Found in the Washington Star April 30, 1911

1st New Yorker: Are you troubled by the Black Hand?

2nd New Yorker: Yes, every time I fill my fountain pen.

At first I was completely lost by this joke. Obviously, the joke has a double meaning. One meaning is that the black hand refers to the pen user spilling ink on his hand every time he fills his pen. A common problem with ealry eye dropper pens that were common in the early 1910's, but what about the second menaing? With a little researching, I found someting rather interesting.

The Black Hand was a symbol and name for a criminal and terroristic secret society, and especially associated with the Mafia and the Camorra. The Black Hand flourished in Sicily in the late 19th cent., and in the United States it was especially active in New York City at the beginning of the 20th cent. It is estimated that at one time 90% of New York City’s Italian population was blackmailed by letters threatening death and marked with a black hand. Famous incidents associated with the Black Hand include the murder (1890) in New Orleans of chief of police Daniel Hennessy and the shooting (1909), in Palermo, Italy, of Lt. Joseph Petrosino of the New York City police.