Over 130 years ago, the darkest moment in the history of the Italian-American community occurred on this date in New Orleans, Louisiana. On March 14th, 1891, eleven Italian-Americans and Italian immigrants were lynched for their alleged role in the murder of Police Chief David Hennessey despite no guilty verdicts ever being passed down in their respective trials. In a clear display of anti-Italianism from their arrest up to the end of their lives, this lynching was the largest in American history and is a reminder of the prejudice and discrimination that Italians have endured in the United States.
The story begins on October 15th, 1890, with the assassination of New Orleans Police Chief David Hennessy. After being ambushed by bullets on his walk home from work, the chief was prompted by Captain William O’Connor to identify the perpetrators before he passed away, and allegedly whispered to O’Connor that “the dagos did it.” This incident occurred during a time of heightened anti-Italian sentiment in the South, so that was all New Orleans Mayor Joseph A. Shakespeare needed to hear before directing the police to arrest every Italian they came across.
“We owe it to ourselves and to everything we hold sacred in this life to see to it that this blow is the last. We must teach these people a lesson that they will not forget for all time,” said Shakespeare to the New Orleans City Council just five hours after Hennessey’s death.
The end result was the detainment of as many as 250 Italians within one day based on nothing other than their ethnicity. This much was clear when a few individuals of Polish and Romanian descent were arrested as well, but were promptly released when it was discovered that they were not Italian.
On the basis of O’Connor’s word alone as he was the only one to hear Hennessey’s remarks before his death, nineteen of the Italian men who were arrested for the crime were officially charged. The trial for nine of them concluded on March 13th, 1891, with six being found not guilty, while a mistrial was declared for the other three as the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict.
Although none of these men were convicted in a court of law, a group of 150 people who dubbed themselves the “Committee on Safety” met that evening to plan their response to the trial’s outcome. They ran an article in the local newspaper that urged citizens to meet at the statue of Henry Clay “prepared for action.”
The next day, a mob of thousands entered the prison where the Italians were being held, by force, with vengeance on their minds. The lynch mob was led by William S. Parkerson, who urged the group to “set aside the verdict of that infamous jury, every one of whom is a perjurer and a scoundrel.” Other prominent members of the lynch squad included John M. Parker, who would eventually become the 37th governor of Louisiana, and Walter C. Flower, the 44th mayor of New Orleans.
While eight of the nineteen men charged with the murder managed to escape thanks to prison warden Lemuel Davis, who gave them a fighting chance by releasing them from their cells to hide inside the prison, the lives of the other eleven Italians were claimed when the dust settled. Their names can be found below:
- Antonio Bagnetto, fruit peddler: Tried and acquitted.
- James Caruso, stevedore: Not tried.
- Loreto Comitis, tinsmith: Not tried.
- Rocco Geraci, stevedore: Not tried.
- Joseph Macheca, fruit importer and Democratic Party political boss: Tried and acquitted.
- Antonio Marchesi, fruit peddler: Tried and acquitted.
- Pietro Monasterio, cobbler: Mistrial.
- Emmanuele Polizzi, street vendor: Mistrial.
- Frank Romero, ward politician: Not tried.
- Antonio Scaffidi, fruit peddler: Mistrial.
- Charles Traina, rice plantation laborer: Not tried.
Not only did Parker refuse to apologize for his role in the incident as he believed the mob’s actions were justified, but this sentiment was echoed by future President Theodore Roosevelt, who said the following in a letter to his sister:
“Monday we dined at the Camerons; various dago diplomats were present, all much wrought up by the lynching of the Italians in New Orleans. Personally I think it rather a good thing, and said so.”
The murders were supported by the media as well. Even the New York Times, one of the most well-respected and widely read newspapers of the time, published several articles in the days after the incident in defense of the lynching.
In an article published just two days later on March 16th titled “The New Orleans Affair,” the New York Times wrote that “these sneaking and cowardly Sicilians, the descendants of bandits and assassins, who have transported to this country the lawless passions, the cut-throat practices, and the oath-bound societies of their native country, are to us a pest without mitigations. Our own rattlesnakes are as good citizens as they. Our own murderers are men of feeling and nobility compared to them.”
The very next day, the New York Times also quite literally attempted to justify the lynchings. An excerpt from this article can be found below, as it is something you truly need to see for yourself to believe:
“The lynching in New Orleans Saturday is just the thing that should have occurred. It looks bad on its face to those away from there, but people who are acquainted with the status of affairs can do nothing but commend the action taken.
The Italian colony in New Orleans, which includes possibly a larger number than all the others in the country combined, is a menace to American citizenship and good government.
Why, I had rather have a thousand Chinamen than one Italian. They are treacherous, revengeful, and seek their revenge in most foul and cowardly manners.
They have no regard for the truth, and the Mafia is all powerful with them. The lynching, as terrible as it was, was a blessing for New Orleans.”
Perhaps one of the biggest consequences of this tragedy was that it brought the US and Italy to the brink of war with one another. In order to quell the tensions that existed between the two countries and the growing anti-Italian sentiment that arose following this incident, President Benjamin Harrison declared the first ever Columbus Day just one year later in 1892. This also coincided with the 400-year anniversary of Columbus’ voyage and represented an atonement to the Italian-American community, providing an ever-lasting reminder of the significance of the contributions of this group to the United States.
So before you go and bash Columbus Day as a holiday, I implore you to remember this important context behind its creation. Before you go and characterize Italians as the “White” majority, I implore you to remember the fact that Italians were heavily discriminated against, just as much as any other ethnic group upon their arrival in this country.
Although these Italian-Americans were the victims of the largest mass lynching in the history of the United States, this horrific event is somehow not taught in schools or well-known by the American public. It is time that their stories be told.
Resources:
- “Before the Lynching: Reconsidering the Experience of Italians and Sicilians in Louisiana, 1870s – 1890s” by Jessica Barbata Jackson
My grandparents came of Italy and Sicaly. They brought one child with them and had 4 more boys and 2 daughter. A lot of my friends thought they were involved with the Mafia, mainly due to the fact that there was connection in my neighborhood.
We had no trouble with anyone or the law. Granted this was in the 60s. I’m glad people came around to the fact that not all Italian and Sicialan are involved with the Mafia.
We all need to be treated like humans no matter what nationality they are.
Great article. I’m from New Orleans and knew about this tragedy. And I try to educate people about it as often as I can.
Wonderful and complete article. I had never heard all the details of the story and I think efforts should be made to elevate Columbus day for the reasons it was created. The trouble is that so much of US history has a noble side and a dishonorable side. Children are only taught the good stuff but our history is more gray than black and white.
Outstanding story, as in John 8, Jesus says to the disciples, for if you abide in my wor
d you will know the truth and the truth will set you free !