Black Hand

Black Hand was the name given to various secret criminal groups and gangs organized in Italy and operating in the United States in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. The symbol of a black hand became an instrument of terror to those victimized through blackmail, extortion, and violence. For example, potential victims received letters threatening death, marked with “the hand.” At the peak of power, a significant portion of the Italian population were victims of the gang's protection racket in New York City and other cities where the Black Hand's influence was felt.

Other anarchist, militaristic, nationalistic, criminal, and terrorist organizations throughout the 19th and 20th centuries have used the name and symbol of the Black Hand.