January 24, 2024 • 52 mins
The tragic loss of Danny Croteau, a boy engulfed by the shadows of an evil priest's actions and the Catholic Church's subsequent concealment, strikes a chord for many. This episode welcomes my mom, a voice from Danny's own neighborhood, who offers not just a poignant trip down memory lane, but also a generational glimpse into how the community once coped with and interpreted the troubling signs that something was amiss. Together, we unravel a narrative that contrasts the innocence of youth with the malignant force of corruption within an institution meant to safeguard morality.
As we peel back the layers of Danny's story, we wade through the unsettling past of Father Levine, whose unchecked behaviors and the hierarchy's blatant disregard for obvious red flags paint a chilling portrait of neglect. My mother's instinctive distrust of Levine serves as a testament to the importance of heeding one's intuition. It's a harrowing reminder of the predators that lurked and continued to lurk in parishes, shielded by the very structure meant to promote spiritual guidance and trust.
This discussion is far more than just a recounting of a grim chapter in history; it's a deeper excavation into the fraught intersection of religious trauma and the quest for healing. The bravery of Danny's parents in vocalizing their nightmare and the significance of trusting one's gut ring out as clarion calls for vigilance. We pledge to keep the light shining on this somber yet vital topic of abuse within religious institutions, ensuring that voices like Danny's are never silenced. Join us as we honor his memory and work towards a future where such tragedies are no longer a reality hidden in the shadows.
If you'd like to show your support for Wicked Wanderings and join our community of dedicated listeners, you can start contributing for as little as $3 a month. Your support helps us continue to explore the darkest and most intriguing mysteries, bringing you captivating stories from the world of true crime and the unexplained. Click the link to become a valued member of our podcast family.
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Wicked Wanderings is hosted by Hannah & Courtney and it's produced by Rob Fitzpatrick. Music by Sascha Ende.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Hannah (00:01):
Excuse me Sorry.
Mom (00:04):
You're the best burp.
Sorry, mom.
Hannah (00:05):
That was weak.
Mom (00:07):
You're always a good burp, even when she was a baby.
She can really belt them.
Jess (00:13):
Yeah, she never had a tummy ache.
Mom (00:15):
Okay.
Hannah (00:19):
Hello Wanderers.
I'm Hannah and I'm Jess, andthis is Wicked Wanderings.
Jess (00:26):
Hi Jess, hi Hannah.
How are you?
I'm good, I'm good.
How are you doing?
I'm good.
Are you ready for today'sepisode?
Yes, I got my red wine readythat you so lovingly gave to me,
so let's do this.
Hannah (00:40):
You're going to need it for today's episode.
It's a heavy one.
Jess (00:44):
So it's good thing we have the bottle in the room.
Hannah (00:46):
Yes, it's very good we have the bottle in the room, so
I have a little spiel.
To begin with, I like to thinkthere's a difference between
faith and organized religion.
I agree With faith.
It is your personalrelationship with whatever power
to be you believe in.
An organized religion is manmade here on earth, and
(01:06):
sometimes that encompasses theevil side of humanity.
Jess (01:09):
Yes, you agree, 100, actually 1000%.
Hannah (01:14):
This is the story of Danny Croto, a young boy whose
faith was shattered and heprobably lost sight of it due to
organized religious crime,because of an evil priest in the
cover up by the Catholic church.
Oh, it's one of those stories.
Okay, this is a trigger warningfor this episode.
We are going to talk aboutsexual, emotional and religious
abuse and it's not going to beeasy to talk about, but we want
(01:37):
to tell this young man's storyand hopefully bring awareness to
the crimes that have beencommitted by people standing
behind the Bible and the veil ofthe church.
This episode is hard for me totalk about because of the
religious component.
It also happened in an area Igrew up near and I work with
kids.
It's kind of another doozy.
I'm getting chills already.
Danny Croto was bludgeoned witha rock, strangled and tossed
(02:00):
into the Chikabee River.
This is his story.
Jess & Hannah (02:03):
Geez, you just went right for it, I did.
Hannah (02:05):
Okay, but today we also have a special guest that has
their own personal experiencesthat they would like to share,
and it's my mom.
Jess & Hannah (02:13):
Hi mom, Hi mom, Hi Tess, Welcome to Wicked.
Hannah (02:17):
Wanderings, thank you.
Usually she's behind the scenesfeeding us or giving us wine,
but today she's a part of theepisode.
Jess (02:24):
Hey, we're so excited mom Drinking tea.
She said she's drinking tea,she's being good, she's saving
the red wine for us.
Hannah (02:32):
The reason my mom is here is because she grew up in
the 16-acre Springfieldneighborhood and she has her own
personal experiences that herfamily went through during this
time.
So as I'm reading through, mom,just cut me off and tell the
fans what they want to know.
You got it.
Jess & Hannah (02:47):
Okay, excellent.
Hannah (02:49):
A man wanted to fish the Chicabee River in western
Massachusetts back on Saturday,april 15, 1972.
When he got down to the waterhe noticed a jacket and when he
approached further, noticed abody and splattered blood.
He ran back up the hill to hiscar where he noticed more blood
and he ran to the nearestjunkyard to find a phone to call
the police.
To give some background on thearea of Springfield Mass, it was
(03:12):
a mainly Irish and FrenchCanadian settled city which is
very differently diverse today.
Catholicism was the prevalentreligion and, due to this,
churches and other missions doneby the church funded things in
the area, such as parochialschools and orphanages.
Danny's parents met because hisgrandparents rented the first
floor of their two-family houseon Masses-Soyet Street in the
(03:34):
Irish area of Springfield knownas Hungry Hill.
Danny's mother moved in withher divorced mother and her
little brother After Danny'sfather came back from Korea.
Because of the war, his parentsgot married and bought their
house on Furncliffe Avenue inthe 16-acres neighborhood where
Danny and his family lived.
Danny's mother, bunny,affectionately said he was a
real boy, who reminded her ofHuckleberry Finn, which I
(03:56):
thought that was kind of sweet.
Mom (03:58):
Just totally, what a totally true statement.
Yeah, yeah, he was kind of ahappy, go lucky kid.
I just remember him as being alittle wise, cracky, funny.
He was kind of a happy kid, buta little bit on the fresh side.
You know 12-year-old boys, Ithink was around 12.
Yeah, yeah.
Hannah (04:19):
Like he was a jokester with a good heart is really what
his mom was saying.
Mom (04:22):
Yeah, he wasn't yeah.
Hannah (04:24):
Their household had seven children under 14, so, as
you can imagine, it was chaoticbut full of love and laughter.
Danny could be a mischievousand would occasionally be part
of a fight.
He was also known to have oldermale friends that would give
him cigarettes, marijuana anddirty magazines.
He also spent time with a localneighborhood group of travel
makers known as the Circle.
(04:44):
They would frequent the areaunder the library parking lot
where there was a large treewith benches circling it, hence
the name of the Circle.
Danny would be a part ofshoplifting, smoking marijuana
and taking the communion wafersas snacks.
Jess (04:58):
So deviant there.
Hannah (05:00):
Did you want to talk about the Circle at all, because
I think you had some insightinto it too.
Mom (05:05):
When they built the new library, they put this lovely
reading area out in the backwith a huge tray I think it
might even be an oak tray wherepeople could take their books
and go out and read, and it wassoon taken over by teens that
were older than I was and theywere called the Circle gang, but
they weren't my gang.
(05:26):
Maybe they were smokingcigarettes and drinking a beer
back there.
They were just the cool kids.
Yeah, they thought they were, Isuppose.
Yeah, they thought they werethe Croto.
Hannah (05:36):
Children attended Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
Catholic Church, also known asUlsh, where the Sisters of St
Joseph staffed and taught theschool.
The nuns would use corporalpunishment, which entailed for
children to kneel on pencils,slapping or punching them or
beating them with anything thatwas nearby, such as books,
rulers or pointers.
I went to school there.
Jess (05:56):
Really Two years?
Did you have to kneel onpencils?
Mom (05:59):
Oh, I was a good student.
Jess (06:01):
She was a good girl, so can I add just a weird story to
this?
Mom (06:04):
Yeah, absolutely.
Jess (06:06):
My sweet, innocent mom, who is Mormon, told me she
wanted to be a nun.
Oh, and she's like, well,they're so sweet.
I'm like not the stories I'veheard, I've heard their mean.
Hannah (06:21):
But anyway, yeah, because I think about like, even
like the indigenous schools.
Yes, oh my God.
Jess & Hannah (06:26):
Nasty old ladies.
Mom (06:28):
I was only there for two years, so I was kind of small to
be in kindergarten for a grade.
Jess (06:34):
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Mom (06:35):
It's more the older kids that get, but I do remember kids
getting their knuckles wrappedwith rulers and it was normal or
threatened with going to seethe priest.
That was.
We were scared of the nuns,yeah Well yeah, we were scared
of the nuns.
I was very happy to go topublic school, when I was a
second grade Interesting.
(06:56):
But yeah, that was if youweren't behaving.
You were going to go see thepriest and you knew that if the
nun dragged you in to see thepriest, the power of the church
the power of the priest.
I think you probably have totalk about that, because the
priest and especially for aCatholic, I mean my dad is Irish
(07:17):
Catholic and they were, youknow, God's representatives here
on earth.
And, boy, he certainly didn'twant to interrupt him because
you were blowing around.
Jess (07:26):
Let me tell you yeah, I don't know much about like.
I mean, I married into aCatholic family, but I've heard
stuff here and there.
Hannah (07:36):
So let us inform you.
Yes please do.
Also.
Another punishment that wasactually a favorite was when
they would put the students backinto their chairs in such a way
where they'd be able to beatthem with a belt.
And the thing with the belt islike you never like.
When you spank a child, right,you know how it feels against
the skin, but with a belt, youdon't know how much that hurts
(07:58):
or how many you're doing right,I mean, yeah, I don't recall
ever saying anything like thatin there.
That's good.
This way of life now seemsarchaic and cruel, but it was
the norm during this time.
The Catholic faith was an everpresent norm in the Croto family
life.
Springfield consisted of churchand Irish control.
The Irish mafia and the diocesecontrolled the city, even to
(08:18):
the point where the church heldsway over the local paper, the
Republican.
Really, the editor-in-chief wasclose to Bishop Christopher J
Weldon.
Weldon was a harsh man and notreally liked by his own priests.
He seemed to have his ownagenda.
Priests were put on a pedestaland having a personal
relationship with your priestwho entered your home and shared
meals with you, was a type ofhonor.
Getting advice from mentalhealth therapy to your finances
(08:41):
was common, because these menwere your ticket to God.
To have your son serve as analtar boy was a great honor.
And when priests showed specialinterest in your child, where
they would share private mealswith a priest, accompany them on
a ride to a meeting and evenhave sleepovers at the rectory,
it was not looked at as odd butas another way to ensure your
child's and family's salvation.
Jess (09:01):
But well, I mean, I have a feeling where this is going.
Yeah, and what has come out inthe news in the last couple
years?
Mom (09:13):
But it was nothing like that there, yeah, and that that
type of Attention was somethingthat was seen as an honor.
I do remember many argumentsbetween my father and my brother
because he wanted to my brotherto become an altar boy and my
brother was having God rest hissoul.
My brother was having no partof that, really, he just had no
(09:36):
interest in it.
He was a pretty committedagnostic from the get-go,
probably out of the womb.
Jess (09:44):
So it's just something that the young boys would be
excited for too, or was it morethe parents?
Mom (09:49):
I think it could be both.
I don't know.
Maybe if there was a young manwho had a true calling, maybe he
would be, excited, but I thinkit was just something that the
parents had them do.
Jess (09:59):
Like Boy Scouts or anything else.
Hannah (10:02):
It probably seems like, especially in the Catholic
families, if you had a son, hewould at least serve as an altar
boy for a short amount of time.
If you were someone, that wasvery what's the word?
I'm looking for Attending thechurch a lot Like you were very
involved with it.
Mom (10:16):
My mother actually stuck up for my brother, I remember,
during those arguments, becausemy mother had been brought up
Protestant and had converted toCatholicism because back then
when they got married in the 50s, you couldn't marry, you
couldn't do an interfaithmarriage.
So to her the whole concept ofan altar boy and just the
(10:37):
reverence and the admirationthat you gave your priest, that
was kind of foreign to herbecause she had a pastor and he
had a family and he had a wifeand he was human.
So she had a whole differentkind of take on it.
So he didn't want to be analtar boy.
Hannah (10:50):
She didn't care.
To me that's not an interfaithmarriage.
It's so interesting that youbring that up, because
Protestant and Catholic I meanit's the same God, so it's not
like you're going.
I don't know Buddhist orsomething, something totally
different.
So that's interesting.
Jess (11:07):
Yeah, I mean it's the same with Mormonism and Catholicism.
Mom (11:12):
Really.
Jess (11:13):
Like we couldn't Dave and I couldn't have gotten married
in like a Mormon temple and Idon't think we could have gotten
married in a Catholic church.
No, yeah, that's true, eitherso Chicape Town Hall.
That's where we Thank you,chicape.
And then we went to Hooters,but I digress.
Okay, that's definitely a storyI need to hear.
Good times.
Hannah (11:34):
The Croto family attended St Catherine of Siena
on Parker Street in Springfield,where the family was involved
in many different ways and werehighly connected to their
Catholic faith.
Their whole world would changeon May 6th 1967, when a new
priest was appointed to theirparish.
Father Levine was a strangechild, as people put it.
He had an inappropriaterelationship with his mother,
(11:55):
where they would both laugh whenhe would grab her breasts and
ask if they were real.
Jess (11:59):
What the fuck?
Sorry, it gets weirder, sorryfor me.
Hannah (12:02):
They were seen in the backyard sunbathing, her topless
, and him with his hand on herbreasts.
How old was he at this point?
Old enough not to be holdinghis mother's breasts?
Yeah, mmm.
Most kids would hunt squirrelor frog, but Levine took it too
far.
He enjoyed watching them dieand would sometimes inject them
with bleach and then give theman elaborate funeral.
(12:24):
People said they knew he wouldbe a priest.
Jess (12:29):
I mean, is that a prerequisite Is to kill animals?
I thought that was for serialkillers, not for priests.
Hannah (12:35):
Ting ting, ting ting.
Red flag, but not red flagenough.
Did you know any of this Mom?
Mom (12:43):
No, no, I mean 1967, I was very young.
I do remember when he came to.
So the rector of the church wasquite elderly, father Griffin,
he was quite elderly.
Hannah (13:00):
And he had a drinking problem.
I think, I read, I think, mostpriests do.
Mom (13:03):
I'm sorry to say that, but I knew most of the priests that
you know when, and I'm not evengoing to call him by anything
other than his class name.
When Levine came in, my motherGod rest her soul too took it
immediately, just immediately,disliked him.
Hannah (13:21):
Grandma was good at discerning people.
Yeah, she knew he was.
Mom (13:24):
Really, I can remember her saying to my father I there's
something about that man, Idon't like him.
I don't like him.
My father was like I, you know,I know there's nothing wrong,
he's fine, he's just young.
I don't know how old he was atthe time, but I do remember when
he got to the point my motherwould not go to Mass when he
served.
Oh really, and there was oneincident that I witnessed and
(13:47):
this just shows his irreverencefor stuff.
They were, they prepped thealtar and a lot of times the
priests will come out in just acassock but not all the garments
and it looks like what youmight wear if you're an
alkylight or something.
And he came out and they weregetting the altar ready and they
bring out, you know, whatever,whatever they bring out and
whatever they do.
And he came down and St Catshad a communion rail that went
(14:11):
all the way around, like most,and that church was kind of
built in the 60s, so I had thatvibe.
And he went and put his handsdown and vaulted over the
communion rail into thesanctuary and my mother never
wanted to be shy, was a largegas from her because we were
(14:32):
sitting down getting ready forMass and then after that she
said I don't like him, there'ssomething wrong with him, but
what do you do with thatinformation?
Hannah (14:41):
I mean, it wasn't that person Like what can you do?
Mom (14:43):
Yeah, the speculation, you know, and you didn't just
because you didn't like the waya young priest behaved you know,
especially in the Catholicchurch, it was so different back
then.
Just didn't have a voice.
Now, if you went to church andsomething happened, you would
say something Back then youdidn't, especially as a woman.
Yeah, especially a woman, youknow, and this is the 60s and
(15:07):
yeah.
Hannah (15:10):
Interesting.
After Levine graduated highschool, he got involved at a
summer job at a small park inChickpea Mass as a recreation
assistant and a month later hewas immediately fired and
labeled quote an undesirableperson to be around children.
End quote.
Jess (15:25):
Okay, so second red flag.
Hannah (15:27):
Thank you.
During his time at the boardingschool and also at seminary,
his grades were average at bestand he was labeled a person that
would need to be consoled a lotin his difficulties and he
would need consolation offriends to help him in his
troubles.
Despite these issues, he wasordained by Bishop Weldon at the
Cathedral of St Michael theArchangel in downtown
Springfield Mass on May 14th1966 19.
Jess (15:51):
What were you saying, mom?
That's right on State Street,oh, really, right down the road,
yeah.
Hannah (15:56):
Ooh.
When I read that I was likeokay, that's a little too close
for comfort.
Jess (16:00):
Yeah, it's just weird to hear these stories that are in
your like literal backyard.
Hannah (16:06):
Yeah, it's very disconcerting, especially when
you have people that were veryclose to this.
It's very disconcerting.
Yeah, bishop Weldon knewquickly that Levine was not
going to be an easy priest tomanage.
He incessantly bothered Weldonabout teaching at Cathedral High
School, saying he was more thanqualified and had excellent
rapport with children.
(16:26):
With the recommendation tobecome a priest, people knew
that his academics were not upto par to teach.
He was sent to East Hampton,massachusetts, where, when he
did come home where he did notcome home on time the pastor
locked him out for being late,which then Levine took a rock
and broke the window in order toget it.
He only lasted three monthsthere and was then sent to
Holyoke mass when one of thepastor pastors rules at this
(16:50):
church was that they were notallowed to be seated if you
missed the blessing, like if youmissed the prayer.
And Levine arrived after theblessing and so the housekeeper
said you cannot join the table.
Levine said quote well, if Ican't eat, no one will, and dump
the whole dinner on the floor.
What the hell?
He only lasted three months andwas then sent to St Catherine
of Siena.
Jess (17:09):
So they just pass him around.
They don't like fire him, andthat can someone else's problem.
Mom (17:14):
after Danny's murder they still continue to move him from
place to place into Otherparishes.
I'm sorry, don't need to jumpahead.
No, you're fine, I'm good otherparishes and into with
unsuspecting parents and theirother boys and children and so
(17:35):
who knows how many kids havebeen affected?
I've heard an estimate ofhundreds really that's crazy.
Jess (17:42):
I've been texting my husband Thank you, are you ever
an altar boy?
But his family grew up inchickpeas, so I'm wondering if
they know.
Do you know any goonins?
Jess & Hannah (17:53):
Okay, do you honey.
Lucky you, the best one it'sright, just kidding.
Hannah (17:59):
I say I'm the best Fitzpatrick.
So there you go.
So I am getting all thisinformation from a book that I'm
reading.
It's called the unsolved murderof Danny Croto and the culture
of abuse in the Catholic ChurchDeath of an altar boy by E J
Fleming.
It's not only just about DannyCroto, but it's a lot about how
I'll get into it.
But the church covering shit upMm-hmm.
Jess (18:21):
It's Insane one, it still happens.
It makes me every church.
Hannah (18:26):
It makes me so sick and, like my mom was saying, the
passing around, it's like, ohwell, the more of a degree of
crappy thing you did, thefurther they send you along it's
.
It's awful.
He was seen as the priest thatcould relate to the public which
I know mommy kind of touched on, like you, like he was young,
irreverent.
(18:46):
Yeah, his sermons were full ofanti-Vietnam ideas, yes, and
politics of the time which Pollyfor youth was like really cool
to us.
Mom (18:54):
It was it.
That's the kind of thing youwant to hear, although we were
never allowed to go to hismasses after a while.
But yeah, that's appealing ifyou don't look too deep.
Hannah (19:05):
Yeah, he would sometimes just show up at family's houses
to have dinner with them andwas once seen in the backyard
putting on the grill withoutbeing asked.
So they literally looked outthe window and he's there
turning their grill on fordinner.
I Mean.
Jess (19:19):
Obviously he wasn't top boundaries.
He was grabbing his mom's tits,for Christ's sake, you know so.
Hannah (19:26):
He would take day trips, sometimes lasting a week, with
children, inviting them over hisplace to look at Playboy
magazines, going out for icecream or watching Alfred
Hitchcock movies that theycannot watch at home.
He was rough housing with kidsand being more than helpful with
altar boys.
People did know something was alittle off about him and even
Danny's parents felt somethingwas off, but their kids never
complained, so they just keptgoing along with it.
(19:47):
More and more people werepicking up on the oddity of
Levine and soon he wastransferred to st Mary's on page
Boulevard and SpringfieldTransfer Transfer the thing is
St Mary's.
Mom (20:01):
If you Google map it is not that far from St Cots, mm-hmm.
But the information, the wayinformation was transferred, was
newspaper and, yeah, there wasno social media, there was no
Facebook.
St Mary's might as well been,you know, in Canada somewhere.
I really, back then, early 70s,the spread of information was it
(20:23):
was different and he was, youknow, and there was a sigh of
relief, but at the time therewere, there was a small
community of people that wereConvinced or thought that he was
, he was guilty of killing.
Danny, do you want me to kindof talk about?
(20:44):
Go for it, I need more wine,okay.
So it's hard to talk about itis.
It is difficult because Iremember when the police came to
.
Can I go there when the policecame to the house?
Hannah (20:59):
If you want to skip ahead, that's.
Mom (21:00):
I don't want to know you, mom, you speak as you will speak
, it's fine Okay so when shewhen she gets there and talk
about the, the community ofpeople that were kind of aware
of it.
We had two police officers mymother always claimed they were
FBI, I don't know that, I justthought they were police
officers came to the door on aSaturday morning and it was that
(21:22):
was April, right, and I wantedto talk to my brother.
We lived very close to whereDanny was last seen by someone
and there was there was like apick-up basketball game at the
16-acre school, which I thinkthat was the Mary Martin
Elementary School, and they hadthought that perhaps my brother
(21:46):
and his best friend, who livednext door, had been there, maybe
had they seen Danny there andasked a lot of questions.
And then they left and theywent next door and talked to his
best friend.
But when they walked in theysaid to his father World War two
vet, tough guy, we want to talkto your son alone.
And he said over my dead body,you're talking to my son, yeah
(22:08):
you know, and, of course, hisbest friend he told he told me
the exact same story.
You know that my brother, I toldthem because their kids and
there's 12 at the time they,they, didn't know what was going
on.
It wasn't till afterwards he'scalled my dad that they had
found Danny's body and that theywanted they were trying to like
follow up on where he was.
Jess (22:30):
You know activity before you might missing.
Mom (22:33):
Yeah, so there was already at that point in time.
You know, did we have a serialkiller in the neighborhood?
Mm-hmm, was it an accident?
I mean, they knew it wasn'tthese 12-year-old kids.
None of them were driving andof course it they said.
They said that they couldn'tget foot.
There's no DNA.
Hannah (22:50):
There's no DNA back then right, yeah, so, and we'll talk
about how the police reallyfucked it up with.
Yeah.
Yeah, we'll get into that andwe'll cut you off for you, good.
Mom (23:00):
No, I'll talk about.
I'll talk about this free fromnewspaper cover up when you get
there.
Hannah (23:05):
Even with this move to another church, levine did not
stop being a part of the Crotofamily.
On Friday, april 7th, dannyleft to go spend time with
Levine, and his parents receiveda phone call Later asking if
Danny could stay the night.
Danny returned the next morningat 9 o'clock.
They were not sure how he gotback from Chica B, but bunny,
his mother, just assumed thatLevine gave him a lift.
She remembered that Dannylooked quote listless and
(23:27):
nauseous.
He laid around and keptcomplaining about his stomach,
which, my god, hint, hint momlike hint, hint like sexually
abused and sexually abused tomm-hmm.
She also mentioned that hevomited several times, but after
dinner he said he's gonna takethe bus to the YMCA and he left.
The following week was Easterweek in the church and also the
(23:48):
beginning of fishing season,which Danny was really excited
about.
I was curious, though, mom,where was the YMCA that he could
have been referring to?
Do you know?
Mom (23:57):
No, no way.
Ymca, I know, was the onethat's down on just some
straight and spring fail, sothat's probably why he was gonna
take the bus.
Hannah (24:03):
But still so young taking the bus to the YMCA
downtown yeah that does same.
Mom (24:07):
It might have been something, might been another,
or the Y could have had aprogram and one of the junior
high.
Schools or something yeah.
Hannah (24:15):
I don't know.
The day before he was reportedmissing he was seen around the
neighborhood, mm-hmm and indifferent parts in Springfield.
When Danny did not get homethat night they checked if
Danny's fishing gear was thereand checked nearby ponds and
streams because they thoughtmaybe he wanted fish Cuz he was
so excited about it.
His mother made calls,including to Levine, but he said
he had not seen Danny.
(24:35):
At 1115 Danny's parents calledSpringfield police reporting
Danny missing, but police wouldnot file a report until he was
missing 12 hours.
Jess (24:43):
Of course, which we all know now.
That's bullshit.
It is bullshit.
Hannah (24:47):
I don't have to wait, especially if it's a kid,
because she was furious becauseshe's like he's only a kid, like
he's too young, like when youhave an adult missing, like okay
, they're an adult, mm-hmm, butthis kid's like so young, he's
barely a teenager.
Like why can't you just put thereport in Lazy, especially when
there's no cell phones, no wayto connect?
Levine called back aroundmidnight saying that they should
(25:09):
also call the chick at thepolice, and which I thought was
Suspicious.
Yeah much, much and the reportwas not filed until 2 11 am.
His parents could not sleep.
Obviously they were just hopingthat their son would come home.
The whole neighborhood wasfinding out about Danny missing
and parents started making callsand kids took their bikes
around the neighborhood to tryto help.
Around 9 o'clock Dan's brothergathered some of his friends to
(25:33):
bike to the spot where he andDanny and Levine Used to fish
underneath the bridge.
Once they got there, that'swhen they were greeted by the
fire trucks, ambulances andpolice cars and they returned
away and told to go home.
The body of Danny Croto havebeen found.
The Croto's were told thattheir son was dead and they
(25:54):
wanted Danny's parents to comedown to police headquarters.
Danny's father, carl, requestedthat they make a stop at
Levine's parish.
God, here we go.
Levine asked if they want himto come along and Carl was
grateful for the company.
Oh my god.
Levine sat in the questioningwith them, being quiet and
offering nothing, and when itcame time for them to identify
the body, levine interrupted andsaid quote no, no, no, let him
(26:16):
stay here.
All identify the body.
So he's like inserting himselfinto the investigation, saying
yeah, and he's being a pervbecause he wants to see what he
did.
Mom (26:25):
Oh, now he is evil personified.
He is just an evil.
Evil was an evil person soundslike it.
Hannah (26:37):
Levine told Danny's parents to make sure it was a
closed casket and even thoughhis parents wanted to be open,
he said to them quote, you don'twant to see Danny like that and
quote.
Jess (26:46):
So let's let the guy who killed him just control
everything about what happens.
I'm sure that's how they feelnow, like, oh I would be, livid
Levine would be dead.
Sorry, I'm sure he is right, hedied Okay.
Hannah (27:00):
Oh wait, but please don't explain, because that will
get to the next episode.
Jess & Hannah (27:04):
Okay, that's good shit, okay.
Hannah (27:07):
The blood spotter shows that Danny fought for his life
which good for him.
Kid under the bridge shows theinitial fight, and they were the
remarks in the dirt that showedthat his body Was dragged feet
first to the water's edge, wherethen Danny received a second
beating.
Danny was most likelyincapacitated at the original
spot and was near death beforehe received the second beating.
A Fist-sized rock was foundcovered in blood with clumps of
(27:29):
hair on it.
Tire marks were found at thescene, but the tire prints were
one of many mistakes made by lawenforcement.
Between Springfield chicka-beeand the DA's office it was a
pissing battle of who had theright over this case.
The casts that were made of thetire treads were done by
inexperienced people on thechicka-bee force, so that so
that was not done properly.
Jess (27:48):
Mm-hmm.
Hannah (27:49):
And when the physical evidence was photographed,
catalogued and collected Items,including the rock that had hair
samples on it, removed by statepolice and never seen again.
So who do you think had controlover those missing items?
Jess (28:02):
I'm guessing that Irish Catholics?
Hannah (28:07):
The autopsy was not done by experienced people either,
but it was determined that thiswas a homicide oh shit and that
Danny was murdered.
Danny had multiple lacerations,a massive skull fracture that
drove pieces of bone into hisbrain.
His jaw was split in half andfractures of this magnitude they
said would be more like a Vresult of an event like a car
accident or plane crash Holyshit.
(28:28):
So he beat.
This was rage.
Yeah, danny had also beenstrangled, and Danny's alcohol
level was point 18 percent,which was almost double the 1972
legal limit.
Jess (28:38):
So they were drinking Mm-hmm tried to do whatever to
him.
Yeah, he fought back and Thenhe killed him.
Hannah (28:46):
That's my guess.
So, mom, you had mentioned tome that you had heard that there
was one time Levine triedpicking him up from school and
Danny didn't want to go with him.
Mom (28:55):
Yeah, I had heard that he was at school and Levine's car
was outside and daddy broke downin front of one of the other
kids.
That's what I don't want to go,when they simply don't go.
And he's kind of like.
You know he was 12 years old.
Jess (29:10):
Yeah, priest, mm-hmm.
Mom (29:11):
What was he?
What was he gonna say?
I mean, he was powerless, hewas a victim in so many ways.
Jess (29:18):
Well, and it's not like you tell the priest no right, or
you know cuz there's the men ofGod you know, they are your
ticket to heaven, honey.
Hannah (29:28):
At least that's how they thought Danny was waked.
Oh sorry, just miss.
Jess (29:33):
I was just gonna say I'll agree to disagree.
Hannah (29:36):
Danny was waked that morning and Levine told Danny's
aunt who had come fromCalifornia to convince his
parents to have a closed casket,which she ended up convincing
them.
Mm-hmm, this was interesting.
Uh, franciscan fryer namedBarnabas Keck, do you know him,
mom?
No, showed up to the wake andshowed great grief by wailing
(29:56):
and crying at the casket.
Nobody knew who he was and itwas peculiar that he was there.
Come to find out he wasLevine's confessor and he
probably knew all of whathappened.
Jess (30:07):
Oh, break my heart for Barnabas.
Hannah (30:11):
That's gotta be tough.
Something I didn't put in hereis that I don't know if it was
the investigators or whatever,but they visited Barnabas and he
had a like a Quirkboard behindhis desk and the only thing that
was up there was Danny.
Like the from the Republican isthe Danny's Obituary or the
(30:32):
case or whatever he's carryingthis around, but since it was
confession, he couldn't sayanything.
Jess (30:38):
I don't agree with that the sprinkler newspaper.
Mom (30:41):
Mm-hmm did carry a lot of stories about the investigation
and I haven't I'm really goodauthority.
At one point they were puttinga Newspaper article and saying
that Levine was being questioned.
It was one of the top suspects,it's from the beginning got a
hold of it, that information andwhat.
(31:04):
This was what was told, and Igot it from my mother because
she my mother was really goodabout giving us information To
keep us safe.
Yeah and she said that ended upon the composing room floor.
That never made it and it wasat the the orders of the bishop
and, I'll be honest, youpersonally.
(31:26):
When I heard that, I looked ather, looked at my dad and I said
I will never, go to theCatholic Church again Ever.
I said the church is full ofhypocrites.
Mm-hmm now not just CatholicChurch right.
Jess (31:39):
Yeah, but I think every organized religion has that, but
as a 15 year old girl.
Mom (31:46):
I never went.
I did not step foot into aCatholic Church for about eight
years and never attended oneagain.
Hannah (31:51):
Hmm, sometime in the afternoon one of Dan's brothers
answered the phone.
After saying hello a coupletimes, he finally heard a
familiar voice say quote we'resorry for what happened to Danny
.
He saw something behind thecircle he shouldn't have seen.
It was an accident.
And quote what.
They asked who it was a coupletimes with the line went dead.
Danny's brothers ended upadmitting to being victims of
(32:12):
Valor Levine.
Mom (32:13):
Hmm.
Jess (32:15):
Levine was acting strangely in the weeks after no
did you want so not just Danny,his brothers as well a lot of
the Young men that I knew my agewere all altar boys and were
victims.
Mom (32:28):
Oh, my god years years later not that many years, but
years later one of those youngmen killed himself.
Now it was never said that itwas a result of the physical
abuse, but I mean he was avictim.
They knew he was a victim andhe did commit suicide, but that
(32:48):
I think the community alwaysfelt it.
Jess (32:50):
Yeah, we can connect the dots.
I'm sure he experienced a lotof a Lot of stuff after that,
levine was acting strangely.
Hannah (32:59):
In the weeks after Danny was found there should have
been a search warrant issued forLevine's home and rectory
Quarters, but it is speculativethat the church had had a hand
in that and that not happening.
Hmm, when the investigatorsasked the Croto family if the
phone call that was made aboutthe circle could have been
Levine, the brother thatanswered the phone connected the
dots and knew it was Levine.
So he thought it soundedfamiliar but he just did not
(33:20):
connect to that.
It was the priest.
It's grieving.
Mom (33:22):
Yeah.
Hannah (33:23):
It was grieving.
Mom (33:24):
I can't even imagine what that family went through.
I mean those shockwaves of that, just as a mom I, just that
just overwhelms me to even thinkabout that.
Jess (33:35):
I think that there would have to be some guilt and
feeling responsible because theyEncouraged him to hang out with
Levine, correct?
Hannah (33:43):
If you also think about how many kids she had.
Right, and you're like thispriest wants to spend time with
my boys.
He is taking them off my handsLike I know they're gonna be
safe with a man of God and thenthis happens.
Jess (33:55):
Well, and it's similar.
I mean not similar, but wetalked about it a little during
Lewis Lent, who used the churchto get close to, yeah, single
moms and to be okay with drivingkids around and it's, it's like
the perfect opportunity forpeople right douche canoes like
this to take advantage ofFamilies and kids makes me sick.
Mom (34:21):
It's why so many churches now you have to be quarried and
everything else to where I wishchildren.
But you know, hannah and I sawthis even in a non-Catholic
church that we were, there was ayoung man, got married and and
they moved away, but he lost hisown kids.
He's in jail.
Hannah (34:38):
No, he was he was a youth, a youth coordinator yes,
youth pastor.
I remember being with him, himwanting me on the Volleyball
team, him being a part of myBible classes and then, when
they had moved, he went to aChristian school and was
molesting children and then heended up in jail.
(34:58):
So it's.
And then, of course, my mom hasto have the tough conversation
with her grown adult children.
Like was there somethinghappening I didn't know and,
granted, we were very lucky thatthis wasn't happening to us,
but it hits too close to home.
Jess (35:10):
Yeah, I mean I've mentioned the Mormon church
obviously a lot, but there'seven coverup of sexual abuse
from bishops and other peoplethat are in a power of authority
that take advantage, and thenthe church, whether it be Mormon
Catholic.
I've even found a book aboutthe Amish community where sexual
(35:30):
abuse takes place and they justtry to cover it all up.
It's ridiculous.
Mom (35:34):
It's so important to teach our children when they say no
means no.
No means no, just like youteach your daughters when they
say no means no and to maybealways be.
I think that's why for me and Iprobably drove my kids crazy as
they became teenagers Iwouldn't, I wouldn't.
I was single mom, I wouldn'tdate because I would never bring
(35:54):
a man into my home, and I thinka lot of that is some of what
happened.
So close to home, yeah, andeven though obviously my family
was not impacted the way hisfamily was.
Jess (36:09):
I don't want to put that, but it was still in your
neighborhood.
It was With three streets.
Yeah, three, four streets over.
Mom (36:16):
Three streets over.
I checked, but I wasoverprotective and it drove my
kids crazy Sometimes that whenthey would be going to do
something, guess who volunteeredto drive.
I did, mm-hmm, I did.
Jess & Hannah (36:28):
You're a little mama bear.
Mom (36:30):
School all nighters Taking care of your cubs Church all
nighters.
Guess who's there?
You're the chaperone Becauseyou don't know.
So I think when this incidentcame up of this coach and youth
coordinator after he moved away,we immediately you know
(36:50):
everyone in the church was likewell, wait a minute, you were,
you know, a lot of times youwere in his car, or you were in
his car and Over his home, overhis house, lovely wife, he had
an autistic son.
Yep, there's no way of knowing.
Yep, no, that's why you have tobe Sometimes.
Be a very mama bear yeah.
Jess (37:11):
Yeah, rightfully so.
Hannah (37:14):
In June, father Leo E O'Neill stopped at the Croto
home.
Do you know that name, mom?
Yeah, yes, I do you do?
Mom (37:21):
Okay, he came in after he actually ended up becoming fish
about one point.
Hannah (37:28):
I think I mentioned that .
Yes, he was said to be white asa ghost when he talked to Carl
and he spoke of the abuse thathappened against his children
and he did think that Levinekilled his son.
A week later, O'Neill returnedand gave Carl a lot of cash more
than $700, which would probablybe around $5,000 today.
(37:48):
He said the church was sendingthem to visit his wife's family
in California and he thought itmight be good if they got away
for a while.
Jess (37:55):
What the?
Hannah (37:56):
fuck.
Hmm, that's not the worst of it, oh my God.
So we're wondering where thechurch got the money right A
month later, james Egan, do youknow James Egan mom?
No, I don't.
He was the lawyer for thediocese that showed up to the
Croto home and asked them whatthey wanted or if there's
anything they needed.
Carl was insulted and then Egansaid if there's anything they
(38:17):
decided they needed to let themknow, and the Crotos would not
hear from the diocese ever again.
Jess & Hannah (38:23):
Ew, so to buy their silence.
Jess (38:24):
Yep, they're buying in a month, ugh.
Jess & Hannah (38:26):
Yep.
Hannah (38:27):
Ugh, mom, you'll appreciate this.
Danny's mom looked for anyphotos she had of Levine and
made sure to shred the mom, soshe had no memory of this man
that took her baby away.
Jess (38:37):
Burn it.
I would have done a witchescurse Where's the Putt?
Hannah (38:43):
numbs Where's the Putt numbs Right?
Jess (38:45):
it's fucking Putt numbs.
They could be good forsomething.
Mom (38:49):
You know, I think there's.
This is a terrible thing to saypublicly, but I think as a
mother, that would have beenjustifiable homicide.
Oh yeah, I really think ifsomeone hurt my kids that it
would.
They would be destroyed.
I would not be able to forgivethem for that.
You would be hurt back because12 years old, I mean.
(39:10):
It's horrific, it's reallyhorrific.
Hannah (39:13):
It's haunting you know, Since there was not enough
evidence of interest in the case, it slowly sizzled and remained
in a storage locker unsolvedfor 20 years.
Jess (39:22):
Are you kidding me?
20 years.
Mom (39:26):
I think it's what's his brother's, a couple of his
brothers that really kind ofpushed it to the forefront with
an recent memory.
Hannah (39:36):
So because of this, we're going to kind of go into
like fucking awfulness of thediocese, come back a little bit
into Levine, and then we'll haveto save the rest for another
episode.
Okay, so this was not the firsttime the church covered up
their sins.
In 1922, the Vatican enactedquote crime of solicitation,
(39:56):
which was prohibiting evenpublic mention of abuse.
Accused priests were ordered tobe immediately absolved Right,
let's forgive you and sent on apious pilgrimage as their
penance, and the crime wasordered to be stored in the
secret archives as strictlyconfidential.
That's such bullshit.
In Springfield, these secretarchives were hidden inside
(40:16):
three locked cabinets in a vaultburied in the regular archives.
So there's documentation of allthis, oh God.
The secret archives containfiles labeled quote unnatural
involvements, and that could bea thing from alcohol to drugs,
to pornography and evenpregnancies.
Folders for sexual abuse weretitled quote unusual patterns.
Obviously this goes above andbeyond Springfield,
(40:41):
massachusetts, and here are acouple of stories.
There were letters foundbetween two priests that were
abusers and they would sendletters to each other about
their activities.
Are you serious?
I am not going to read or saywhat I read, because they do
talk about it in there, becauseI literally started getting sick
because of it, because itbothered me so bad.
Jess (40:59):
Like I was like.
So it was like two friendsjoking about their sexual
escapades with children.
Awesome At one point.
Mom (41:06):
There was reportedly a ring of priests this was later that
I had heard someone I know hadmentioned that there was some.
I can't get into it becauseit's not my story to tell, but
there were priests that actuallypassed these young victims
around.
Jess (41:26):
So sex trafficking basically, exactly, exactly.
This hurts my heart, so bad.
Hannah (41:33):
In Louisiana in the 1980s, a group of parents
suspected their priests ofabusing their children.
They asked him and he admittedto it and said that he needed
help and they paid for histherapy sessions.
What?
And they did not report him Topay for castration.
Jess (41:50):
I mean, you don't need to pay for that, let's get a knife
right now.
Hannah (41:54):
We should send them to those those.
Why am I blanking?
I just did the episode on it.
I meant the mental institutions.
Oh my God, in 1976, fatherMcGuire Mom, do you know who
Father McGuire is yes, I do whoalso became a future bishop in
Springfield, was told by a dadthat his son was being molested
by a priest that McGuire knewwas an abuser.
(42:14):
But McGuire said quote I'm sureit was just horseplay and quote
.
Jess (42:19):
Maybe foreplay, not horseplay?
What the fuck.
Hannah (42:23):
There is a good documentary called the Keepers
on Netflix.
Have you seen it?
No, have you watched it Me andRob watched it.
It's amazing.
So it is about these adults whowho were students at this
school in Baltimore in 1969,where a nun was murdered for
knowing too much about the abusehappening by the priest.
It's, it's really good.
So I had to watch.
Recommend if anyone wants towatch that.
(42:44):
What streaming?
Jess (42:46):
Netflix, oh, netflix, ok, thank you the.
Hannah (42:48):
Keepers on Netflix 1991, shelburne Falls, massachusetts.
A family accused their priestof abuse and of course we know
it is because, they moved him.
Mom (43:00):
They moved him again.
Jess & Hannah (43:01):
Was it, levine it's.
Jess (43:02):
Levine.
Hannah (43:04):
No way On October 19.
Mom (43:07):
This is 1991.
So we're talking about almost20 years later, 20 years later
you still had him.
So you know someone with thatkind of predilection.
Jess (43:17):
He hasn't stopped, right, he's not going to stop.
Why would he stop?
He didn't get caught withmurder.
Mom (43:22):
They were just sending him to places where he has new
victims.
Hannah (43:26):
On October 9.
Mom (43:27):
I'm sorry.
Hannah (43:28):
No, it's OK, You're fine .
On October 19, 1991, greenfield, massachusetts police issued an
arrest warrant due tostatements given by three boys.
Finally, levine was arrested.
No, he became, damn it.
Levine was arrested and hebecame the first priest in
Western Massachusetts historycharged with child sexual
assault.
He was put on bail of $10,000but, oddly, not assigned a
(43:48):
die-seasoned attorney, which Ithought was interesting.
And we're going to stop ourstory there Until next time.
Jess (43:56):
What the hell I need to know this guy is evil, evil.
Hannah (44:02):
I will tell you, I've been going through this book so
slowly, like I would call my mom, probably like every 20 pages
asking her questions, and then Ihad to put it away because it
was making me so sick.
Well, especially if it getsdescriptive, very, oh, like it
still makes me want to want.
But you know what I'm, I'm very, I feel very humbled to be able
(44:23):
to tell Danny.
Yeah, because it's just, it's,it's horrifying, it's horrifying
.
The cover ups, I think, is whatjust makes me the maddest.
Jess (44:32):
Well, and this this book is is good for, that is, to
bring awareness to what has beengoing on and probably what
continues to go on, and thatkeeps getting covered up and, oh
, it breaks my heart, for whoknows how many victims this
douche has.
Hannah (44:50):
But I, from what I read in this book, the parents were
very willing to be a part of itand tell their son's story,
which I think is reallyimportant, and yeah, to her
hopes that it doesn't happen toany other family.
Jess (45:04):
Will you come back for the next?
Hannah (45:06):
episode mom, I'll try, she'll try.
Jess (45:10):
Good, we love having you here.
Mom (45:11):
Thank you so much for inviting me.
Hannah (45:13):
Well, thank you, mom, for putting your two sons in it.
I made it unfortunately morereal, but it gave us insight to
that time, which was helpful.
Mom (45:22):
Anything that helps, somebody listens and you think
you know, you gotta saysomething.
Yeah, yeah, I say somethingtrust your judgment.
Jess (45:30):
Yep, I always trust your gut.
Mom (45:32):
Yeah, teach your kids.
No means no.
No Communication open with yourkids, so something weird is
happening and they tell you.
Jess (45:41):
Regardless, leave them.
If they are a man of God or not, yep, no matter, I think that,
a lot of those.
Mom (45:48):
I Think the way that way of thinking about it has has
changed a lot in a lot of thechurches.
Yeah, I think we see weunderstand that they're only man
and their fallible.
I don't, I don't think unlessyou look at like the FLDS or
something, oh, we're getting,we're gonna talk about.
(46:10):
I've been watching a lot aboutthe FLDS.
I think there is religiousAbuse, mm-hmm and I think,
walking away from the CalvaryChurch because of that, I I
think that my upbringing, mm-hmm, allow me to get into other
situations, yeah, with pastorsthat were Dictators and possibly
(46:32):
abusive until.
But as an adult, I can pullmyself out of those situations,
but it kind of sets you up forit.
So you, you take all that withyou.
Jess (46:41):
So, yeah, well, and I I mean I've shared a lot about my
Mormon upbringing and, thank God, I didn't experience anything.
Mm-hmm like this.
But I was telling these guys itwasn't until I watched
Handmaid's tail.
When there's that part wherethe higher guy up in the
religion, mm-hmm, and the guythat one of the upper guys are
(47:04):
in the limo and Trying toconvince you know, to have their
wives involved in the ceremonywatching their husband's fuck
another woman.
I remember that and he saysthey're holding them down.
Yeah and he says well, make thembe a part of the ceremony.
Yeah, like.
Well.
How would we convince that theywere inventing?
Mom (47:23):
a religion exactly.
Jess (47:24):
and then they're like, just say that it was commanded
by God, yeah, and my yep Mindwas blown because I'm like, oh
my god, all of this makes sensenow, like Because they're,
they're men, they're human, theyhave faults and they can say
they're men of God, all thatthey want.
Mom (47:41):
But yeah, that's a way to control people.
I had PTSD.
After watching some of thehandmaids tell I had my own PTSD
.
Jess (47:49):
So, yeah.
Thanks for the episode and thecliffhanger you know you're
welcome.
Hannah (47:55):
He done to me, I know true.
Mom (47:58):
It's a tough one.
Kids, kids and pets, elgerabuse, anything like that.
That's the kind of stuff that Ican't really talk about it and
that's why this stuff can't goon is if you don't talk about it
and, like I said, I want I sithe hand out.
Originally I said I would liketo come on and share my
experience, but out of totalrespect for his family.
Hannah (48:19):
Yeah, I don't want to sound Um, I don't want to sound
any which way, but I feel likeI'm like close to Danny in a lot
of ways after doing all thisresearch.
Mm-hmm and I know it soundsweird because this kid was way
before my time yeah, but it's, Ifeel very close to the case in
a lot of ways.
So it's, it's, it's good.
Mom (48:38):
It's good.
Hannah (48:38):
that needs to be told it needs to be because for so long
this poor child went throughthis darkness by himself.
Mom (48:45):
I know and thank you for tackling such a tough subject.
Well, thank you for bringing itto our attention.
Jess (48:51):
Yes, and this won't be the only episode on religious
trauma.
Hannah (48:55):
Oh no.
Jess (48:56):
We're just getting started .
Hannah (48:58):
I'll beat that Please do Thanks Mom, Thank you for
joining us.
Thank you, Hannah.
Thanks for joining the show.
Jess (49:08):
Yes, and don't be a douche canoe.
Yes, don't be a douche canoe.
Hannah (49:11):
And always remember no means no, Say something, yes,
exactly.
Jess & Hannah (49:17):
Bye, bye, bye.
Hannah (49:19):
Thanks for listening today.
The show wouldn't be possiblewithout our amazing producer and
editor, Rob Fitzpatrick, whoworks tirelessly behind the
scenes to bring you the bestcontent and a special thanks to
Tyga Soundprod for providing thecaptivating intro music.
Jess (49:33):
Cinematic Intro 24.
Hannah (49:35):
And of course we can't forget the hauntingly beautiful
outro music, rhino's Themecomposed by Kevin MacLeod, if
you enjoyed today's episode.
Jess (49:43):
Make sure to leave a rating and review on your
favorite podcast platforms likeSpotify, apple and YouTube.
Jess & Hannah (49:50):
Your feedback means the world to us.
Hannah (49:53):
Also, be sure to follow us on Instagram for behind the
scenes glimpses, updates andmore thrilling content.
You can find us at WickedWandering's Podcast.
Jess (50:01):
Thank you so much for listening and being part of our
Wicked Wandering's community.
Jess & Hannah (50:06):
We appreciate each and every one of you Stay
curious, keep exploring andalways remember to keep on
wandering.
Wicked Wandering's Podcast.
Excuse me Sorry.
Mom (00:04):
You're the best burp.
Sorry, mom.
Hannah (00:05):
That was weak.
Mom (00:07):
You're always a good burp, even when she was a baby.
She can really belt them.
Jess (00:13):
Yeah, she never had a tummy ache.
Mom (00:15):
Okay.
Hannah (00:19):
Hello Wanderers.
I'm Hannah and I'm Jess, andthis is Wicked Wanderings.
Jess (00:26):
Hi Jess, hi Hannah.
How are you?
I'm good, I'm good.
How are you doing?
I'm good.
Are you ready for today'sepisode?
Yes, I got my red wine readythat you so lovingly gave to me,
so let's do this.
Hannah (00:40):
You're going to need it for today's episode.
It's a heavy one.
Jess (00:44):
So it's good thing we have the bottle in the room.
Hannah (00:46):
Yes, it's very good we have the bottle in the room, so
I have a little spiel.
To begin with, I like to thinkthere's a difference between
faith and organized religion.
I agree With faith.
It is your personalrelationship with whatever power
to be you believe in.
An organized religion is manmade here on earth, and
(01:06):
sometimes that encompasses theevil side of humanity.
Jess (01:09):
Yes, you agree, 100, actually 1000%.
Hannah (01:14):
This is the story of Danny Croto, a young boy whose
faith was shattered and heprobably lost sight of it due to
organized religious crime,because of an evil priest in the
cover up by the Catholic church.
Oh, it's one of those stories.
Okay, this is a trigger warningfor this episode.
We are going to talk aboutsexual, emotional and religious
abuse and it's not going to beeasy to talk about, but we want
(01:37):
to tell this young man's storyand hopefully bring awareness to
the crimes that have beencommitted by people standing
behind the Bible and the veil ofthe church.
This episode is hard for me totalk about because of the
religious component.
It also happened in an area Igrew up near and I work with
kids.
It's kind of another doozy.
I'm getting chills already.
Danny Croto was bludgeoned witha rock, strangled and tossed
(02:00):
into the Chikabee River.
This is his story.
Jess & Hannah (02:03):
Geez, you just went right for it, I did.
Hannah (02:05):
Okay, but today we also have a special guest that has
their own personal experiencesthat they would like to share,
and it's my mom.
Jess & Hannah (02:13):
Hi mom, Hi mom, Hi Tess, Welcome to Wicked.
Hannah (02:17):
Wanderings, thank you.
Usually she's behind the scenesfeeding us or giving us wine,
but today she's a part of theepisode.
Jess (02:24):
Hey, we're so excited mom Drinking tea.
She said she's drinking tea,she's being good, she's saving
the red wine for us.
Hannah (02:32):
The reason my mom is here is because she grew up in
the 16-acre Springfieldneighborhood and she has her own
personal experiences that herfamily went through during this
time.
So as I'm reading through, mom,just cut me off and tell the
fans what they want to know.
You got it.
Jess & Hannah (02:47):
Okay, excellent.
Hannah (02:49):
A man wanted to fish the Chicabee River in western
Massachusetts back on Saturday,april 15, 1972.
When he got down to the waterhe noticed a jacket and when he
approached further, noticed abody and splattered blood.
He ran back up the hill to hiscar where he noticed more blood
and he ran to the nearestjunkyard to find a phone to call
the police.
To give some background on thearea of Springfield Mass, it was
(03:12):
a mainly Irish and FrenchCanadian settled city which is
very differently diverse today.
Catholicism was the prevalentreligion and, due to this,
churches and other missions doneby the church funded things in
the area, such as parochialschools and orphanages.
Danny's parents met because hisgrandparents rented the first
floor of their two-family houseon Masses-Soyet Street in the
(03:34):
Irish area of Springfield knownas Hungry Hill.
Danny's mother moved in withher divorced mother and her
little brother After Danny'sfather came back from Korea.
Because of the war, his parentsgot married and bought their
house on Furncliffe Avenue inthe 16-acres neighborhood where
Danny and his family lived.
Danny's mother, bunny,affectionately said he was a
real boy, who reminded her ofHuckleberry Finn, which I
(03:56):
thought that was kind of sweet.
Mom (03:58):
Just totally, what a totally true statement.
Yeah, yeah, he was kind of ahappy, go lucky kid.
I just remember him as being alittle wise, cracky, funny.
He was kind of a happy kid, buta little bit on the fresh side.
You know 12-year-old boys, Ithink was around 12.
Yeah, yeah.
Hannah (04:19):
Like he was a jokester with a good heart is really what
his mom was saying.
Mom (04:22):
Yeah, he wasn't yeah.
Hannah (04:24):
Their household had seven children under 14, so, as
you can imagine, it was chaoticbut full of love and laughter.
Danny could be a mischievousand would occasionally be part
of a fight.
He was also known to have oldermale friends that would give
him cigarettes, marijuana anddirty magazines.
He also spent time with a localneighborhood group of travel
makers known as the Circle.
(04:44):
They would frequent the areaunder the library parking lot
where there was a large treewith benches circling it, hence
the name of the Circle.
Danny would be a part ofshoplifting, smoking marijuana
and taking the communion wafersas snacks.
Jess (04:58):
So deviant there.
Hannah (05:00):
Did you want to talk about the Circle at all, because
I think you had some insightinto it too.
Mom (05:05):
When they built the new library, they put this lovely
reading area out in the backwith a huge tray I think it
might even be an oak tray wherepeople could take their books
and go out and read, and it wassoon taken over by teens that
were older than I was and theywere called the Circle gang, but
they weren't my gang.
(05:26):
Maybe they were smokingcigarettes and drinking a beer
back there.
They were just the cool kids.
Yeah, they thought they were, Isuppose.
Yeah, they thought they werethe Croto.
Hannah (05:36):
Children attended Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
Catholic Church, also known asUlsh, where the Sisters of St
Joseph staffed and taught theschool.
The nuns would use corporalpunishment, which entailed for
children to kneel on pencils,slapping or punching them or
beating them with anything thatwas nearby, such as books,
rulers or pointers.
I went to school there.
Jess (05:56):
Really Two years?
Did you have to kneel onpencils?
Mom (05:59):
Oh, I was a good student.
Jess (06:01):
She was a good girl, so can I add just a weird story to
this?
Mom (06:04):
Yeah, absolutely.
Jess (06:06):
My sweet, innocent mom, who is Mormon, told me she
wanted to be a nun.
Oh, and she's like, well,they're so sweet.
I'm like not the stories I'veheard, I've heard their mean.
Hannah (06:21):
But anyway, yeah, because I think about like, even
like the indigenous schools.
Yes, oh my God.
Jess & Hannah (06:26):
Nasty old ladies.
Mom (06:28):
I was only there for two years, so I was kind of small to
be in kindergarten for a grade.
Jess (06:34):
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Mom (06:35):
It's more the older kids that get, but I do remember kids
getting their knuckles wrappedwith rulers and it was normal or
threatened with going to seethe priest.
That was.
We were scared of the nuns,yeah Well yeah, we were scared
of the nuns.
I was very happy to go topublic school, when I was a
second grade Interesting.
(06:56):
But yeah, that was if youweren't behaving.
You were going to go see thepriest and you knew that if the
nun dragged you in to see thepriest, the power of the church
the power of the priest.
I think you probably have totalk about that, because the
priest and especially for aCatholic, I mean my dad is Irish
(07:17):
Catholic and they were, youknow, God's representatives here
on earth.
And, boy, he certainly didn'twant to interrupt him because
you were blowing around.
Jess (07:26):
Let me tell you yeah, I don't know much about like.
I mean, I married into aCatholic family, but I've heard
stuff here and there.
Hannah (07:36):
So let us inform you.
Yes please do.
Also.
Another punishment that wasactually a favorite was when
they would put the students backinto their chairs in such a way
where they'd be able to beatthem with a belt.
And the thing with the belt islike you never like.
When you spank a child, right,you know how it feels against
the skin, but with a belt, youdon't know how much that hurts
(07:58):
or how many you're doing right,I mean, yeah, I don't recall
ever saying anything like thatin there.
That's good.
This way of life now seemsarchaic and cruel, but it was
the norm during this time.
The Catholic faith was an everpresent norm in the Croto family
life.
Springfield consisted of churchand Irish control.
The Irish mafia and the diocesecontrolled the city, even to
(08:18):
the point where the church heldsway over the local paper, the
Republican.
Really, the editor-in-chief wasclose to Bishop Christopher J
Weldon.
Weldon was a harsh man and notreally liked by his own priests.
He seemed to have his ownagenda.
Priests were put on a pedestaland having a personal
relationship with your priestwho entered your home and shared
meals with you, was a type ofhonor.
Getting advice from mentalhealth therapy to your finances
(08:41):
was common, because these menwere your ticket to God.
To have your son serve as analtar boy was a great honor.
And when priests showed specialinterest in your child, where
they would share private mealswith a priest, accompany them on
a ride to a meeting and evenhave sleepovers at the rectory,
it was not looked at as odd butas another way to ensure your
child's and family's salvation.
Jess (09:01):
But well, I mean, I have a feeling where this is going.
Yeah, and what has come out inthe news in the last couple
years?
Mom (09:13):
But it was nothing like that there, yeah, and that that
type of Attention was somethingthat was seen as an honor.
I do remember many argumentsbetween my father and my brother
because he wanted to my brotherto become an altar boy and my
brother was having God rest hissoul.
My brother was having no partof that, really, he just had no
(09:36):
interest in it.
He was a pretty committedagnostic from the get-go,
probably out of the womb.
Jess (09:44):
So it's just something that the young boys would be
excited for too, or was it morethe parents?
Mom (09:49):
I think it could be both.
I don't know.
Maybe if there was a young manwho had a true calling, maybe he
would be, excited, but I thinkit was just something that the
parents had them do.
Jess (09:59):
Like Boy Scouts or anything else.
Hannah (10:02):
It probably seems like, especially in the Catholic
families, if you had a son, hewould at least serve as an altar
boy for a short amount of time.
If you were someone, that wasvery what's the word?
I'm looking for Attending thechurch a lot Like you were very
involved with it.
Mom (10:16):
My mother actually stuck up for my brother, I remember,
during those arguments, becausemy mother had been brought up
Protestant and had converted toCatholicism because back then
when they got married in the 50s, you couldn't marry, you
couldn't do an interfaithmarriage.
So to her the whole concept ofan altar boy and just the
(10:37):
reverence and the admirationthat you gave your priest, that
was kind of foreign to herbecause she had a pastor and he
had a family and he had a wifeand he was human.
So she had a whole differentkind of take on it.
So he didn't want to be analtar boy.
Hannah (10:50):
She didn't care.
To me that's not an interfaithmarriage.
It's so interesting that youbring that up, because
Protestant and Catholic I meanit's the same God, so it's not
like you're going.
I don't know Buddhist orsomething, something totally
different.
So that's interesting.
Jess (11:07):
Yeah, I mean it's the same with Mormonism and Catholicism.
Mom (11:12):
Really.
Jess (11:13):
Like we couldn't Dave and I couldn't have gotten married
in like a Mormon temple and Idon't think we could have gotten
married in a Catholic church.
No, yeah, that's true, eitherso Chicape Town Hall.
That's where we Thank you,chicape.
And then we went to Hooters,but I digress.
Okay, that's definitely a storyI need to hear.
Good times.
Hannah (11:34):
The Croto family attended St Catherine of Siena
on Parker Street in Springfield,where the family was involved
in many different ways and werehighly connected to their
Catholic faith.
Their whole world would changeon May 6th 1967, when a new
priest was appointed to theirparish.
Father Levine was a strangechild, as people put it.
He had an inappropriaterelationship with his mother,
(11:55):
where they would both laugh whenhe would grab her breasts and
ask if they were real.
Jess (11:59):
What the fuck?
Sorry, it gets weirder, sorryfor me.
Hannah (12:02):
They were seen in the backyard sunbathing, her topless
, and him with his hand on herbreasts.
How old was he at this point?
Old enough not to be holdinghis mother's breasts?
Yeah, mmm.
Most kids would hunt squirrelor frog, but Levine took it too
far.
He enjoyed watching them dieand would sometimes inject them
with bleach and then give theman elaborate funeral.
(12:24):
People said they knew he wouldbe a priest.
Jess (12:29):
I mean, is that a prerequisite Is to kill animals?
I thought that was for serialkillers, not for priests.
Hannah (12:35):
Ting ting, ting ting.
Red flag, but not red flagenough.
Did you know any of this Mom?
Mom (12:43):
No, no, I mean 1967, I was very young.
I do remember when he came to.
So the rector of the church wasquite elderly, father Griffin,
he was quite elderly.
Hannah (13:00):
And he had a drinking problem.
I think, I read, I think, mostpriests do.
Mom (13:03):
I'm sorry to say that, but I knew most of the priests that
you know when, and I'm not evengoing to call him by anything
other than his class name.
When Levine came in, my motherGod rest her soul too took it
immediately, just immediately,disliked him.
Hannah (13:21):
Grandma was good at discerning people.
Yeah, she knew he was.
Mom (13:24):
Really, I can remember her saying to my father I there's
something about that man, Idon't like him.
I don't like him.
My father was like I, you know,I know there's nothing wrong,
he's fine, he's just young.
I don't know how old he was atthe time, but I do remember when
he got to the point my motherwould not go to Mass when he
served.
Oh really, and there was oneincident that I witnessed and
(13:47):
this just shows his irreverencefor stuff.
They were, they prepped thealtar and a lot of times the
priests will come out in just acassock but not all the garments
and it looks like what youmight wear if you're an
alkylight or something.
And he came out and they weregetting the altar ready and they
bring out, you know, whatever,whatever they bring out and
whatever they do.
And he came down and St Catshad a communion rail that went
(14:11):
all the way around, like most,and that church was kind of
built in the 60s, so I had thatvibe.
And he went and put his handsdown and vaulted over the
communion rail into thesanctuary and my mother never
wanted to be shy, was a largegas from her because we were
(14:32):
sitting down getting ready forMass and then after that she
said I don't like him, there'ssomething wrong with him, but
what do you do with thatinformation?
Hannah (14:41):
I mean, it wasn't that person Like what can you do?
Mom (14:43):
Yeah, the speculation, you know, and you didn't just
because you didn't like the waya young priest behaved you know,
especially in the Catholicchurch, it was so different back
then.
Just didn't have a voice.
Now, if you went to church andsomething happened, you would
say something Back then youdidn't, especially as a woman.
Yeah, especially a woman, youknow, and this is the 60s and
(15:07):
yeah.
Hannah (15:10):
Interesting.
After Levine graduated highschool, he got involved at a
summer job at a small park inChickpea Mass as a recreation
assistant and a month later hewas immediately fired and
labeled quote an undesirableperson to be around children.
End quote.
Jess (15:25):
Okay, so second red flag.
Hannah (15:27):
Thank you.
During his time at the boardingschool and also at seminary,
his grades were average at bestand he was labeled a person that
would need to be consoled a lotin his difficulties and he
would need consolation offriends to help him in his
troubles.
Despite these issues, he wasordained by Bishop Weldon at the
Cathedral of St Michael theArchangel in downtown
Springfield Mass on May 14th1966 19.
Jess (15:51):
What were you saying, mom?
That's right on State Street,oh, really, right down the road,
yeah.
Hannah (15:56):
Ooh.
When I read that I was likeokay, that's a little too close
for comfort.
Jess (16:00):
Yeah, it's just weird to hear these stories that are in
your like literal backyard.
Hannah (16:06):
Yeah, it's very disconcerting, especially when
you have people that were veryclose to this.
It's very disconcerting.
Yeah, bishop Weldon knewquickly that Levine was not
going to be an easy priest tomanage.
He incessantly bothered Weldonabout teaching at Cathedral High
School, saying he was more thanqualified and had excellent
rapport with children.
(16:26):
With the recommendation tobecome a priest, people knew
that his academics were not upto par to teach.
He was sent to East Hampton,massachusetts, where, when he
did come home where he did notcome home on time the pastor
locked him out for being late,which then Levine took a rock
and broke the window in order toget it.
He only lasted three monthsthere and was then sent to
Holyoke mass when one of thepastor pastors rules at this
(16:50):
church was that they were notallowed to be seated if you
missed the blessing, like if youmissed the prayer.
And Levine arrived after theblessing and so the housekeeper
said you cannot join the table.
Levine said quote well, if Ican't eat, no one will, and dump
the whole dinner on the floor.
What the hell?
He only lasted three months andwas then sent to St Catherine
of Siena.
Jess (17:09):
So they just pass him around.
They don't like fire him, andthat can someone else's problem.
Mom (17:14):
after Danny's murder they still continue to move him from
place to place into Otherparishes.
I'm sorry, don't need to jumpahead.
No, you're fine, I'm good otherparishes and into with
unsuspecting parents and theirother boys and children and so
(17:35):
who knows how many kids havebeen affected?
I've heard an estimate ofhundreds really that's crazy.
Jess (17:42):
I've been texting my husband Thank you, are you ever
an altar boy?
But his family grew up inchickpeas, so I'm wondering if
they know.
Do you know any goonins?
Jess & Hannah (17:53):
Okay, do you honey.
Lucky you, the best one it'sright, just kidding.
Hannah (17:59):
I say I'm the best Fitzpatrick.
So there you go.
So I am getting all thisinformation from a book that I'm
reading.
It's called the unsolved murderof Danny Croto and the culture
of abuse in the Catholic ChurchDeath of an altar boy by E J
Fleming.
It's not only just about DannyCroto, but it's a lot about how
I'll get into it.
But the church covering shit upMm-hmm.
Jess (18:21):
It's Insane one, it still happens.
It makes me every church.
Hannah (18:26):
It makes me so sick and, like my mom was saying, the
passing around, it's like, ohwell, the more of a degree of
crappy thing you did, thefurther they send you along it's
.
It's awful.
He was seen as the priest thatcould relate to the public which
I know mommy kind of touched on, like you, like he was young,
irreverent.
(18:46):
Yeah, his sermons were full ofanti-Vietnam ideas, yes, and
politics of the time which Pollyfor youth was like really cool
to us.
Mom (18:54):
It was it.
That's the kind of thing youwant to hear, although we were
never allowed to go to hismasses after a while.
But yeah, that's appealing ifyou don't look too deep.
Hannah (19:05):
Yeah, he would sometimes just show up at family's houses
to have dinner with them andwas once seen in the backyard
putting on the grill withoutbeing asked.
So they literally looked outthe window and he's there
turning their grill on fordinner.
I Mean.
Jess (19:19):
Obviously he wasn't top boundaries.
He was grabbing his mom's tits,for Christ's sake, you know so.
Hannah (19:26):
He would take day trips, sometimes lasting a week, with
children, inviting them over hisplace to look at Playboy
magazines, going out for icecream or watching Alfred
Hitchcock movies that theycannot watch at home.
He was rough housing with kidsand being more than helpful with
altar boys.
People did know something was alittle off about him and even
Danny's parents felt somethingwas off, but their kids never
complained, so they just keptgoing along with it.
(19:47):
More and more people werepicking up on the oddity of
Levine and soon he wastransferred to st Mary's on page
Boulevard and SpringfieldTransfer Transfer the thing is
St Mary's.
Mom (20:01):
If you Google map it is not that far from St Cots, mm-hmm.
But the information, the wayinformation was transferred, was
newspaper and, yeah, there wasno social media, there was no
Facebook.
St Mary's might as well been,you know, in Canada somewhere.
I really, back then, early 70s,the spread of information was it
(20:23):
was different and he was, youknow, and there was a sigh of
relief, but at the time therewere, there was a small
community of people that wereConvinced or thought that he was
, he was guilty of killing.
Danny, do you want me to kindof talk about?
(20:44):
Go for it, I need more wine,okay.
So it's hard to talk about itis.
It is difficult because Iremember when the police came to
.
Can I go there when the policecame to the house?
Hannah (20:59):
If you want to skip ahead, that's.
Mom (21:00):
I don't want to know you, mom, you speak as you will speak
, it's fine Okay so when shewhen she gets there and talk
about the, the community ofpeople that were kind of aware
of it.
We had two police officers mymother always claimed they were
FBI, I don't know that, I justthought they were police
officers came to the door on aSaturday morning and it was that
(21:22):
was April, right, and I wantedto talk to my brother.
We lived very close to whereDanny was last seen by someone
and there was there was like apick-up basketball game at the
16-acre school, which I thinkthat was the Mary Martin
Elementary School, and they hadthought that perhaps my brother
(21:46):
and his best friend, who livednext door, had been there, maybe
had they seen Danny there andasked a lot of questions.
And then they left and theywent next door and talked to his
best friend.
But when they walked in theysaid to his father World War two
vet, tough guy, we want to talkto your son alone.
And he said over my dead body,you're talking to my son, yeah
(22:08):
you know, and, of course, hisbest friend he told he told me
the exact same story.
You know that my brother, I toldthem because their kids and
there's 12 at the time they,they, didn't know what was going
on.
It wasn't till afterwards he'scalled my dad that they had
found Danny's body and that theywanted they were trying to like
follow up on where he was.
Jess (22:30):
You know activity before you might missing.
Mom (22:33):
Yeah, so there was already at that point in time.
You know, did we have a serialkiller in the neighborhood?
Mm-hmm, was it an accident?
I mean, they knew it wasn'tthese 12-year-old kids.
None of them were driving andof course it they said.
They said that they couldn'tget foot.
There's no DNA.
Hannah (22:50):
There's no DNA back then right, yeah, so, and we'll talk
about how the police reallyfucked it up with.
Yeah.
Yeah, we'll get into that andwe'll cut you off for you, good.
Mom (23:00):
No, I'll talk about.
I'll talk about this free fromnewspaper cover up when you get
there.
Hannah (23:05):
Even with this move to another church, levine did not
stop being a part of the Crotofamily.
On Friday, april 7th, dannyleft to go spend time with
Levine, and his parents receiveda phone call Later asking if
Danny could stay the night.
Danny returned the next morningat 9 o'clock.
They were not sure how he gotback from Chica B, but bunny,
his mother, just assumed thatLevine gave him a lift.
She remembered that Dannylooked quote listless and
(23:27):
nauseous.
He laid around and keptcomplaining about his stomach,
which, my god, hint, hint momlike hint, hint like sexually
abused and sexually abused tomm-hmm.
She also mentioned that hevomited several times, but after
dinner he said he's gonna takethe bus to the YMCA and he left.
The following week was Easterweek in the church and also the
(23:48):
beginning of fishing season,which Danny was really excited
about.
I was curious, though, mom,where was the YMCA that he could
have been referring to?
Do you know?
Mom (23:57):
No, no way.
Ymca, I know, was the onethat's down on just some
straight and spring fail, sothat's probably why he was gonna
take the bus.
Hannah (24:03):
But still so young taking the bus to the YMCA
downtown yeah that does same.
Mom (24:07):
It might have been something, might been another,
or the Y could have had aprogram and one of the junior
high.
Schools or something yeah.
Hannah (24:15):
I don't know.
The day before he was reportedmissing he was seen around the
neighborhood, mm-hmm and indifferent parts in Springfield.
When Danny did not get homethat night they checked if
Danny's fishing gear was thereand checked nearby ponds and
streams because they thoughtmaybe he wanted fish Cuz he was
so excited about it.
His mother made calls,including to Levine, but he said
he had not seen Danny.
(24:35):
At 1115 Danny's parents calledSpringfield police reporting
Danny missing, but police wouldnot file a report until he was
missing 12 hours.
Jess (24:43):
Of course, which we all know now.
That's bullshit.
It is bullshit.
Hannah (24:47):
I don't have to wait, especially if it's a kid,
because she was furious becauseshe's like he's only a kid, like
he's too young, like when youhave an adult missing, like okay
, they're an adult, mm-hmm, butthis kid's like so young, he's
barely a teenager.
Like why can't you just put thereport in Lazy, especially when
there's no cell phones, no wayto connect?
Levine called back aroundmidnight saying that they should
(25:09):
also call the chick at thepolice, and which I thought was
Suspicious.
Yeah much, much and the reportwas not filed until 2 11 am.
His parents could not sleep.
Obviously they were just hopingthat their son would come home.
The whole neighborhood wasfinding out about Danny missing
and parents started making callsand kids took their bikes
around the neighborhood to tryto help.
Around 9 o'clock Dan's brothergathered some of his friends to
(25:33):
bike to the spot where he andDanny and Levine Used to fish
underneath the bridge.
Once they got there, that'swhen they were greeted by the
fire trucks, ambulances andpolice cars and they returned
away and told to go home.
The body of Danny Croto havebeen found.
The Croto's were told thattheir son was dead and they
(25:54):
wanted Danny's parents to comedown to police headquarters.
Danny's father, carl, requestedthat they make a stop at
Levine's parish.
God, here we go.
Levine asked if they want himto come along and Carl was
grateful for the company.
Oh my god.
Levine sat in the questioningwith them, being quiet and
offering nothing, and when itcame time for them to identify
the body, levine interrupted andsaid quote no, no, no, let him
(26:16):
stay here.
All identify the body.
So he's like inserting himselfinto the investigation, saying
yeah, and he's being a pervbecause he wants to see what he
did.
Mom (26:25):
Oh, now he is evil personified.
He is just an evil.
Evil was an evil person soundslike it.
Hannah (26:37):
Levine told Danny's parents to make sure it was a
closed casket and even thoughhis parents wanted to be open,
he said to them quote, you don'twant to see Danny like that and
quote.
Jess (26:46):
So let's let the guy who killed him just control
everything about what happens.
I'm sure that's how they feelnow, like, oh I would be, livid
Levine would be dead.
Sorry, I'm sure he is right, hedied Okay.
Hannah (27:00):
Oh wait, but please don't explain, because that will
get to the next episode.
Jess & Hannah (27:04):
Okay, that's good shit, okay.
Hannah (27:07):
The blood spotter shows that Danny fought for his life
which good for him.
Kid under the bridge shows theinitial fight, and they were the
remarks in the dirt that showedthat his body Was dragged feet
first to the water's edge, wherethen Danny received a second
beating.
Danny was most likelyincapacitated at the original
spot and was near death beforehe received the second beating.
A Fist-sized rock was foundcovered in blood with clumps of
(27:29):
hair on it.
Tire marks were found at thescene, but the tire prints were
one of many mistakes made by lawenforcement.
Between Springfield chicka-beeand the DA's office it was a
pissing battle of who had theright over this case.
The casts that were made of thetire treads were done by
inexperienced people on thechicka-bee force, so that so
that was not done properly.
Jess (27:48):
Mm-hmm.
Hannah (27:49):
And when the physical evidence was photographed,
catalogued and collected Items,including the rock that had hair
samples on it, removed by statepolice and never seen again.
So who do you think had controlover those missing items?
Jess (28:02):
I'm guessing that Irish Catholics?
Hannah (28:07):
The autopsy was not done by experienced people either,
but it was determined that thiswas a homicide oh shit and that
Danny was murdered.
Danny had multiple lacerations,a massive skull fracture that
drove pieces of bone into hisbrain.
His jaw was split in half andfractures of this magnitude they
said would be more like a Vresult of an event like a car
accident or plane crash Holyshit.
(28:28):
So he beat.
This was rage.
Yeah, danny had also beenstrangled, and Danny's alcohol
level was point 18 percent,which was almost double the 1972
legal limit.
Jess (28:38):
So they were drinking Mm-hmm tried to do whatever to
him.
Yeah, he fought back and Thenhe killed him.
Hannah (28:46):
That's my guess.
So, mom, you had mentioned tome that you had heard that there
was one time Levine triedpicking him up from school and
Danny didn't want to go with him.
Mom (28:55):
Yeah, I had heard that he was at school and Levine's car
was outside and daddy broke downin front of one of the other
kids.
That's what I don't want to go,when they simply don't go.
And he's kind of like.
You know he was 12 years old.
Jess (29:10):
Yeah, priest, mm-hmm.
Mom (29:11):
What was he?
What was he gonna say?
I mean, he was powerless, hewas a victim in so many ways.
Jess (29:18):
Well, and it's not like you tell the priest no right, or
you know cuz there's the men ofGod you know, they are your
ticket to heaven, honey.
Hannah (29:28):
At least that's how they thought Danny was waked.
Oh sorry, just miss.
Jess (29:33):
I was just gonna say I'll agree to disagree.
Hannah (29:36):
Danny was waked that morning and Levine told Danny's
aunt who had come fromCalifornia to convince his
parents to have a closed casket,which she ended up convincing
them.
Mm-hmm, this was interesting.
Uh, franciscan fryer namedBarnabas Keck, do you know him,
mom?
No, showed up to the wake andshowed great grief by wailing
(29:56):
and crying at the casket.
Nobody knew who he was and itwas peculiar that he was there.
Come to find out he wasLevine's confessor and he
probably knew all of whathappened.
Jess (30:07):
Oh, break my heart for Barnabas.
Hannah (30:11):
That's gotta be tough.
Something I didn't put in hereis that I don't know if it was
the investigators or whatever,but they visited Barnabas and he
had a like a Quirkboard behindhis desk and the only thing that
was up there was Danny.
Like the from the Republican isthe Danny's Obituary or the
(30:32):
case or whatever he's carryingthis around, but since it was
confession, he couldn't sayanything.
Jess (30:38):
I don't agree with that the sprinkler newspaper.
Mom (30:41):
Mm-hmm did carry a lot of stories about the investigation
and I haven't I'm really goodauthority.
At one point they were puttinga Newspaper article and saying
that Levine was being questioned.
It was one of the top suspects,it's from the beginning got a
hold of it, that information andwhat.
(31:04):
This was what was told, and Igot it from my mother because
she my mother was really goodabout giving us information To
keep us safe.
Yeah and she said that ended upon the composing room floor.
That never made it and it wasat the the orders of the bishop
and, I'll be honest, youpersonally.
(31:26):
When I heard that, I looked ather, looked at my dad and I said
I will never, go to theCatholic Church again Ever.
I said the church is full ofhypocrites.
Mm-hmm now not just CatholicChurch right.
Jess (31:39):
Yeah, but I think every organized religion has that, but
as a 15 year old girl.
Mom (31:46):
I never went.
I did not step foot into aCatholic Church for about eight
years and never attended oneagain.
Hannah (31:51):
Hmm, sometime in the afternoon one of Dan's brothers
answered the phone.
After saying hello a coupletimes, he finally heard a
familiar voice say quote we'resorry for what happened to Danny
.
He saw something behind thecircle he shouldn't have seen.
It was an accident.
And quote what.
They asked who it was a coupletimes with the line went dead.
Danny's brothers ended upadmitting to being victims of
(32:12):
Valor Levine.
Mom (32:13):
Hmm.
Jess (32:15):
Levine was acting strangely in the weeks after no
did you want so not just Danny,his brothers as well a lot of
the Young men that I knew my agewere all altar boys and were
victims.
Mom (32:28):
Oh, my god years years later not that many years, but
years later one of those youngmen killed himself.
Now it was never said that itwas a result of the physical
abuse, but I mean he was avictim.
They knew he was a victim andhe did commit suicide, but that
(32:48):
I think the community alwaysfelt it.
Jess (32:50):
Yeah, we can connect the dots.
I'm sure he experienced a lotof a Lot of stuff after that,
levine was acting strangely.
Hannah (32:59):
In the weeks after Danny was found there should have
been a search warrant issued forLevine's home and rectory
Quarters, but it is speculativethat the church had had a hand
in that and that not happening.
Hmm, when the investigatorsasked the Croto family if the
phone call that was made aboutthe circle could have been
Levine, the brother thatanswered the phone connected the
dots and knew it was Levine.
So he thought it soundedfamiliar but he just did not
(33:20):
connect to that.
It was the priest.
It's grieving.
Mom (33:22):
Yeah.
Hannah (33:23):
It was grieving.
Mom (33:24):
I can't even imagine what that family went through.
I mean those shockwaves of that, just as a mom I, just that
just overwhelms me to even thinkabout that.
Jess (33:35):
I think that there would have to be some guilt and
feeling responsible because theyEncouraged him to hang out with
Levine, correct?
Hannah (33:43):
If you also think about how many kids she had.
Right, and you're like thispriest wants to spend time with
my boys.
He is taking them off my handsLike I know they're gonna be
safe with a man of God and thenthis happens.
Jess (33:55):
Well, and it's similar.
I mean not similar, but wetalked about it a little during
Lewis Lent, who used the churchto get close to, yeah, single
moms and to be okay with drivingkids around and it's, it's like
the perfect opportunity forpeople right douche canoes like
this to take advantage ofFamilies and kids makes me sick.
Mom (34:21):
It's why so many churches now you have to be quarried and
everything else to where I wishchildren.
But you know, hannah and I sawthis even in a non-Catholic
church that we were, there was ayoung man, got married and and
they moved away, but he lost hisown kids.
He's in jail.
Hannah (34:38):
No, he was he was a youth, a youth coordinator yes,
youth pastor.
I remember being with him, himwanting me on the Volleyball
team, him being a part of myBible classes and then, when
they had moved, he went to aChristian school and was
molesting children and then heended up in jail.
(34:58):
So it's.
And then, of course, my mom hasto have the tough conversation
with her grown adult children.
Like was there somethinghappening I didn't know and,
granted, we were very lucky thatthis wasn't happening to us,
but it hits too close to home.
Jess (35:10):
Yeah, I mean I've mentioned the Mormon church
obviously a lot, but there'seven coverup of sexual abuse
from bishops and other peoplethat are in a power of authority
that take advantage, and thenthe church, whether it be Mormon
Catholic.
I've even found a book aboutthe Amish community where sexual
(35:30):
abuse takes place and they justtry to cover it all up.
It's ridiculous.
Mom (35:34):
It's so important to teach our children when they say no
means no.
No means no, just like youteach your daughters when they
say no means no and to maybealways be.
I think that's why for me and Iprobably drove my kids crazy as
they became teenagers Iwouldn't, I wouldn't.
I was single mom, I wouldn'tdate because I would never bring
(35:54):
a man into my home, and I thinka lot of that is some of what
happened.
So close to home, yeah, andeven though obviously my family
was not impacted the way hisfamily was.
Jess (36:09):
I don't want to put that, but it was still in your
neighborhood.
It was With three streets.
Yeah, three, four streets over.
Mom (36:16):
Three streets over.
I checked, but I wasoverprotective and it drove my
kids crazy Sometimes that whenthey would be going to do
something, guess who volunteeredto drive.
I did, mm-hmm, I did.
Jess & Hannah (36:28):
You're a little mama bear.
Mom (36:30):
School all nighters Taking care of your cubs Church all
nighters.
Guess who's there?
You're the chaperone Becauseyou don't know.
So I think when this incidentcame up of this coach and youth
coordinator after he moved away,we immediately you know
(36:50):
everyone in the church was likewell, wait a minute, you were,
you know, a lot of times youwere in his car, or you were in
his car and Over his home, overhis house, lovely wife, he had
an autistic son.
Yep, there's no way of knowing.
Yep, no, that's why you have tobe Sometimes.
Be a very mama bear yeah.
Jess (37:11):
Yeah, rightfully so.
Hannah (37:14):
In June, father Leo E O'Neill stopped at the Croto
home.
Do you know that name, mom?
Yeah, yes, I do you do?
Mom (37:21):
Okay, he came in after he actually ended up becoming fish
about one point.
Hannah (37:28):
I think I mentioned that .
Yes, he was said to be white asa ghost when he talked to Carl
and he spoke of the abuse thathappened against his children
and he did think that Levinekilled his son.
A week later, O'Neill returnedand gave Carl a lot of cash more
than $700, which would probablybe around $5,000 today.
(37:48):
He said the church was sendingthem to visit his wife's family
in California and he thought itmight be good if they got away
for a while.
Jess (37:55):
What the?
Hannah (37:56):
fuck.
Hmm, that's not the worst of it, oh my God.
So we're wondering where thechurch got the money right A
month later, james Egan, do youknow James Egan mom?
No, I don't.
He was the lawyer for thediocese that showed up to the
Croto home and asked them whatthey wanted or if there's
anything they needed.
Carl was insulted and then Egansaid if there's anything they
(38:17):
decided they needed to let themknow, and the Crotos would not
hear from the diocese ever again.
Jess & Hannah (38:23):
Ew, so to buy their silence.
Jess (38:24):
Yep, they're buying in a month, ugh.
Jess & Hannah (38:26):
Yep.
Hannah (38:27):
Ugh, mom, you'll appreciate this.
Danny's mom looked for anyphotos she had of Levine and
made sure to shred the mom, soshe had no memory of this man
that took her baby away.
Jess (38:37):
Burn it.
I would have done a witchescurse Where's the Putt?
Hannah (38:43):
numbs Where's the Putt numbs Right?
Jess (38:45):
it's fucking Putt numbs.
They could be good forsomething.
Mom (38:49):
You know, I think there's.
This is a terrible thing to saypublicly, but I think as a
mother, that would have beenjustifiable homicide.
Oh yeah, I really think ifsomeone hurt my kids that it
would.
They would be destroyed.
I would not be able to forgivethem for that.
You would be hurt back because12 years old, I mean.
(39:10):
It's horrific, it's reallyhorrific.
Hannah (39:13):
It's haunting you know, Since there was not enough
evidence of interest in the case, it slowly sizzled and remained
in a storage locker unsolvedfor 20 years.
Jess (39:22):
Are you kidding me?
20 years.
Mom (39:26):
I think it's what's his brother's, a couple of his
brothers that really kind ofpushed it to the forefront with
an recent memory.
Hannah (39:36):
So because of this, we're going to kind of go into
like fucking awfulness of thediocese, come back a little bit
into Levine, and then we'll haveto save the rest for another
episode.
Okay, so this was not the firsttime the church covered up
their sins.
In 1922, the Vatican enactedquote crime of solicitation,
(39:56):
which was prohibiting evenpublic mention of abuse.
Accused priests were ordered tobe immediately absolved Right,
let's forgive you and sent on apious pilgrimage as their
penance, and the crime wasordered to be stored in the
secret archives as strictlyconfidential.
That's such bullshit.
In Springfield, these secretarchives were hidden inside
(40:16):
three locked cabinets in a vaultburied in the regular archives.
So there's documentation of allthis, oh God.
The secret archives containfiles labeled quote unnatural
involvements, and that could bea thing from alcohol to drugs,
to pornography and evenpregnancies.
Folders for sexual abuse weretitled quote unusual patterns.
Obviously this goes above andbeyond Springfield,
(40:41):
massachusetts, and here are acouple of stories.
There were letters foundbetween two priests that were
abusers and they would sendletters to each other about
their activities.
Are you serious?
I am not going to read or saywhat I read, because they do
talk about it in there, becauseI literally started getting sick
because of it, because itbothered me so bad.
Jess (40:59):
Like I was like.
So it was like two friendsjoking about their sexual
escapades with children.
Awesome At one point.
Mom (41:06):
There was reportedly a ring of priests this was later that
I had heard someone I know hadmentioned that there was some.
I can't get into it becauseit's not my story to tell, but
there were priests that actuallypassed these young victims
around.
Jess (41:26):
So sex trafficking basically, exactly, exactly.
This hurts my heart, so bad.
Hannah (41:33):
In Louisiana in the 1980s, a group of parents
suspected their priests ofabusing their children.
They asked him and he admittedto it and said that he needed
help and they paid for histherapy sessions.
What?
And they did not report him Topay for castration.
Jess (41:50):
I mean, you don't need to pay for that, let's get a knife
right now.
Hannah (41:54):
We should send them to those those.
Why am I blanking?
I just did the episode on it.
I meant the mental institutions.
Oh my God, in 1976, fatherMcGuire Mom, do you know who
Father McGuire is yes, I do whoalso became a future bishop in
Springfield, was told by a dadthat his son was being molested
by a priest that McGuire knewwas an abuser.
(42:14):
But McGuire said quote I'm sureit was just horseplay and quote
.
Jess (42:19):
Maybe foreplay, not horseplay?
What the fuck.
Hannah (42:23):
There is a good documentary called the Keepers
on Netflix.
Have you seen it?
No, have you watched it Me andRob watched it.
It's amazing.
So it is about these adults whowho were students at this
school in Baltimore in 1969,where a nun was murdered for
knowing too much about the abusehappening by the priest.
It's, it's really good.
So I had to watch.
Recommend if anyone wants towatch that.
(42:44):
What streaming?
Jess (42:46):
Netflix, oh, netflix, ok, thank you the.
Hannah (42:48):
Keepers on Netflix 1991, shelburne Falls, massachusetts.
A family accused their priestof abuse and of course we know
it is because, they moved him.
Mom (43:00):
They moved him again.
Jess & Hannah (43:01):
Was it, levine it's.
Jess (43:02):
Levine.
Hannah (43:04):
No way On October 19.
Mom (43:07):
This is 1991.
So we're talking about almost20 years later, 20 years later
you still had him.
So you know someone with thatkind of predilection.
Jess (43:17):
He hasn't stopped, right, he's not going to stop.
Why would he stop?
He didn't get caught withmurder.
Mom (43:22):
They were just sending him to places where he has new
victims.
Hannah (43:26):
On October 9.
Mom (43:27):
I'm sorry.
Hannah (43:28):
No, it's OK, You're fine .
On October 19, 1991, greenfield, massachusetts police issued an
arrest warrant due tostatements given by three boys.
Finally, levine was arrested.
No, he became, damn it.
Levine was arrested and hebecame the first priest in
Western Massachusetts historycharged with child sexual
assault.
He was put on bail of $10,000but, oddly, not assigned a
(43:48):
die-seasoned attorney, which Ithought was interesting.
And we're going to stop ourstory there Until next time.
Jess (43:56):
What the hell I need to know this guy is evil, evil.
Hannah (44:02):
I will tell you, I've been going through this book so
slowly, like I would call my mom, probably like every 20 pages
asking her questions, and then Ihad to put it away because it
was making me so sick.
Well, especially if it getsdescriptive, very, oh, like it
still makes me want to want.
But you know what I'm, I'm very, I feel very humbled to be able
(44:23):
to tell Danny.
Yeah, because it's just, it's,it's horrifying, it's horrifying
.
The cover ups, I think, is whatjust makes me the maddest.
Jess (44:32):
Well, and this this book is is good for, that is, to
bring awareness to what has beengoing on and probably what
continues to go on, and thatkeeps getting covered up and, oh
, it breaks my heart, for whoknows how many victims this
douche has.
Hannah (44:50):
But I, from what I read in this book, the parents were
very willing to be a part of itand tell their son's story,
which I think is reallyimportant, and yeah, to her
hopes that it doesn't happen toany other family.
Jess (45:04):
Will you come back for the next?
Hannah (45:06):
episode mom, I'll try, she'll try.
Jess (45:10):
Good, we love having you here.
Mom (45:11):
Thank you so much for inviting me.
Hannah (45:13):
Well, thank you, mom, for putting your two sons in it.
I made it unfortunately morereal, but it gave us insight to
that time, which was helpful.
Mom (45:22):
Anything that helps, somebody listens and you think
you know, you gotta saysomething.
Yeah, yeah, I say somethingtrust your judgment.
Jess (45:30):
Yep, I always trust your gut.
Mom (45:32):
Yeah, teach your kids.
No means no.
No Communication open with yourkids, so something weird is
happening and they tell you.
Jess (45:41):
Regardless, leave them.
If they are a man of God or not, yep, no matter, I think that,
a lot of those.
Mom (45:48):
I Think the way that way of thinking about it has has
changed a lot in a lot of thechurches.
Yeah, I think we see weunderstand that they're only man
and their fallible.
I don't, I don't think unlessyou look at like the FLDS or
something, oh, we're getting,we're gonna talk about.
(46:10):
I've been watching a lot aboutthe FLDS.
I think there is religiousAbuse, mm-hmm and I think,
walking away from the CalvaryChurch because of that, I I
think that my upbringing, mm-hmm, allow me to get into other
situations, yeah, with pastorsthat were Dictators and possibly
(46:32):
abusive until.
But as an adult, I can pullmyself out of those situations,
but it kind of sets you up forit.
So you, you take all that withyou.
Jess (46:41):
So, yeah, well, and I I mean I've shared a lot about my
Mormon upbringing and, thank God, I didn't experience anything.
Mm-hmm like this.
But I was telling these guys itwasn't until I watched
Handmaid's tail.
When there's that part wherethe higher guy up in the
religion, mm-hmm, and the guythat one of the upper guys are
(47:04):
in the limo and Trying toconvince you know, to have their
wives involved in the ceremonywatching their husband's fuck
another woman.
I remember that and he saysthey're holding them down.
Yeah and he says well, make thembe a part of the ceremony.
Yeah, like.
Well.
How would we convince that theywere inventing?
Mom (47:23):
a religion exactly.
Jess (47:24):
and then they're like, just say that it was commanded
by God, yeah, and my yep Mindwas blown because I'm like, oh
my god, all of this makes sensenow, like Because they're,
they're men, they're human, theyhave faults and they can say
they're men of God, all thatthey want.
Mom (47:41):
But yeah, that's a way to control people.
I had PTSD.
After watching some of thehandmaids tell I had my own PTSD
.
Jess (47:49):
So, yeah.
Thanks for the episode and thecliffhanger you know you're
welcome.
Hannah (47:55):
He done to me, I know true.
Mom (47:58):
It's a tough one.
Kids, kids and pets, elgerabuse, anything like that.
That's the kind of stuff that Ican't really talk about it and
that's why this stuff can't goon is if you don't talk about it
and, like I said, I want I sithe hand out.
Originally I said I would liketo come on and share my
experience, but out of totalrespect for his family.
Hannah (48:19):
Yeah, I don't want to sound Um, I don't want to sound
any which way, but I feel likeI'm like close to Danny in a lot
of ways after doing all thisresearch.
Mm-hmm and I know it soundsweird because this kid was way
before my time yeah, but it's, Ifeel very close to the case in
a lot of ways.
So it's, it's, it's good.
Mom (48:38):
It's good.
Hannah (48:38):
that needs to be told it needs to be because for so long
this poor child went throughthis darkness by himself.
Mom (48:45):
I know and thank you for tackling such a tough subject.
Well, thank you for bringing itto our attention.
Jess (48:51):
Yes, and this won't be the only episode on religious
trauma.
Hannah (48:55):
Oh no.
Jess (48:56):
We're just getting started .
Hannah (48:58):
I'll beat that Please do Thanks Mom, Thank you for
joining us.
Thank you, Hannah.
Thanks for joining the show.
Jess (49:08):
Yes, and don't be a douche canoe.
Yes, don't be a douche canoe.
Hannah (49:11):
And always remember no means no, Say something, yes,
exactly.
Jess & Hannah (49:17):
Bye, bye, bye.
Hannah (49:19):
Thanks for listening today.
The show wouldn't be possiblewithout our amazing producer and
editor, Rob Fitzpatrick, whoworks tirelessly behind the
scenes to bring you the bestcontent and a special thanks to
Tyga Soundprod for providing thecaptivating intro music.
Jess (49:33):
Cinematic Intro 24.
Hannah (49:35):
And of course we can't forget the hauntingly beautiful
outro music, rhino's Themecomposed by Kevin MacLeod, if
you enjoyed today's episode.
Jess (49:43):
Make sure to leave a rating and review on your
favorite podcast platforms likeSpotify, apple and YouTube.
Jess & Hannah (49:50):
Your feedback means the world to us.
Hannah (49:53):
Also, be sure to follow us on Instagram for behind the
scenes glimpses, updates andmore thrilling content.
You can find us at WickedWandering's Podcast.
Jess (50:01):
Thank you so much for listening and being part of our
Wicked Wandering's community.
Jess & Hannah (50:06):
We appreciate each and every one of you Stay
curious, keep exploring andalways remember to keep on
wandering.
Wicked Wandering's Podcast.
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