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CLUB NEWS
SUMMER 2021 Italian American Digest of Vicksburg reinterred the victims in the Cedar Hill Cemetery which is located twenty miles away in Vicksburg , Mississippi . Again , these men were buried with no names or markers .
Finally , on Friday , March 19th , St . Joseph ’ s feast day in 2021 at the Cedar Hill Cemetery in Vicksburg , Mississippi , a historical marker was placed to honor these five lynching victims . Antoinette Fatta Helton , Linda Fatta Ott , and Deborah Helton Flores who are all descendents of Giuseppe Di Fatta , sponsored the Historical marker to be placed at the site where their grandfather and the other four men were buried with no recognition or acknowledgement of the social injustice and racism that took place in 1899 . “ Giuseppe ’ s son , Nocola Di Fatta anguished that his father never received a proper Catholic burial ” said
Linda Ott , Nick ’ s Granddaughter . Hopefully now , the family can find closure .
Historical Marker memorializing the event in Cefalu , Sicily
More than 60 people gathered for the dedication ceremony in Vicksburg . Linda Ott welcomed everyone including the descendants of the victims , the mayors from Vicksburg and Tallulah , fellow Italian Americans , and friends of the family . Cynthia Savaglio , a University Of Tampa Assistant professor who had done a great deal of research and wrote a screenplay about the murders , spoke about the history of the incident at the ceremony . Governor Tate Reeves of Mississippi contacted the family to recognize their efforts in bringing this terrible incident to light for all Mississippians . The Mayor of Cefalu , Rosario Lapunzina , also wrote to the Di Fatta family acknowledging the family ’ s efforts in having this Historical marker placed so the history of these terrible murders will not be forgotten . In Cefalu , Sicily , a marker has been placed there so that no one will forget this travesty involving the five immigrants from Cefalu . This social injustice happened over one hundred years ago . These five men were treated unjustly and now respect and dignity has been restored to their names . A part of history not to be forgotten .