▁as ▁an ▁im porter ▁of ▁f ruits ▁and ▁food s . ▁He ▁also ▁spent ▁six ▁months ▁in ▁New ▁Orleans . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 1 ▁May ▁ 1 9 0 2 , ▁Cas cio ▁Fer ro ▁was ▁arrested ▁in ▁connection ▁with ▁a ▁large ▁counter fe iting ▁operation ▁in ▁H ack ens ack , ▁New ▁Jersey . ▁He ▁was ▁arrested ▁at ▁the ▁bar bers h op ▁of ▁Giuseppe ▁Rom ano ▁on ▁First ▁Avenue , ▁from ▁which ▁the ▁counter fe it ▁money ▁had ▁been ▁distributed . ▁Cas cio ▁Fer ro ▁managed ▁to ▁escape ▁conv iction — his ▁al ib i ▁was ▁that ▁he ▁worked ▁at ▁a ▁paper ▁mill — while ▁the ▁other ▁gang ▁members ▁were ▁tried ▁and ▁sent enced . ▁ ▁In ▁New ▁York , ▁he ▁became ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁Mor ello ▁gang ▁in ▁Har lem , ▁head ed ▁by ▁Giuseppe ▁Mor ello ▁and ▁Ign az io ▁L up o . ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 9 0 4 , ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁Sic ily ▁shortly ▁after ▁police ▁ser ge ant ▁Joseph ▁Pet ros ino ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁Police ▁Department ▁ordered ▁his ▁arrest ▁for ▁invol vement ▁with ▁the ▁Bar rel ▁Mur der ; ▁his ▁application ▁for ▁American ▁citizens hip ▁was ▁consequ ently ▁blocked . ▁Pet ros ino ▁trac ed ▁him ▁to ▁New ▁Orleans , ▁where ▁Cas cio ▁Fer ro ▁had ▁gone ▁to ▁escape ▁detection , ▁but ▁he ▁had ▁already ▁sli pped ▁away . ▁ ▁Some ▁obser vers ▁consider ▁Cas cio ▁Fer ro ▁as ▁the ▁one ▁who ▁brought ▁the ▁ext ort ion ▁practice ▁of ▁"