William Oldfield and Victoria Bruce, "Inspector Oldfield and the Black Hand Society"

William Oldfield and Victoria Bruce discuss their book, "Inspector Oldfield and the Black Hand Society", at Politics and Prose on 8/24/18.

Before the Mafia, there was the Black Hand, a Sicilian-American secret society that terrorized and extorted Italian immigrants across the country. Their victims lived in fear and shame and seldom spoke out, local law enforcers were reluctant to get involved, and the FBI wasn’t yet in full force. Enter Frank Oldfield, the nation’s 156th Postal Inspector. An unlikely hero, Oldfield assumed his position in 1899 and devoted every resource at his command to fighting the Black Hand. In their fast-paced saga, Oldfield, an archivist and historical lecturer, and Bruce, author of No Apparent Danger, Hostage Nation, and Sellout, recount a case that spanned four states and two continents, at last resulting the arrest of sixteen gangsters—the nation’s first international crime conviction. Oldfield and Bruce are in conversation with Dan Mihalko, a former Postal Inspector and now postal historian.

William Oldfield is an archivist and historical lecturer. He is currently engaged in entrepreneurial pursuits in the areas of environmental and sustainable operations. He grew up in Akron, Ohio, and currently lives in Annapolis, Maryland.

Victoria Bruce is the author of No Apparent Danger, Hostage Nation, and Sellout. She is the recipient of the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award for excellence in broadcast journalism for her film, The Kidnapping of Ingrid Betancourt. She lives in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

Founded by Carla Cohen and Barbara Meade in 1984, Politics and Prose Bookstore is Washington, D.C.'s premier independent bookstore and cultural hub, a gathering place for people interested in reading and discussing books. Politics and Prose offers superior service, unusual book choices, and a haven for book lovers in the store and online. Visit them on the web at

Produced by Tom Warren