You Can't Blame the Beer Hops : Lemp Family Triumph and Tragedy

How many families have your researched having a constant history of suicide?  The Lemp family had it's share, that is for sure.

The Lemp family moved from Germany to the United States.  They started their own brewing company along the banks of the great river city, St. Louis, in 1840, after having dabbled in the grocery store business. Adam Lemp distilled vinegar and brewed beer for customers.The beer brewing became so popular that he scrapped the grocery business.  He focused solely on beer brewing and established his company, which was named Western Brewery. Adam Lemp passed away in 1862, and William, his son, inherited the business. William Lemp, who was only 12 years old when he came to America. became a naturalized citizen in 1841.  He graduated from St. Louis University and started his own brewing company, which eventually merged with his deceased father's brewery.  He named this the William J. Lemp Brewing Company. The company incorporated in 1892.

William served in the Missouri Union troops during the Civil War, and became a member of the GAR.  He and his family were becoming very well respected as he rose to the ranks of the elite class. Lemp had invested interests in many breweries, mostly in the southern states of Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana.

The Lemp family life seemed perfect.  William and his bride, Julia, raised a family of four daughters and five sons.  Life seemed to be great.  He renamed his company as Lemp, and built a rather nice house not far from the cool caves where he brewed his product.  There supposedly was an underground tunnel connecting the Lemp home to the Lemp cave brewery. Eventually, Lemp's Falstaff Beer outsold the Budweiser product for quite some time.

beer bottles, free images.google.com

William was getting along in age by the turn of the century, so he decided to go into partial retirement and travel with his wife.  He appointed his sons as custodians of the business.  Of the five sons, Frederick seemed to be the favorite.  However, Fred wasn't feeling so well, so he left for California to attend to this health, when he died suddenly of heart failure in December of 1901 at the age of 28.

Mr. and Mrs. Lemp took the loss very hard, although William seemed to bear the most grief.  Not more than three years after the passing of his son, he learned that his old friend, Frederick Pabst, of Milwaukee, had passed away.  William Lemp seemed to be filled with unending grief.  Frederick Pabst was the father-in-law of William's daughter, Hilda.  William could not take any more of his depressed life, so he took his life by shooting himself in the head in the bedroom of his home.  His wife, Julia, passed away two years later, in 1906, It was said that she, also, suffered from bouts of deep depression since the suicide of her husband.

Lemp Brewing, Falstaff Beer Logo, free images.google.com

The brewing business was passed onto William Lemp, Jr.  He established the offices of the company in the family home.  He is credited with naming the premier product, Falstaff, William Jr., known as Billy, married in 1899.  His wife, Lillian, was of the aristocrat status, and she insisted on wearing the color of lavender everyday, all day.  This marriage was doomed.  He didn't like her having a different carriage for every day of the week, and her use of profane language.  She charged that he brought women to their home and beat her, threatening her life with a revolver. Lillian was granted a divorce in 1909, and gained full custody of their son.  She did not feel satisfied with alimony of $6,000/yr., and eventually took her case to the state supreme court, and was awarded a lump some of $100,000.00.  Cha Ching! She never remarried, and continued to wear lavender every day.


Billy's younger sister, Elsa, was also in a very unhappy marriage.  She was granted a divorce from her husband, Thomas Wright, in 1919.  They remarried in 1920....WHAT? One week after their second wedding day, she seemed to be dealing with depression, which was a family affliction.  She was having one particularly bad evening, so she excused herself to her bedroom overnight.  The next morning a loud sound was heard coming from her room.  Elsa was found deceased, having shot herself in the heart.

Prohibition did not make things very good for the Lemp brewing family.  They tried to brew some non-alcoholic beverages, but sales were very low. Family members quarreled over what to do with the company.  Billy did not want to update to modern brewing standards.  He preferred to brew with old traditional ways.  Eventually, the brewery was closed.  The buildings were sold.  Billy became overcome with depression, just like his father and sister.  He shot himself in the heart while sitting in the business offices of their Lemp family home in December of 1922.

Lemp Brewing Company cave where brewing took place, free images.google com

William Lemp, III, tried to revive the Lemp Brewing Company after the repeal of Prohibition.  For a while it seemed that partnering with another  company in the early 1930s was a good idea.  He had relocated to Illinois on the east side of the Mississippi.  Unfortunately, his company went bankrupt..  In 1943, the disappointed man died of a massive heart attack.  He was only 43 years old.

Charles Lemp, son of William Lemp, Sr., brother of Billy Lemp, had once been president of the brewery.  But in 1911 he withdrew from the business and went into a banking career. He was never married, and became a reclusive person, moving back into the Lemp home.  In 1949, at the age of 77, he, too, shot himself in the head. He had pre-arranged for his funeral and left a note requesting cremation, having his ashes spread over his farm.

Lemp family mausoleum, Bellfontaine Cemetery, free images,google.com

The Lemp family has a large mausoleum in Bellefontaine Cemetery, in St. Louis.  It is among the largest ever built there.  It was constructed by William Lemp, Sr., after the death of his beloved son, Frederick, in 1901.  Thirteen members of the Lemp family are interred here. There are no living family with the Lemp name.  It is said that the Lemp family home, now a restaurant venue, is haunted.

Lemp Mansion, free images.google.com

I wonder, how many of the Lemp family are still hanging around the house?

World War II Veterans : Stories Just Waiting to be Told

Stories From the World War II Battlefield series, by Jennifer Holik
as featured on www.ancestorstuff.com

Do you know a veteran that just might have some stories to share?  I bet you do. But some might think that no one is interested in their war stories.  It could be a good project for you to sit and talk with that veteran.  Ensure that person that you are indeed interested in their experiences.  It could be very hard to put into words just what they may have experienced.  It might bring back memories that they had tried so hard to put away.   Need some advice or guidance on just how to help this veteran to tell their story?

Jennifer Holik, researcher, educator, speaker and publisher, has put together a series of books to help with telling the story of your veteran, whether they are still living, or have past away.  She walks you through the necessary steps to take in retrieval of information to finally put that veteran's story on paper.

The Stories of the World War II Battlefield series focuses on each of the U.S. Armed Forces.  Records can be found in various places.  If your veteran has a DD214, otherwise know as paper of separation, that is a good place to start.  It gives a nice synopsis of the veteran's time in service, serial service number, places of draft or enlistment, metals and honors awarded, training, ranks, and, of course, date and place of their release from the military.  If the veteran died while in service, they will have a whole file listing most of what the DD214 has, but includes date, time and place of death, including the causes and circumstances of the death.  

There are so many other places to find more information about your veteran or deceased service member.  The U.S. Army had morning reports....the U.S. Navy had ship logs....and there are so many more records to comb through to get the most complete story.

If you are interested in getting further involved with this type of project, I highly recommend Jennifer's books.  She will be a featured speaker at the FGS 2016 Conference in Springfield, Illinois from August 31- September 3.

Additionally, Jennifer will be the featured writer at the AncestorStuff.com exhibit table number 516 at the FGS Conference in Springfield, IL. She will be available to market her books and answer any research questions. See more conference information here www.fgsconference.org

Can't be at the conference?  You can purchase Jennifer's books from the AncestorStuff.com website at a discount, and enjoy her expertise on this most important subject. www.ancestorstuff.com/jennifer-holik/

Interested in a family project?  How about leaning to research the military service of a family member  that has passed away.  Make copies of it for family members.  Those who might never have met their grandparent, great grandparent, or other relative might enjoy having such a memorial book about their relative.  Learning about family that have passed on gives  some a window to the past, and a sense of pride in who they are descended from.  What a nice gift for someone.  

To learn more about Jennifer Holik and her experiences, educational programs, speaking logs and other information, visit her website http://wwiiresearchandwritingcenter.com/

Murder of Sarah Harriet McDaniel : County Prosecutor Escapes the Gallows

Oscar McDaniel excelled at his job.  He was a very respected prosecutor in Buchanan County, Missouri.  Well known for putting away all the "bad guys", the community could count on him to get the job done, and make the St. Joseph area a safe place to live and raise a family.

However, in July of 1916 all of  that changed. McDaniel received a telephone call very late in the evening.  The strange voice on the other end said that Oscar's brother was in  a saloon in the downtown area of St. Joseph.  They said he had better come to fetch him before this drunken patron starts some trouble.  Oscar went to the saloon, only to find that the warning was untrue.  He returned to his home on South 20th Street, parking in the street.  As soon as he started to exit the car, gunshots rang out.  An assailant, hidden behind a large tree, began to shoot at McDaniel.  At least five shots were heard by neighbors.  The dark figure ran off and McDaniel was not hurt.  He ran into his home to check on his wife and three children, Oscar Jr., Helen, and Marion  He shouted his wife's name, but got no response.  Upstairs in the bedroom, he found his wife, Sarah Harriet, laying on the floor in a pool of blood. Her head was crushed, and she was unconscious,  Apparently she had been beaten with a blunt instrument. Her diamond ring and a few nice trinkets were missing.  The children were asleep, and left unharmed.

The Bismarck Tribune (Bismarck, North Dakota) · Fri, Jul 21, 1916 · First Edition · Page 1

Oscar called the St. Joseph Police Department to report the incident and ask for assistance with his wife.  Police immediately brought blood hounds to the residence to begin tracking the whereabouts of the assailant who had run away into the dark night.  Since McDaniel was a shrewd prosecutor, responsible for putting away all sorts of thugs from the courts, the suspect list was rather long. The hounds led the  police to a rooming house.  Police took five men into custody there and they were held pending the investigation of this ghastly murder.  The landlady reported that she had seen a dark, shadowy figure run from the house sometime after the crime was reported.

Mrs. McDaniel was transported to the hospital, where she died about six hours later.  Nothing could be done for her.  An autopsy was performed by the coroner.  Cause of death : Homicide.

The state police departments of Kansas and Missouri combined forces to solve the murder of Sarah Harriet McDaniel.  They began to focus their attention on a convicted burglar that had recently been placed in the asylum for the criminally insane.  At his sentencing, he warned Prosecutor McDaniel, "Death, hell and destruction shall be visited on you!".  This man had escaped from prison just days before the murder of Mrs. McDaniel.  He had written a letter to McDaniel, repeating his threat. McDaniel was not upset by the letter, because as a very competent prosecutor, he had received hundreds of such threats for the past two years.  No one had actually carried out their threats.  Many of the threats mentioned that he had better not try to run for re-election.

In September, the murder had still not been solved, and the community began to get restless.  They wanted someone to pay for the death of this dear lady.  Suspicions fell upon Oscar McDaniel, himself.  He was held in the St. Joseph Police department, having been charged with the murder. McDaniel began to laugh at the police and the absurd charges, but he respectfully walked the two miles to the county prison. He requested, and was granted, the permission to buy some cigars on his way to prison.

A special prosecutor asked that a grand jury be called to review the case against McDaniel, although he admitted that he had never questioned him about the murder of his wife.  Tongues began to wag about rumors that Sarah had asked Oscar for a divorce, and being upset by the request, he beat his wife to death. McDaniel asked for a swift trial, as he wanted to focus on his upcoming re-election.  He was a candidate on the Democratic ticket for November of that year.

In October, Bart Lockwood was assigned to prosecute Oscar McDaniel.  The two men had been close friends, having studied law together.  This case was bound to break that friendship.  Lockwood reviewed the evidence that piled up, seeming to indicate that Oscar really did murder his young wife.  He had tears in his eyes when he went before the court and summarized the evidence links that seemed to tighten around his old friend.

The Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune (Chillicothe, Missouri) · Fri, Nov 24, 1916 · Page 10

In late November, the prosecutor began to wrap up his case.  But he had a bombshell of a witness that had been called to testify. Miss Aileen Moss, sister of the slain Sarah , aka, Harriet, was asked to tell what she knew about the home life of Mr. and Mrs. McDaniel.  Miss Moss was a well known school teacher and resided with the McDaniels at the time of the murder.  She said she had heard her sister say "No, no no," and then let out a moan the night of her demise.  She also stated that just a week after her sister's death, McDaniel asked her if she thought the young child, Helen, would be better off forgetting her mother entirely.  She said she was shocked at his inquiry, and replied to him that the children should never forget their mother. Lockwood wanted to admit testimony from Aileen regarding McDaniel's association with other women, but the court would not allow it.The last of her testimony included her remembrance of a certain evening when Oscar and his wife were to attend a dinner at the home of an acquaintance.  Mrs. McDaniel refused to attend, and Oscar showed his superior authority and attending by himself.

Louis Gabbert, attorney for Oscar McDaniel was surprised by the lack of real evidence against his client.  He had expected to be confronted by many more witnesses by the prosecution.  He said he did not expect much proof against McDaniel, but he certainly expected more of a showing of evidence than what had been presented.

On December 5th, Oscar D. McDaniel was acquitted of the murder of his wife.  The jury took only one hour and thirty minutes to make their decision.  Five ballots had been taken before the jury could come to an agreement.  The following day, McDaniel could be found seated in his office, resuming his position as county prosecutor.  He said he would devote his time to discover the slayer of his wife.  He would, however, continue his career and take on the criminal cases on the docket, one of which was a case where a man had beat his wife to death.  He vowed that his career would not get in the way of trying to solve his wife's murder case.

McDaniel was asked if he had any evidence or information as to the identity of the murderer of his wife.  He was guarded in his remark, saying that there had been a member of a crook gang that had infested that part of the state and had received a threat in the previous year that they were out to get McDaniel and blow his family to hell.

Meanwhile, Sarah Harriet Moss McDaniel had been laid to rest in Mount Mora Cemetery. Her official cause of death was ruled a homicide.....blunt instrument to the head.

https://s1.sos.mo.gov/records/archives/archivesdb/deathcertificates/

What happened to Oscar and his children?  Well, he found love again.  Oscar and Zora Lee Cook, later known as Cora, were married in July of 1917. He was still registered as an attorney in 1918, as stated on his WWI draft card.  But by mid 1920, he and Cora had moved to Felix Street in St. Joseph, Missouri.  He had become a carpenter by then, and had put his law degree away in a drawer.

Go ahead and research the information about Oscar and his attempt to solve the murder of his wife, Sarah Harriet McDaniel.  I know what happened, but it's more fun if you look for the results yourself.

May I suggest using : www.Newspapers.com
                                    www.Newspaperarchive.com
                                    www.http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/
                                   www.Genealogybank.com

Edward Clark : Death Over a Tail Light

This short story will have you wondering about some people and their values and priorities.

 Two cousins had a disagreement regarding the ownership of an automobile tail light.  Apparently, they had disagreements quite often, according to family and friends.

On July 28, 1935, the two men let their anger get the better of them.  Harry Clark decided to arm himself with a gun.  Edward Clark, his antagonistic cousin, would not give in and allow Harry to have the auto tail light.  Harry needed to end the argument once and for all.  He aimed his weapon at Edward and shot him in the chest. The body was found by Charles Clark, father of Edward.

http://www.sos.mo.gov/images/archives/deathcerts/1935

The family lived on a farm owned by Tony Finazzo.  Both Harry and Edward, were employed on that farm, along with several of their family members.

According to the state death certificate, an inquest was held by the coroner, Will Freeman, of St. Charles, Missouri.  It was confirmed that a homicide had occurred, and Edward Van Cicle Clark had died of his chest wound.  Harry Clark was charged with first degree murder.

If anyone has further information on this case, please add to the comments.

The Card Game With an Abrupt Ending

A masked executioner entered the cafe around the midnight hour, He was carrying a shotgun by his side.  Quickly, and with such precision, he raised his weapon and aimed.

Four men were sitting around a table, playing card games, drinking and enjoying their late evening out.  They had no idea that within seconds, two of them would lay dead. Two would be wounded.

Four loud shots were discharged from the sawed off shotgun. The blasts was heard by the deputies at the Springfield police station, just around the corner from the cafe.  By the time they had arrived at the scene, the gunman was whisked away by a Cadillac touring automobile, dark in color and tagged with Missouri state license plates.

The slain men were identified as members of a widely known bootlegging gang, with a territory that stretched from St. Louis to Chicago and places in between.  Robert  Aiello, age 23, and his younger brother, Frank, 20, were the victims.  The seriously  wounded men were identified at Vito Wallace, alias LaPacolo,28, and Lee Meachum, 26.

Robert Aiello, slumped forward in his chair, died immediately.  Frank died on the way to the hospital.  The two other men's wounds were treated and they were released from the hospital. They were questioned by the Deputy Coroner, Robert Stubbs, and said they knew of no motive for the attack.

Several women patrons were bystanders, but they could not identify the masked slayer, and were too upset to even notice that he left in an automobile, driven by a companion that had been waiting for him just outside of the cafe. Helen, owner of the cafe, and her sister, Mildred Joinella, were shaken, but reported that the gunman companion had also entered the cafe, but did not shoot. They also said that a third Aiello brother, Salvatore Aiello, left the cafe just before the gunman appeared. (Oh, really?  Did they try to find him?  Was he was involved in the demise of his brothers?) Others who peered from their nearby windows described the two offenders as "short, fat Italian types", although after being questioned about their statements, they admitted that they really could not identify the ethnicity of the men. But, they did say that they appeared to look just like the "hoodlums" they would hear about on radio news broadcasts.

The Aiello brothers were related to Charles Palmisano, who had been assassinated the night before, on November 10, in St. Louis.  It was reported that a car with Illinois license plates was used in the Palmisano slaying.  The Aiello brothers deaths could have been a reprisal, suggested a Springfield deputy. Mr. Palmisano was a wealthy wholesale fruit merchant.  He was killed as he stood in the doorway of his business.

Jasper Aiello, nephew of the slain men, was killed in front of his home in St. Louis in 1926. Tony Aiello, brother of the victims, was being held in St. Louis in connection with the murder of Alfonso Palazzolo in the previous year. Tony was a brother-in-law of William Russo, leader of a large Italian faction in St. Louis.  Russo was mentioned to be a nephew of the slain Charles Palmisano, although his widow, Mrs. Palmisano, denied they were related. (Are you beginning to see a pattern here????)

Police from St. Louis and Springfield had been collaborating their detective work and came to these conclusions for the slayings:

   Factional differences between Italian gangs

   Whiskey deals gone bad

   Black Hand threats

   Refusal to sign bail bonds

This story was reported in various newspapers across the nation, most dated 11 November 1927.
Among my sources were : The St. Louis Post Dispatch, The Sedalia Democrat, The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois), Journal Gazette (Mattoon, Illinois), The Daily Chronicle (DeKalb, Illinois)

As always, if you know further information about this case, please share it in the comments section.  We need to share our knowledge with each other to fully understand each story.

The Bootlegger's Truck

It was 2:30 a.m. on August 14th in 1924 when the fire fighters and police officers of Decatur, Illinois were called to the scene.  A truck, parked on the side of the road at the intersection of  Williams and Seventh Streets, had burst into flames.  Onlookers crowded around the blaze at a safe distance.

Some nearby pedestrians had noticed that two men had driven the truck, and pulled to the side of the road at the 2500 block of East Williams Street.  They exited the truck and walked away.  Several hours had passed when smoke began to billow from the vehicle and flames came from the engine.  The citizens ran to put out the blaze.  It was discovered that the truck was hauling over 230 gallons of alcohol, in 46 five gallon containers.  They were camouflaged by crates of tomatoes,

Police hid in the bushes and overgrown lots around the area, armed with sawed off shotguns, waiting to see if the two men would return to the truck. After several hours, the truck was hauled to the Decatur police station.

It was determined by the fire fighters that oil had spilled on the alternator in the engine, which probably caused smoke and the smell of an electrical fire.  The men in the truck were probably alarmed, and decided to abandon the truck at this location in Decatur.

recent map of the Decatur, Illinois area.
Seventh Street no longer exists in Decatur, Illinois

Police had traced the license plates to the owner of the truck.  Mr. Tony Sansone, of St. Louis, Missouri, was contacted by reporters of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  After interviewing Tony, it was revealed that he had rented his truck to a man for $35, who wanted to haul tomatoes to Springfield, Illinois from St. Louis.  He said that he could not recall the name of the person, and futhermore, he had no idea that this man had intended to haul booze along with his tomatoes.

Sansone traveled to Decatur to claim his truck, or what was left of it.  The Decatur police refused to release the truck to Sansone, stating that they had several problems with the story that he told them.  The truck was being held on the prohibition statute. It had been determined that no long distance phone call had been made to Sansone from the Decatur area from any persons within the previous 24 hours.  Sansone was cleared of prohibition charges. But, he could not have his truck.

There was an investigation with the Springfield police department to determine the identity of the party that rented the truck, and stuffed it with the tomatoes and all of that alcohol.  Meanwhile, upset that he was unable to regain possession of his truck, Sansone said that he would take the train to Springfield and find that man himself. He said he would "grab ahold of his hair and drag him back to Decatur".

Tony Sansone was the owner of a produce company located at 1007 Wash Street in St. Louis.

This story was published in The Decatur Herald, 14 August 1924, page 3

Who Killed Gus Rizzo?

A young man, Gus C. Rizzo, was interred in 1924 in the St. Louis Archdiocese Cemetery of Calvary, Section 12, Lot 1657.

archstl.org/app/cemeteries/burial_search

He is laid to rest with his parents, Charles and Rose (Quattrocchi), siblings Anthony and
Charles, and grandparents,  Frances and Michael Quattrocchi.

Gus was wounded in the stomach with a bullet during a very mysterious affray.  He was taken to City Hospital and passed at 3:40 a.m. on April 19.  He never mentioned how or why he became a victim, nor did he reveal who might have committed this crime.

The image of his death certificate can be found on the Missouri Digital Heritage site :

www.sos.mo.gov/images/archives/deathcerts

Young Gus was only 16 years old.  Such a shame.  He was questioned by doctors and police about the incident.  He told them of three "unknown" men who had driven by him in an automobile.  But, he seemed to change his story, making conflicting statements.

His cousin, James Russo, was the person who had taken him to the hospital.  James also reported another story which did not  match any information that young Gus had relayed.  The police went to the site of the shooting where they found a large pool of blood, in addition to two caps and two bullet holes in a nearby fence.  The location was by the home of James Russo.

James Russo was the brother of "Shorty" Russo, a black hand mobster believed to have murdered a man just three days prior to the death of young Gus.  An accomplice of his was Vincent Spicuzza, also believed to have been dabbling in the black hand business.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch covered the story in a short three paragraph article on April 19, 1924.

As of yet, I have not found the names of the men who slayed young Gus Rizzo.  If you have any further information on this case, please add it to the comments section.

Death of the Lemon King

Welcome to our first story.

This is the tale of Gaspare DiCola, a successful fruit importer in Boston, Massachusetts.  Gaspare was born in 1866 in the northern seaport town of Termini Imerese in Sicily.  His father, Giovanni, was a wealthy farmer that specialized in lemons and olives.  The family also started a spaghetti factory : the DiCola Pasta Company.

Gaspare DiCola, 1866-1916

Gaspare caught the eye of a young woman who happened to be married to Mariano Bova-Conti.  Antonina and Mariano also lived in Termini-Imerese, and the two families knew each other well.

Gaspare served in the Italian army, and then decided to travel to America in 1892.  He used his family expertise in the produce business and became known as The Lemon King. Antonia left Sicily with her young son, Antonio.  She followed Gaspare to Boston.  Her husband came to America to persuade her to return to Sicily with him, but she filed divorce papers in Massachusetts to free herself from his grasp.  Mariano was a poor peasant man with little to offer her and their son.  But Gaspare had plenty to offer as his business was growing rapidly.  He quickly became a very well respected businessman, and was appointed the president of the Italian Red Cross Society, as well as a leader in the local Dante Alighiere Society.

Gaspare and Antonina never married, but lived together in a nice apartment at 21 Fairbanks Street.  Her son lived with them until he was old enough to get out on his own. Antonio, her son, constantly tried to persuade his mother to marry Gaspare, as he felt she was living a life of sin.

21 Fairbanks Street, Brookline, Massachusetts

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/21-Fairbanks-St-APT-22-Brookline-MA-02446/2108041549_zpid

The Lemon King set up his business office amidst the best area to oversee his fruit import business. 

The 1916 Boston directory shows he is listed as:

https://archive.org/stream/bostonmassachuse1916112samp#page/618/mode/2up

All seemed to be going well for the couple, until September 21 in 1916.  Gaspare and Antonia were returning home after 10 p.m. from a meeting with the Dante Alighiere Society.  After leaving the streetcar at the Fairbanks Street station, they walked in the direction of their apartment.  Suddenly shots rang out, and Gaspare fell to the ground just outside the doorway to their apartment building.  Antonia screamed and rushed to his side.  A neighbor heard the blasts and ran into the street where he saw the couple and tried to assist them.  The other neighbors summoned the police, and Gaspare was rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital.  He had taken 5 bullets in the back which all lodged in his abdomen.  Things looked grim.

Location of the Fairbanks Station and the vicinity of apartment where Gaspare was shot

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/21-Fairbanks-St-APT-22-Brookline-MA-02446/2108041549_zpid/

Gaspare was not expected to live through the night.  He asked that his attorney be summoned so that he could compose his will.  Antonia was very distraught and hardly paid any attention to what the attorney was composing while her husband tried to hang onto life.  He  signed the document with an X, as his right hand was bandaged from his fall.  Gaspare passed peacefully and Antonia was escorted back to her apartment.

The newspapers were full of coverage from the murder in the Brookline area. No one was able to identify the gunmen, or even speculate who they might be.  Mrs. DiCola remained silent, as did many others in the Italian community. A group of businessmen decided to post a reward for the capture of the culprits, which totaled $5000. Stephen Malato served as the attorney to represent the family.

http://newspaperarchive.com/us/massachusetts/boston/boston-post/1916/09-25

http://newspaperarchive.com/us/massachusetts/boston/boston-post/1916/09-23 

There were many theories as to why someone would want to kill Gaspare. Some include:

1. The fact that Gaspare awarded his "wife", Antonia, $100 per month in addition to the use of their apartement at 21 Fairbanks Street until her death

2.  The fact that Gaspare awarded his brother, Giuseppe DiCola, the total control of the fruit import business and all its premises and assets, totaling well over $250,000 (not too shabby for 1916)

3.  The fact that the son of Antonia, Antonio Bova-Conte, was not awarded any part of the assets.

4.  The fact that the sister of Gaspare, Miss Antoinette DiCola (who lived in Termini Imerese with her brother, Giuseppe) was not awarded any part of the assets. She later tried to contest the will.

5.  The fact that Gaspare had received 2 Black Hand letters in the months before his death.  The letters were written in their usual harsh way :  Give us $25,000 and deposit it in the agreed place, or you will have consequences sent your way.  Gaspare paid no attention to these letters, and he gave them to the local police captain for safekeeping.

6.  The fact that Gaspare had won the heart of Antonia, a married woman, who discarded her husband, forcing him to return to a  lonely peasant life in Sicily,  The husband could not be found by the police detectives when they were trying to follow up with suspects from the murder case.

Meanwhile, the funeral of Gaspare DiCola became one of the largest that the city of Boston had ever seen.  The service was held at the old Italian church, St. Leonard of Port Morris Catholic Parish.  This is the oldest Italian Catholic Church in New England, built in 1873.  He was laid to rest at Holy Cross Cemetery in Malden, Middlesex County.  It was reported that over 5000 people attended the church service, and 2000 followed the funeral procession to the cemetery.

http://newspaperarchive.com/us/massachusetts/boston/boston-post/1916/09-25 pg 3

The death register simply states : Name, sex, age, address of home and where died, birthplace, job

Parents, their place of birth, cause of death, name of coroner, place of burial and undertaker name

So, who do you think was the slayer?  I have not found any documents that show an absolute conclusion to this case.  Let's hope that Gaspare can rest in peace, and the gunmen, too.

Welcome to Friday's Fallen Acorns and Other Nuts

Welcome!

I have started this new blog to complement my first blog, Preservingyourhistory.blogspot.com.

In my years of research I have come across some very interesting characters.  Some are my relatives, and others are collateral relations.

All of the persons mentioned are deceased.

The Persons of Interest in these stories have been involved in Murder, Conspiracy, Extortion, Kidnapping, Bombings and many other incidents.  Their stories have begun with a news article, a police report and death certificates.  Research follows.

The stories are all a part of history.  There will be no attempt to discredit any persons.  All stories are open to discussion, as long as respectful language is used.

If anyone would like to add information to any of the stories that I post, please do so.  I have learned that there are many sides to a story, and keeping each other informed is beneficial for all.

New posts will be added each Friday.

Looking forward to sharing some very interesting characters and their stories with you.