude of the defendant, the invincible force of that class by which Fascismo will be overthrown, the working class.

On October 18th, before dawn the Fascist militia of all the province of Pistoia was concentrated around Ponte Buggianese. The population was terrorized. Rumors were spread to the effect that the town would be destroyed or would be burned down. During the night one could hear the infernal noise of the Fascists. In the morning around the cemetery were gathered 600 Fascists, many of them being drunk. Until noon the streets of the town looked as though evacuated before the enemy.

Brought to the place of execution, Comrade Della Maggiora got off the car very swiftly. He walked through a triple line of Fascists with his hands tied. He looked straight into the eyes of those he knew as he walked towards the post at which he was to be tied and shot.

When his arms were being tied to the post he cried, in a loud ringing voice: Down with Fascism.

Comrade Maggiora was not repenting what he did. Neither was he pardoning anyone. The only hope which was encouraging him was the certainty of the proletarian revolution. The head of the Fascist militia, Carlo Pirelli, came near Comrade Della Maggiora to blindfold him, but our comrade asked to be shot without the band on his eyes. This was granted. Then again Comrade Della Maggiora cried, Long live the Proletarian Revolution.

Meanwhile only a few steps from him a squad of twelve Fascists were getting ready to shoot him. When the officer of the Fascist squad, said, “Ready”, Comrade Della Maggiora cried again as loud as possible, Long Live the Soviets!

The foreign press correspondents in Rome have received orders from Mussolini, not to go to Luca or to Ponte Buggianese, neither to send their press news that agency is not given by the “Stefani” We are informed that throughout the province of Pistoia up to the present time about 300 workers suspected.

Labor Defender was published monthly from 1926 until 1937 by the International Labor Defense (ILD), a Workers Party of America, and later Communist Party-led, non-partisan defense organization founded by James Cannon and William Haywood while in Moscow, 1925 to support prisoners of the class war, victims of racism and imperialism, and the struggle against fascism. It included, poetry, letters from prisoners, and was heavily illustrated with photos, images, and cartoons. Labor Defender was the central organ of the Scottsboro and Sacco and Vanzetti defense campaigns. Not only were these among the most successful campaigns by Communists, they were among the most important of the period and the urgency and activity is duly reflected in its pages. Editors included T. J. O’ Flaherty, Max Shactman, Karl Reeve, J. Louis Engdahl, William L. Patterson, Sasha Small, and Sender Garlin.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/labordefender/1928/v03n12-dec-1928-LD.pdf