1927 Execution of Sacco and Vanzetti

90 years ago, on August 23, 1927, anarchist workers Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were executed in the electric chair in Boston, accused of killing a cashier and two security guards while robbing a shoe factory in South Braintree. On July 14, 1921, the jury, ignoring the weak evidence base of the prosecution and a number of testimonies that spoke in favor of the accused, ruled that Sacco and Vanzetti were guilty and sentenced them to death. All motions were denied by the Massachusetts judiciary. A massive campaign around the world in their defense did not prevent the execution of the sentence.

On August 23, 1977, exactly fifty years after the execution, Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis issued an official statement that Sacco and Vanzetti had been treated unfairly and that "the time has come to finally cleanse their names of shame." He accused those involved in the trial of "prejudice against foreigners and hostility to unorthodox political views."