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 →
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 →
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.
The Black Hand Mafia wasn't just involved in shakedowns. They were also involved in a counterfeiting operation that was broken up by some pretty nifty detective work.
A "gangland-style" triple murder in Old Forge, PA in 1934 remains unsolved to this day.
Exploring historic crimes in NEPA 