In October 1921, a Halloween party in Scranton turned deadly when a quarrel over hats led to Egisto Migliosi being fatally shot by Giuseppe Piccotti. Despite efforts to bring Piccotti to justice, he fled to Italy. Eventually, Piccotti was tracked down and arrested in 1928, but the case's resolution remains unknown.
Who Murdered Dr. Durkin?
Scranton, PA. In the early days of this blue-collar city, a well-known doctor is murdered and a manhunt follows. A man is first convicted, then later acquitted. Does his wife's outburst in court thirty years later finally reveal the true killer?
Stabbing Turns Deadly in Bull’s Head
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 →
Explosion Rocks West Side (1926)
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 →
Murder at the IBM Building!
My hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, has gone through some periods of revitalization and redevelopment over th the years. The town that once fueled the nation's manufacturing with its abundance of coal mines and steel production has seen more than its fair share of ups and downs. In November 1963, the city celebrated its revitalization with... Continue Reading →
