Vittorio "Victor" Giacometti, an Italian immigrant from Gubbio, made a new life in the US, opening a restaurant and becoming a US citizen. His mysterious death led to speculations of suicide or murder, with rumors of gang involvement and love affairs. While it's considered a closed case, so many questions remain unanswered.
I've previously written about the violence that emanated from the Bull's Head section of Scranton. Between the notorious actions of the Black Hand and the fact that the early Italian settlers were known to imbibe far too much alcohol on occasion, there was plenty of violence in this section of the then-booming blue-collar city. And... Continue Reading →
In the early morning hours of May 20, 1926, an explosion tore through a building located at 1032 West Lackawanna Ave. Miraculously, none of the nine occupants at the time were injured during the blast. Scranton TimesMay 20, 1926 The Property The building was owned by Frank Palutis. He, along with his wife, three children,... Continue Reading →
The early days of Scranton had seen more than its share of violence. A fight over a young lady turned deadly in the Boone Hill section in 1875.
A dispute over just fifteen cents leads to murder and then Lackawanna County's first execution by hanging.
Exploring historic crimes in NEPA 