Italian American Digest Summer2019DigestDraft2 (2) | Page 16

SUMMER 2019
PAGE 16
New Orleans
Tragedy
Remembered
by Mayor
murderers. Taking this as a cue, authorities
rounded up individuals of Italian descent en
masse and the indictment were levied, including
formally accusing a 14-year-old boy.
After the acquittals, angry residents
postulated that the Mafia had influenced jurors.
Consequently, a number of prominent New
Orleanians led the angry mob which shot and
mutilated 11 men.
Those who lost their lives were Antonio
I talian A merican D igest
demanded that the lynch mob be prosecuted,
and that reparations be paid to the dead men’s
families. When the U.S. failed to prosecute the
mob’s ringleaders, Italy recalled its ambassador
from Washington in protest. The U.S. followed
suit, recalling its ambassador from Rome.
After a year of suspended diplomatic relations,
President Benjamin Harrison agreed to pay
$25,000 to the victims’ families.
By Enrico Villamaino
On March 14, 1891, a bloodthirsty mob
rushed a local jail in New Orleans.
The city’s police chief, David
Hennessy, had been shot to death, and
over one hundred local Italian-Americans
were arrested in connection with the
assassination. Nineteen were eventually
charged with the murder. The subsequent
trials resulted in acquittal and mistrials, but
no convictions. Enraged by these results,
an already anti-immigrant segment of the
population decided to take the law into
their own hands… they stormed the jail and
proceeded to brutally murder 11 men.
For over a century, the memory of the
March 1891 attack has haunted the Italian-
American denizens of the Crescent City.
In April, the mayor of New Orleans
officially apologized for lynching.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell issued an official
Proclamation of Apology to the Italian
American community that morning. Said
Cantrell, “What happened to those 11
An unruly mob rushes the jail in New Orleans during the 1891 mass lynching of 11 Italians. Illustrations like the one
above were found in newspapers throughout the country as the event made national headlines.
Italians, it was wrong, and the city owes
them and their descendants a formal
apology... At this late date, we cannot give
Bagnetto, Antonio
justice. But we can be intentional and deliberate Marchesi, Antonio
about what we do going forward.”
Scaffidi, James
Cantrell went on to add, “This attack was an Caruso, Rocco
act of anti-immigrant violence… New Orleans is Geraci, Pietro
a welcoming city, but there remain serious and
Monasterio,
dark chapters to our shared story that remain
Loreto Comitis,
untold and unaccounted for.”
Emmanuele
Immigrants who came to the U.S. from Europe Polizzi, Joseph P.
and Asia in the late 19th century were often
Macheca, Frank
25 years strong!
accused of taking “American jobs” during
Romero, and
difficult economic times. Italian immigrants,
Charles Traina.
Stop by the store for gift baskets, muffalettas, and unique
who often had darker complexions, were
The incident
Italian food items! New inventory is added weekly!
targeted in particular.
jeopardized
New Orleans was home to the largest
diplomatic
9:00-7:00 Monday – Saturday
community of Sicilian immigrants to the
relations between
10:00 – 2:00 Sunday Pasta
United States. Though many integrated into
the U.S. and Italy.
505 Frisco Ave.
the city, working and thriving in their own
The Italian consul
Metairie, LA 70005
businesses, they were not welcomed by all. It
in New Orleans,
504-833-9240
was in this tenuous climate that Hennessy was
Pasquale Corte,
murdered by unknown assailants. Rumors
left the city in
began to swirl that as Hennessy lay dying, he
May of 1891. The
used a common slur for Italians to identify his
Italian government
Nor Joe Imports, LLC
“the tradition continues”