May 4, 2024 • 27 mins
Could the haunting jazz melodies of New Orleans hide a spine-chilling secret? Embrace the darkness with us as we explore the sinister saga of the New Orleans Axeman, a shadow that loomed over the city with an axe in hand. Our latest episode takes you through the terrifying events, when playing jazz became a means of survival against an enigmatic killer's promise. We recount the gruesome fate of his victims and sift through the theories surrounding the Axeman's true identity, unmasking the fear that still lingers in the heart of the Big Easy.
We navigate the labyrinth of New Orleans' past, haunted by the echoes of a bygone era of terror. Unveiling the torment inflicted and the miscarriage of justice that followed. As we reflect on the Axeman's indelible mark on the city's culture and paranormal lore, we invite you to join us on this journey through one of America's most captivating unsolved mysteries.
Sources:
Medium article, Wikipedia, Legends of America, Smithsonian Magazine, NolaGhosts.com and criminal minds wiki.
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Be Weird. Stay Different. Don't Trust Anyone!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Welcome to Dark Crossroads Podcast, hosted by
Roxanne Fletcher.
This is your stop for allthings true crime and paranormal
.
From the infamous story of theNew Bedford Highway Killer to
the chilling tale of the BlackEyed Children, dark Crossroads
Podcast is a truly deep diveinto the stories that frighten
and fascinate you.
All links to the show will beprovided in this episode's
(01:33):
description, and don't forget tolet us know what you think of
today's episode.
The Axeman of New Orleans wasan unidentified American serial
killer who was active in andaround New Orleans, louisiana,
(01:56):
between May of 1918 and Octoberof 1919.
The attacker was neveridentified and the murders
remain unsolved to this day.
Late into the night of March18th of 1919 and early the
morning after, jazz floated intothe damp, dark air from homes
and bars across New Orleans andits suburbs.
(02:16):
Normally, such an outpouring ofmusic is and was a product of
celebration, but on thisparticular spring night the
sound signaled something muchmore sinister.
New Orleans citizens wereplaying jazz music out of fear
for their very lives.
This collective anxiety was theresult of a string of brutal
(02:37):
attacks by a mysterious killerwhose spree of terror had
escalated considerably in theprevious few months.
The attacker had established apattern of sneaking into his
victim's bedrooms under thecover of darkness and
bludgeoning them in the headwith a hatchet or an axe,
usually found on their ownproperty or stolen from
somewhere nearby.
As they were sleeping, citizenswere desperate to do anything
(03:01):
in their limited power toprotect their families In
particular.
This nervous night of music wasthe result of a letter that was
published on Sunday, march 16th1919.
Through my research of theletter from the New Orleans
(03:21):
Axemen, I found an amazingretelling on YouTube of the
actual letter.
It is by YouTuber TheTailMasterand I am going to plug it here,
but I highly recommend thateverybody go check out
TheTailMaster if you're intothese stories or hearing a
retelling of them.
It is very fun to listen to.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Hell, march 13th 1919 .
Esteemed model, they have nevercaught me, for I am invisible,
even as the ether that surroundsyour earth.
(04:15):
I'm not a human being, but aspirit and a demon from the
hottest hell.
I'm what you Orleanians andyour foolish police call the
Axeman.
When I see fit, I shall comeand claim other victims.
(04:38):
I alone know who they shall be.
I shall leave no other cluesexcept my bloody axe.
My bloody axe, my bloody axe,be smeared with blood and brains
of he whom I've sent below tokeep me company.
(05:00):
If you wish, you may tell thepolice to be careful not to rile
me.
Of course I am a reasonablespirit.
I take no offense.
No, not the way they haveconducted their investigations
in the past.
In fact, they have been soutterly stupid as to not only
(05:24):
amuse me, but His SatanicMajesty Francis Joseph, etc.
But tell them, tell them tobeware, let them not try to
discover what I am, for it werebetter that they were never born
(05:48):
than to incur the wrath oftheir X-Men.
I don't think there is any needof such a warning, for I fear
sure that the police will alwaysdodge me, as they have in the
past.
They are wise and know how tokeep away from all harm.
(06:11):
Undoubtedly, you Orleaniansthink of me as the most horrible
murderer which I am, which I am, which I am.
But I could be worse if Iwanted to.
(06:33):
If I wished, I could pay avisit to your city every night
at will.
I could slay thousands of yourbest citizens, for I'm in close
relationship with the angel ofdeath.
Now to be exact, at 12.15,earthly time.
(06:59):
Of course, on Tuesday next I'mgoing to pass over New Orleans
In my infinite mercy.
I'm going to make a littleproposition to you people.
Here it is.
I am very fond of jazz musicand I swear by all the devils in
the nether regions that everyperson shall be spared in whose
(07:23):
home a jazz band is in fullswing At the time I have
mentioned.
The Jazz Band is in full swingat the time I have mentioned.
If everyone has a Jazz Bandgoing well, so much the better
for your people.
One thing is certain, and thatis that some of your people who
(07:56):
do not jazz it up on Tuesdaynight if there be any, will get
my axe.
Well, as I am cold and cravethe warmth of my native Tartarus
, it is about time I leave yourearthly home.
I will cease my discourseHoping that thou wilt publish
this.
That may go well with thee.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
I have been, I am and I will be the worst.
Carefully.
Historians as well as criminalprofilers think the likelihood
of the actual Axeman havingwritten it is exceptionally slim
.
Of the actual Axeman havingwritten it is exceptionally slim
.
Historians have largelydebunked the letter surrounding
the Axeman, regardless of whoactually wrote the letter.
The people of New Orleansclearly took a better safe than
(08:59):
sorry approach to the warning.
The tinkle of jazz music comingfrom dozens of New Orleans
homes at 12-15 o'clock Wednesdaymorning demonstrated that many
Orleanians took the Axemanletter printed in the newspaper
on Sunday seriously.
To understand the possiblesuspects of who the Axeman might
be, you sometimes have tobetter understand the Axeman's
(09:21):
crimes and the poor,unsuspecting individuals who
were his victims.
The murders have taken placeover a hundred years ago, but
the Jazzman story remains one ofthe greatest mysteries and
unsolved murder cases within thecanals of American crime.
They were a series of nightslayings that were committed
during a post-war age of jazzand newfound optimism that were
(09:44):
both dark and terrifying.
It is a chilling story ofterror during a seemingly golden
time of boom where a newAmerica had emerged but a night
prowler was invading homes andcreating nighttime carnage and
chaos.
The Axeman's modern status isone of mythological urban legend
and the rumors and theoriesbehind this killer range from
(10:06):
the interesting to the downrightfar-fetched.
But terrifyingly, the Axemanwas real.
He was very real.
There were four people brutallymurdered and eight grievously
injured by this Axeman.
They were all New Orleans andthe neighboring Gretna residents
, predominantlyItalian-Americans, and they were
attacked within their ownbedrooms by an intruder.
(10:28):
The weapon of choice usuallybelonged to the homeowner and
the attacks took place insidethe homes of the people where
this creature was struck.
The attacks occurred from May1918 until October 1919 and now,
over a hundred years later,they still remain unsolved.
There were unfounded reports ofattacks going back to 1911,.
(10:50):
However, these havesubsequently been questioned by
researchers.
This letter that was sent bythe Axeman claimed to spare
anyone that was playing jazz,thus establishing the somewhat
twisted and yet also romanticmotive that the Axeman was
killing to promote his own lovefor jazz.
The city of New Orleans was inthe grip of fear by 1918.
(11:12):
The attacks were surprising andvery vicious.
The first victim, anItalian-American called Joseph
Maggio, had his skull fracturedand his throat cut with a razor,
while his wife Catherine chokedon her own blood.
This clearly demonstrated thepolice description of a
murderous degenerate who gloatsover blood In the spirit of a
(11:34):
later serial killer known as theNight Stalker and predating the
infamous Richard Ramirez'strademark of breaking into
houses in the middle of thenight.
This was the original NightStalker.
The Axeman had many of the sametraits as Richard Ramirez he
was a home invader with adesperate hate for women and a
need to punish those as theyremained the most vulnerable.
(11:56):
A human being could possibly besleeping.
On the night of March 19th, thejazz man got his wish.
The dance halls were full andthe majority of houses blared
out jazz throughout the night,and no murders occurred.
However, it is impossible todistinguish if the letter from
the ax man was real or a hoax,in much the same way that we
cannot identify the from hellletters from the Jack the Ripper
(12:18):
.
It is, of course, the mostglamorized and famous aspect of
the Axeman tell.
Strangely enough, theunidentified Axeman was not even
the first Axeman of New Orleansduring this time era.
Clementine Barnabette wasconvicted in 1913 for a murder
that she carried out in 1911,whereby Clementine was a voodoo
(12:39):
murderess with the same MO foraxe wielding as the Axeman.
The only difference is that shewas awaiting execution at the
time of the 1918 slayings,claiming allegedly up to 35
victims.
She was described as brainingher victims with an axe.
To have this coincide with thejazz-loving Axeman is even more
(12:59):
crazy, and the overlap betweenthe 1911 axe murder reporting
and the 1918-1919 slayings couldbe explained by the presence of
bloody Clementine.
In 1923, clementine walked outof prison and was never seen
again.
The first murder conclusivelylinked to the Axeman was on May
22, 1918, where store ownerJoseph Maggio and his wife
(13:22):
Catherine were discovered lyingin a pool of blood.
Joseph's brother, who was alsoa next-door neighbor, discovered
their bodies.
The killer had entered thehouse by chiseling a lower
wooden panel out of the backdoor.
The axe was left in thebathroom and the razor was found
in the neighbor's garden.
There was no evidence ofstealing and thus no link to
burglary as a motive.
(13:43):
The only clue found at thescene was a cryptic message
written in chalk on the pavementa short way away from the
murder house.
It read Mrs Maggiago will situp tonight, just like Mrs Tony.
The police linked the messageto Mrs Tony, who was killed some
six years earlier by an axeman.
Again, experts cast doubt onwhether any attacks prior to
(14:04):
1918 were carried out by thesame man.
However, this could link to acopycat slaying Unfairly but
beginning a running theme.
Throughout the case, joseph'sbrother was considered an early
suspect in the murder.
Andrew Maggiago was booked infor questioning but was released
when police failed to breakdown his statement.
A month later, the Axeman struckagain.
(14:25):
On the 27th of June, baker JohnZanka went to make a delivery
to a grocery store owner, luisBasumer, another
Italian-American.
John was aghast to discover theremains of Basumer and what
appeared to be his wife, who wascovered in blood, but somehow
both were still alive.
Basumer had been hacked at withan axe.
(14:45):
The attacker had again enteredthrough a panel via the back
door and attacked the seeminglymarried couple while Louis
Basumer and his wife Harriet laysleeping.
In a bizarre turn of events, itemerged that Harriet was not
Mrs Besumer but Louis Besumer'smistress.
He had been attacked with hisown axe, which was again found
(15:06):
in the bathroom, and there wereno valuables that had been taken
.
The police rounded up suspects,including one of Louis
Besumer's employees, but a lackof evidence produced no further
charges.
Harriet was to die two monthslater as a result of her
injuries.
Harriet's final act beforedying was to accuse Bissouma of
espionage and working on behalfof the Germans and pointed the
(15:29):
finger at him for the attack.
Louis Bissouma, rather unfairly, was even put on trial for the
attack but was acquitted.
The next victim was MrsSchneider, a non-Italian victim.
Schneider was pregnant at thetime and was discovered by her
husband with her scalp cut openand her teeth completely knocked
out.
She had managed to survive theattack and would later safely
(15:51):
give birth to her daughter.
The survival of some victimsdespite horrific injuries would
indicate a frenzied nature ofthe attack rather than a
methodical and pragmatic serialkiller.
The Axeman appeared to beattacking through methods of
carnage and savagery.
An FBI profiler would probablytell you that this indicates
some form of rage and hatredtowards women or
(16:13):
Italian-Americans.
With Mrs Snyder's attack, thewindows and doors showed no
signs of forced entry and,rather than an axe, a lamp had
been discovered near the sceneand likely was used in the
attack.
It kept in line with thevictims being attacked by their
own possessions.
The next target after Mrs Snyderwas Joseph Romano.
(16:34):
Romano was an elderly man wholived with his two nieces,
pauline and Mary.
Bruno was an elderly man wholived with his two nieces,
pauline and Mary Bruno.
The attack occurred on the 10thof August in 1918.
The sisters had found Josephafter he had been struck on the
head and was discovered bleedingbadly.
They managed to get a peek ofthe axeman and described him as
dark-skinned, heavyset andwearing a dark suit with a
(16:55):
slouched hat.
The intruder had again used achisel to the panels to force
entry.
Mr Romano died two days afterthe attack, resulting from the
injuries.
The attack to Joseph Romano sentthe whole of New Orleans into
frenzy and police believed thatthey were looking for a real
life.
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, policedetective John D'Antonio,
(17:15):
believed that they were lookingfor a seemingly normal person in
plain sight with a dark anddevious double persona.
It was now that the idea of amass murder was taking shape.
Serial killer, obviously, wasby then an unused term.
The next attack wasparticularly disturbing.
The Cortimelia family wereattacked by the Axeman on the
(17:36):
10th of March in 1919.
This time the attack occurredin the New Orleans suburb of
Gretna.
For unknown reasons, itoccurred seven months after the
last attack and there is noexplanation as to why.
The hiatus, however, the MO,remained eerily similar.
They were Italian Americans andthey were grocers.
The Axeman had entered thehouse by chiseling through the
(17:57):
backdoor panel and attacked withthe victim's own axe.
The axeman had struck CharlesCornelia across the head,
causing a fracture, and thenturned his attention to his wife
, rosie, who was holding theirtwo-year-old daughter.
Their daughter would dieinstantly, with Charles and
Rosie, despite their seriousinjuries, surviving the incident
.
It was a fellow grocer, mrGiorn, that came to their aid
(18:21):
when he heard the blood-curdlingscreams and then alerted the
authorities.
Unfortunately for Mr Giornato,he was then accused by Rosie of
the murders, making anaccusation which Rosie later
admitted was made out of spiteand jealousy.
The result of her accusing himof this crime and his son Frank
resulted in them being sentencedto life in prison.
(18:42):
Charles was allegedly sodisgusted by his wife's actions
and the false accusation, whichhe told police were untrue at
the time, that he eventuallydivorced her, with Rosie later
recanting her testimony.
The two men were then releasedand spared the multiple murder
charges.
It was after the Cortimeliaattack that the infamous letter
was sent to the newspaper at thetime, where the Axeman
(19:04):
threatened an entire city andthe city went on to throw a
massive jazz party to keep himat bay.
The next attacks werequestionable.
The victims were Steve Boca andSarah Laman, who both managed
to survive.
However, the authenticity intothese two incidents being the
Axeman has always beenquestioned.
The MO of attacking womanmatches Sarah Laman, and Sarah
(19:28):
also suffered severe skullfractures and also had her teeth
knocked out in the attack.
However, this time theperpetrator had entered through
an open window and not thechiseling of the panels.
Steve Bocca's attack wasunusual in that there were no
women present at the time of hisattack and, despite surviving,
he claimed to not rememberanything from the attack.
(19:49):
Many believe that these attackswere the work of a copycat, as
they either did not follow thesame MO or, unusually, attacked
a single man in his bedchambers.
The final slaying by the Axemanwas on the 27th of October 1919
against another Italian-Americangrocer called Mike Pepitone.
Pepitone was awakened by anoise and was struck at his
(20:12):
front door by an axe-wielding,darkened figure.
The figure then fled into thenight unidentified by the
Pepitone family.
The blood from his wounds hadsprayed onto a painting of the
Virgin Mary.
In this instance, the nature ofthe attack and Pepitone
catching them at the front doorhad fortunately spared both his
wife and his six children.
(20:32):
And then, after October of 1919, the string of attacks just
stopped.
The first theory points to theItalian-American mafia.
Due to the attacks mainly beingcarried out on Italian-American
grocers, it has led some tobelieve that it was the Black
Hand that was behind the axeattacks.
The Black Hand was an earlyform of the mafia in America and
(20:56):
could link the murder tohard-working Italian-American
business owners to an extortionracket run in New Orleans.
This links the attacks to anold-fashioned vendetta in order
to settle old scores and repayany outstanding debt.
Joseph Mumphrey is the onlylegitimate suspect linked to the
real identity of the Axeman.
Mumphrey was connected to theNew Orleans extortion racket and
(21:20):
was later shot dead by MikePepitone's widow in Los Angeles
in 1920.
Further research has drawn ablank on this theory, as there
is no record of a Mumphreyhaving been in California, let
alone dying in California,during that time, and there is
no source of a Mrs Pepitonebeing arrested for any crime,
which leads many to claim thatthe entire story is an urban
(21:44):
legend.
After his last attack, theAxeman vanished from New Orleans
, but evidence from policerecords and newspaper accounts
show that he struck elsewhere inLouisiana, killing many others.
The killer's MO was the same,breaking into Italian grocery
stores in the middle of thenight and attacking the grocer
and his family with their ownaxe.
(22:05):
The Axeman then disappearedfrom history.
The Italians of New Orleans didnot, though.
They continued to prosper,although as a result of the
growth of supermarkets, thecorner groceries eventually
disappeared.
They, like so many immigrantsbefore them, joined mainstream
American society whilecontinuing to maintain their
ethnic identity.
(22:26):
The Axeman has become interwoveninto New Orleans' history,
cultural makeup and ghost-filledcloset of terrors.
The house where Joseph Maggiagoand his wife Catherine is said
to be haunted by their remnants.
On certain nights near the area, people have reported screams
and shrieks.
From March 13th to the 15th, itis a no-load tradition to play
(22:49):
jazz in most pubs, clubs anddiscos at least once a night in
order to ward the Axeman's fury.
It doesn't matter if it's ahonky-tonk, a goth club or the
swankiest dinner hall.
You will hear the beat of MilesDavis or his cronies at least
once during those nights.
The hospital where JosephRomano was treated is said to be
(23:11):
haunted by his restless spirit.
According to local legend, theaptly named Haunted Hotel of New
Orleans is the locationbelieved to be where the axeman
hid between picking off hisvictims.
This is the place where heslept during his murder sprees.
The natives believe that hisghoulish specter remains at this
(23:32):
hotel.
In the back of the hotel, thereis a quaint courtyard with a
strange and dark vibe.
Visitors have claimed to haveseen wandering shadows, pools of
blood, capture strange EVPs andeven experience bizarre
electrical hiccups with theircell phones.
With all of this said, to thisday, no one knows about the
(23:53):
Axeman's identity, and it isthat time, guys, to say goodbye,
but before I do so, I just wantto send a thank you to all of
(24:16):
my listeners for your continuedlove and support and for sending
in cases that you want coveredand stories that you want read
on the podcast.
We truly accept all stories,including scary, paranormal and
funny.
Any cases you want covered orstories that you want read on
the podcast.
Just please send them in todarkcrossroadspodcasts at
gmailcom.
(24:36):
Thank you for hanging out againtoday, and if you want any more
information about the podcastor cases and stories that we
cover, then head on over to thewebsite at
wwwdarkcrossroadspodcastcom.
There you can find all of theinformation about the podcast, a
link to our merch and also ourblog covering all of the cases
that we cover.
(24:56):
You can also find us on allsocial media platforms.
Don't forget to like, share,rate, review, subscribe wherever
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(25:17):
.
Every single dollar that comesthrough donations or through our
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And with all of this said,please don't forget to be weird,
stay different and don't trustanyone.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
Thank you.
Welcome to Dark Crossroads Podcast, hosted by
Roxanne Fletcher.
This is your stop for allthings true crime and paranormal
.
From the infamous story of theNew Bedford Highway Killer to
the chilling tale of the BlackEyed Children, dark Crossroads
Podcast is a truly deep diveinto the stories that frighten
and fascinate you.
All links to the show will beprovided in this episode's
(01:33):
description, and don't forget tolet us know what you think of
today's episode.
The Axeman of New Orleans wasan unidentified American serial
killer who was active in andaround New Orleans, louisiana,
(01:56):
between May of 1918 and Octoberof 1919.
The attacker was neveridentified and the murders
remain unsolved to this day.
Late into the night of March18th of 1919 and early the
morning after, jazz floated intothe damp, dark air from homes
and bars across New Orleans andits suburbs.
(02:16):
Normally, such an outpouring ofmusic is and was a product of
celebration, but on thisparticular spring night the
sound signaled something muchmore sinister.
New Orleans citizens wereplaying jazz music out of fear
for their very lives.
This collective anxiety was theresult of a string of brutal
(02:37):
attacks by a mysterious killerwhose spree of terror had
escalated considerably in theprevious few months.
The attacker had established apattern of sneaking into his
victim's bedrooms under thecover of darkness and
bludgeoning them in the headwith a hatchet or an axe,
usually found on their ownproperty or stolen from
somewhere nearby.
As they were sleeping, citizenswere desperate to do anything
(03:01):
in their limited power toprotect their families In
particular.
This nervous night of music wasthe result of a letter that was
published on Sunday, march 16th1919.
Through my research of theletter from the New Orleans
(03:21):
Axemen, I found an amazingretelling on YouTube of the
actual letter.
It is by YouTuber TheTailMasterand I am going to plug it here,
but I highly recommend thateverybody go check out
TheTailMaster if you're intothese stories or hearing a
retelling of them.
It is very fun to listen to.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Hell, march 13th 1919 .
Esteemed model, they have nevercaught me, for I am invisible,
even as the ether that surroundsyour earth.
(04:15):
I'm not a human being, but aspirit and a demon from the
hottest hell.
I'm what you Orleanians andyour foolish police call the
Axeman.
When I see fit, I shall comeand claim other victims.
(04:38):
I alone know who they shall be.
I shall leave no other cluesexcept my bloody axe.
My bloody axe, my bloody axe,be smeared with blood and brains
of he whom I've sent below tokeep me company.
(05:00):
If you wish, you may tell thepolice to be careful not to rile
me.
Of course I am a reasonablespirit.
I take no offense.
No, not the way they haveconducted their investigations
in the past.
In fact, they have been soutterly stupid as to not only
(05:24):
amuse me, but His SatanicMajesty Francis Joseph, etc.
But tell them, tell them tobeware, let them not try to
discover what I am, for it werebetter that they were never born
(05:48):
than to incur the wrath oftheir X-Men.
I don't think there is any needof such a warning, for I fear
sure that the police will alwaysdodge me, as they have in the
past.
They are wise and know how tokeep away from all harm.
(06:11):
Undoubtedly, you Orleaniansthink of me as the most horrible
murderer which I am, which I am, which I am.
But I could be worse if Iwanted to.
(06:33):
If I wished, I could pay avisit to your city every night
at will.
I could slay thousands of yourbest citizens, for I'm in close
relationship with the angel ofdeath.
Now to be exact, at 12.15,earthly time.
(06:59):
Of course, on Tuesday next I'mgoing to pass over New Orleans
In my infinite mercy.
I'm going to make a littleproposition to you people.
Here it is.
I am very fond of jazz musicand I swear by all the devils in
the nether regions that everyperson shall be spared in whose
(07:23):
home a jazz band is in fullswing At the time I have
mentioned.
The Jazz Band is in full swingat the time I have mentioned.
If everyone has a Jazz Bandgoing well, so much the better
for your people.
One thing is certain, and thatis that some of your people who
(07:56):
do not jazz it up on Tuesdaynight if there be any, will get
my axe.
Well, as I am cold and cravethe warmth of my native Tartarus
, it is about time I leave yourearthly home.
I will cease my discourseHoping that thou wilt publish
this.
That may go well with thee.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
I have been, I am and I will be the worst.
Carefully.
Historians as well as criminalprofilers think the likelihood
of the actual Axeman havingwritten it is exceptionally slim
.
Of the actual Axeman havingwritten it is exceptionally slim
.
Historians have largelydebunked the letter surrounding
the Axeman, regardless of whoactually wrote the letter.
The people of New Orleansclearly took a better safe than
(08:59):
sorry approach to the warning.
The tinkle of jazz music comingfrom dozens of New Orleans
homes at 12-15 o'clock Wednesdaymorning demonstrated that many
Orleanians took the Axemanletter printed in the newspaper
on Sunday seriously.
To understand the possiblesuspects of who the Axeman might
be, you sometimes have tobetter understand the Axeman's
(09:21):
crimes and the poor,unsuspecting individuals who
were his victims.
The murders have taken placeover a hundred years ago, but
the Jazzman story remains one ofthe greatest mysteries and
unsolved murder cases within thecanals of American crime.
They were a series of nightslayings that were committed
during a post-war age of jazzand newfound optimism that were
(09:44):
both dark and terrifying.
It is a chilling story ofterror during a seemingly golden
time of boom where a newAmerica had emerged but a night
prowler was invading homes andcreating nighttime carnage and
chaos.
The Axeman's modern status isone of mythological urban legend
and the rumors and theoriesbehind this killer range from
(10:06):
the interesting to the downrightfar-fetched.
But terrifyingly, the Axemanwas real.
He was very real.
There were four people brutallymurdered and eight grievously
injured by this Axeman.
They were all New Orleans andthe neighboring Gretna residents
, predominantlyItalian-Americans, and they were
attacked within their ownbedrooms by an intruder.
(10:28):
The weapon of choice usuallybelonged to the homeowner and
the attacks took place insidethe homes of the people where
this creature was struck.
The attacks occurred from May1918 until October 1919 and now,
over a hundred years later,they still remain unsolved.
There were unfounded reports ofattacks going back to 1911,.
(10:50):
However, these havesubsequently been questioned by
researchers.
This letter that was sent bythe Axeman claimed to spare
anyone that was playing jazz,thus establishing the somewhat
twisted and yet also romanticmotive that the Axeman was
killing to promote his own lovefor jazz.
The city of New Orleans was inthe grip of fear by 1918.
(11:12):
The attacks were surprising andvery vicious.
The first victim, anItalian-American called Joseph
Maggio, had his skull fracturedand his throat cut with a razor,
while his wife Catherine chokedon her own blood.
This clearly demonstrated thepolice description of a
murderous degenerate who gloatsover blood In the spirit of a
(11:34):
later serial killer known as theNight Stalker and predating the
infamous Richard Ramirez'strademark of breaking into
houses in the middle of thenight.
This was the original NightStalker.
The Axeman had many of the sametraits as Richard Ramirez he
was a home invader with adesperate hate for women and a
need to punish those as theyremained the most vulnerable.
(11:56):
A human being could possibly besleeping.
On the night of March 19th, thejazz man got his wish.
The dance halls were full andthe majority of houses blared
out jazz throughout the night,and no murders occurred.
However, it is impossible todistinguish if the letter from
the ax man was real or a hoax,in much the same way that we
cannot identify the from hellletters from the Jack the Ripper
(12:18):
.
It is, of course, the mostglamorized and famous aspect of
the Axeman tell.
Strangely enough, theunidentified Axeman was not even
the first Axeman of New Orleansduring this time era.
Clementine Barnabette wasconvicted in 1913 for a murder
that she carried out in 1911,whereby Clementine was a voodoo
(12:39):
murderess with the same MO foraxe wielding as the Axeman.
The only difference is that shewas awaiting execution at the
time of the 1918 slayings,claiming allegedly up to 35
victims.
She was described as brainingher victims with an axe.
To have this coincide with thejazz-loving Axeman is even more
(12:59):
crazy, and the overlap betweenthe 1911 axe murder reporting
and the 1918-1919 slayings couldbe explained by the presence of
bloody Clementine.
In 1923, clementine walked outof prison and was never seen
again.
The first murder conclusivelylinked to the Axeman was on May
22, 1918, where store ownerJoseph Maggio and his wife
(13:22):
Catherine were discovered lyingin a pool of blood.
Joseph's brother, who was alsoa next-door neighbor, discovered
their bodies.
The killer had entered thehouse by chiseling a lower
wooden panel out of the backdoor.
The axe was left in thebathroom and the razor was found
in the neighbor's garden.
There was no evidence ofstealing and thus no link to
burglary as a motive.
(13:43):
The only clue found at thescene was a cryptic message
written in chalk on the pavementa short way away from the
murder house.
It read Mrs Maggiago will situp tonight, just like Mrs Tony.
The police linked the messageto Mrs Tony, who was killed some
six years earlier by an axeman.
Again, experts cast doubt onwhether any attacks prior to
(14:04):
1918 were carried out by thesame man.
However, this could link to acopycat slaying Unfairly but
beginning a running theme.
Throughout the case, joseph'sbrother was considered an early
suspect in the murder.
Andrew Maggiago was booked infor questioning but was released
when police failed to breakdown his statement.
A month later, the Axeman struckagain.
(14:25):
On the 27th of June, baker JohnZanka went to make a delivery
to a grocery store owner, luisBasumer, another
Italian-American.
John was aghast to discover theremains of Basumer and what
appeared to be his wife, who wascovered in blood, but somehow
both were still alive.
Basumer had been hacked at withan axe.
(14:45):
The attacker had again enteredthrough a panel via the back
door and attacked the seeminglymarried couple while Louis
Basumer and his wife Harriet laysleeping.
In a bizarre turn of events, itemerged that Harriet was not
Mrs Besumer but Louis Besumer'smistress.
He had been attacked with hisown axe, which was again found
(15:06):
in the bathroom, and there wereno valuables that had been taken
.
The police rounded up suspects,including one of Louis
Besumer's employees, but a lackof evidence produced no further
charges.
Harriet was to die two monthslater as a result of her
injuries.
Harriet's final act beforedying was to accuse Bissouma of
espionage and working on behalfof the Germans and pointed the
(15:29):
finger at him for the attack.
Louis Bissouma, rather unfairly, was even put on trial for the
attack but was acquitted.
The next victim was MrsSchneider, a non-Italian victim.
Schneider was pregnant at thetime and was discovered by her
husband with her scalp cut openand her teeth completely knocked
out.
She had managed to survive theattack and would later safely
(15:51):
give birth to her daughter.
The survival of some victimsdespite horrific injuries would
indicate a frenzied nature ofthe attack rather than a
methodical and pragmatic serialkiller.
The Axeman appeared to beattacking through methods of
carnage and savagery.
An FBI profiler would probablytell you that this indicates
some form of rage and hatredtowards women or
(16:13):
Italian-Americans.
With Mrs Snyder's attack, thewindows and doors showed no
signs of forced entry and,rather than an axe, a lamp had
been discovered near the sceneand likely was used in the
attack.
It kept in line with thevictims being attacked by their
own possessions.
The next target after Mrs Snyderwas Joseph Romano.
(16:34):
Romano was an elderly man wholived with his two nieces,
pauline and Mary.
Bruno was an elderly man wholived with his two nieces,
pauline and Mary Bruno.
The attack occurred on the 10thof August in 1918.
The sisters had found Josephafter he had been struck on the
head and was discovered bleedingbadly.
They managed to get a peek ofthe axeman and described him as
dark-skinned, heavyset andwearing a dark suit with a
(16:55):
slouched hat.
The intruder had again used achisel to the panels to force
entry.
Mr Romano died two days afterthe attack, resulting from the
injuries.
The attack to Joseph Romano sentthe whole of New Orleans into
frenzy and police believed thatthey were looking for a real
life.
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, policedetective John D'Antonio,
(17:15):
believed that they were lookingfor a seemingly normal person in
plain sight with a dark anddevious double persona.
It was now that the idea of amass murder was taking shape.
Serial killer, obviously, wasby then an unused term.
The next attack wasparticularly disturbing.
The Cortimelia family wereattacked by the Axeman on the
(17:36):
10th of March in 1919.
This time the attack occurredin the New Orleans suburb of
Gretna.
For unknown reasons, itoccurred seven months after the
last attack and there is noexplanation as to why.
The hiatus, however, the MO,remained eerily similar.
They were Italian Americans andthey were grocers.
The Axeman had entered thehouse by chiseling through the
(17:57):
backdoor panel and attacked withthe victim's own axe.
The axeman had struck CharlesCornelia across the head,
causing a fracture, and thenturned his attention to his wife
, rosie, who was holding theirtwo-year-old daughter.
Their daughter would dieinstantly, with Charles and
Rosie, despite their seriousinjuries, surviving the incident
.
It was a fellow grocer, mrGiorn, that came to their aid
(18:21):
when he heard the blood-curdlingscreams and then alerted the
authorities.
Unfortunately for Mr Giornato,he was then accused by Rosie of
the murders, making anaccusation which Rosie later
admitted was made out of spiteand jealousy.
The result of her accusing himof this crime and his son Frank
resulted in them being sentencedto life in prison.
(18:42):
Charles was allegedly sodisgusted by his wife's actions
and the false accusation, whichhe told police were untrue at
the time, that he eventuallydivorced her, with Rosie later
recanting her testimony.
The two men were then releasedand spared the multiple murder
charges.
It was after the Cortimeliaattack that the infamous letter
was sent to the newspaper at thetime, where the Axeman
(19:04):
threatened an entire city andthe city went on to throw a
massive jazz party to keep himat bay.
The next attacks werequestionable.
The victims were Steve Boca andSarah Laman, who both managed
to survive.
However, the authenticity intothese two incidents being the
Axeman has always beenquestioned.
The MO of attacking womanmatches Sarah Laman, and Sarah
(19:28):
also suffered severe skullfractures and also had her teeth
knocked out in the attack.
However, this time theperpetrator had entered through
an open window and not thechiseling of the panels.
Steve Bocca's attack wasunusual in that there were no
women present at the time of hisattack and, despite surviving,
he claimed to not rememberanything from the attack.
(19:49):
Many believe that these attackswere the work of a copycat, as
they either did not follow thesame MO or, unusually, attacked
a single man in his bedchambers.
The final slaying by the Axemanwas on the 27th of October 1919
against another Italian-Americangrocer called Mike Pepitone.
Pepitone was awakened by anoise and was struck at his
(20:12):
front door by an axe-wielding,darkened figure.
The figure then fled into thenight unidentified by the
Pepitone family.
The blood from his wounds hadsprayed onto a painting of the
Virgin Mary.
In this instance, the nature ofthe attack and Pepitone
catching them at the front doorhad fortunately spared both his
wife and his six children.
(20:32):
And then, after October of 1919, the string of attacks just
stopped.
The first theory points to theItalian-American mafia.
Due to the attacks mainly beingcarried out on Italian-American
grocers, it has led some tobelieve that it was the Black
Hand that was behind the axeattacks.
The Black Hand was an earlyform of the mafia in America and
(20:56):
could link the murder tohard-working Italian-American
business owners to an extortionracket run in New Orleans.
This links the attacks to anold-fashioned vendetta in order
to settle old scores and repayany outstanding debt.
Joseph Mumphrey is the onlylegitimate suspect linked to the
real identity of the Axeman.
Mumphrey was connected to theNew Orleans extortion racket and
(21:20):
was later shot dead by MikePepitone's widow in Los Angeles
in 1920.
Further research has drawn ablank on this theory, as there
is no record of a Mumphreyhaving been in California, let
alone dying in California,during that time, and there is
no source of a Mrs Pepitonebeing arrested for any crime,
which leads many to claim thatthe entire story is an urban
(21:44):
legend.
After his last attack, theAxeman vanished from New Orleans
, but evidence from policerecords and newspaper accounts
show that he struck elsewhere inLouisiana, killing many others.
The killer's MO was the same,breaking into Italian grocery
stores in the middle of thenight and attacking the grocer
and his family with their ownaxe.
(22:05):
The Axeman then disappearedfrom history.
The Italians of New Orleans didnot, though.
They continued to prosper,although as a result of the
growth of supermarkets, thecorner groceries eventually
disappeared.
They, like so many immigrantsbefore them, joined mainstream
American society whilecontinuing to maintain their
ethnic identity.
(22:26):
The Axeman has become interwoveninto New Orleans' history,
cultural makeup and ghost-filledcloset of terrors.
The house where Joseph Maggiagoand his wife Catherine is said
to be haunted by their remnants.
On certain nights near the area, people have reported screams
and shrieks.
From March 13th to the 15th, itis a no-load tradition to play
(22:49):
jazz in most pubs, clubs anddiscos at least once a night in
order to ward the Axeman's fury.
It doesn't matter if it's ahonky-tonk, a goth club or the
swankiest dinner hall.
You will hear the beat of MilesDavis or his cronies at least
once during those nights.
The hospital where JosephRomano was treated is said to be
(23:11):
haunted by his restless spirit.
According to local legend, theaptly named Haunted Hotel of New
Orleans is the locationbelieved to be where the axeman
hid between picking off hisvictims.
This is the place where heslept during his murder sprees.
The natives believe that hisghoulish specter remains at this
(23:32):
hotel.
In the back of the hotel, thereis a quaint courtyard with a
strange and dark vibe.
Visitors have claimed to haveseen wandering shadows, pools of
blood, capture strange EVPs andeven experience bizarre
electrical hiccups with theircell phones.
With all of this said, to thisday, no one knows about the
(23:53):
Axeman's identity, and it isthat time, guys, to say goodbye,
but before I do so, I just wantto send a thank you to all of
(24:16):
my listeners for your continuedlove and support and for sending
in cases that you want coveredand stories that you want read
on the podcast.
We truly accept all stories,including scary, paranormal and
funny.
Any cases you want covered orstories that you want read on
the podcast.
Just please send them in todarkcrossroadspodcasts at
gmailcom.
(24:36):
Thank you for hanging out againtoday, and if you want any more
information about the podcastor cases and stories that we
cover, then head on over to thewebsite at
wwwdarkcrossroadspodcastcom.
There you can find all of theinformation about the podcast, a
link to our merch and also ourblog covering all of the cases
that we cover.
(24:56):
You can also find us on allsocial media platforms.
Don't forget to like, share,rate, review, subscribe wherever
you're listening to us.
You can subscribe to thepodcast for bonus information.
There is a link in all episodesin the notes that will send you
to our subscription page andwith that you will get bonus
content, discount on futuremerch and a lot of extra goodies
(25:17):
.
Every single dollar that comesthrough donations or through our
subscription goes straight intothe podcast, helping fund
research, and it really helps usout and keeps this podcast
going.
And with all of this said,please don't forget to be weird,
stay different and don't trustanyone.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
Thank you.
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