Politics in Scranton have always been shady, but in 1928, Wade Rodham's camp tried to steal the election for him by stuffing the ballot box. Here's what happened!
The Early Days of Voter Fraud
Albert Gleason – EOW 12/27/1933
The Scranton Police Department was established in October 1856, just eight months after receiving its charter as a borough. Back then, just sixteen men protected the new borough, protecting a population of just under 10,000. The men patrolled on foot and were paid $1 for every arrest they made - usually, the offenders paid the... Continue Reading →
Dominick Delfino & The Great Escape
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1DYe0eKh48pNXvM47mQKCW?si=7474bb3637024b9f On April 25, 1916, Demetrio "Daniel" Morabito was drinking with several others. The men were at Mellow's Saloon near the corner of Monroe & Main Street in Archbald. Shortly after 8:00 pm, Morabito left the saloon and headed for home. It was a short walk to his place on Chestnut Street. He was supposed... Continue Reading →
The Black Hand Society of Bull’s Head
I decided to go a little further back in Scranton's notorious past. This time, over a century ago, when Italian immigrants, particularly Southern Italians, and Sicilians, were coming to the US in waves. Starting in the early 1880s and continuing until 1924, over 4 million Italians made the trek. The peak came between 1900-1910 when... Continue Reading →
Jerry the Jew, Chicken Delight and Hank…
My research led me to a case where the body of a man was discovered in 1971. The identity of the victim (and those involved) was unknown for 2 1/2 years. The subsequent murder investigation uncovered a massive burglary ring throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey that was allegedly associated with the Mafia - specifically, the... Continue Reading →
Exploring historic crimes in NEPA 