Play Jazz or Die? The Axeman of New Orleans (Episode #56)

From 1918 to 1919, New Orleans was terrorized by a serial killer known as the Axeman, who attacked several people and murdered at least six. His primary targets were Italian immigrant grocers, and he used axes found in his victims’ homes. Despite the brutality of the attacks, no valuables were ever stolen. In a strange twist, the killer wrote to a local newspaper, claiming that anyone playing jazz music on a specific night would be spared. The city responded, and no murders occurred that night. Though the killings eventually resumed, the Axeman was never caught. Theories about his motives range from mafia involvement and racial animosity to madness.

MUSIC

• Theme Music by Dethlehem (dethlehem.bandcamp.com)

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EPISODE RESOURCES

• Alexander, Kathy. “The Axeman of New Orleans – Legends of America.” Legendsofamerica.com, 2019, www.legendsofamerica.com/la-axeman/.
• ‌Davis, Miriam. “The Axeman of New Orleans Preyed on Italian Immigrants.” Smithsonian, Smithsonian.com, 15 Feb. 2018, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/axeman-new-orleans-preyed-italian-immigrants-180968037/.
• delaney. “The Axeman of New Orleans.” Medium, 18 May 2021, delaneywrites.medium.com/the-axeman-of-new-orleans-5df377e9f840.
• Elizabeth, Rachael. ‌“Murder, Mockery, and Jazz: The Axeman of New Orleans.” Https://The-Line-Up.com, 18 Apr. 2024, the-line-up.com/the-axeman-of-new-orleans.
• ‌Ferranti, Seth. “How the ‘Axeman of New Orleans’ Terrorized a City and Escaped the Law.” VICE, 1 Mar. 2017, www.vice.com/en/article/how-the-axeman-of-new-orleans-terrorized-a-city-and-escaped-the-law/
• ‌Hage, Eddy. “Louisiana True Crime: The New Orleans Axeman Who Murdered Italian Grocers Unfond of Jazz.” The Reveille, 2 Mar. 2022, www.lsureveille.com/entertainment/louisiana-true-crime-the-new-orleans-axeman-who-murdered-italian-grocers-unfond-of-jazz/article_0a263482-8744-11ec-85de-7b60c0b7252f.html.
• Karst, James. NOLA com | The‌ Times-Picayune. “‘A Peculiar Turn’ in the Axeman Investigation of 1918.” NOLA.com, 13 May 2018, www.nola.com/entertainment_life/vintage/a-peculiar-turn-in-the-axeman-investigation-of-1918/article_14f43f27-1cb0-505e-a0b6-9814d6b13172.html.
• ‌Kelly, Meghan B. “The Axe Murderer Who Loved Jazz | Endless Thread.” Wbur.org, WBUR, 22 June 2018, www.wbur.org/endlessthread/2018/06/22/the-axeman-serial-killer-new-orleans.
• ‌Lease, Lawrence. “The Axeman of New Orleans: Victims, Suspects and Theories.” HubPages, 25 Jan. 2023, discover.hubpages.com/politics/The-Unsolved-Case-of-the-Axeman-of-New-Orleans
• ‌Mills, Ted. “The Serial Killer Who Loved Jazz: The Infamous Story of the Axeman of New Orleans (1919).” Open Culture, 18 Oct. 2018, www.openculture.com/2018/10/story-axeman-new-orleans-serial-killer-loved-jazz.html#google_vignette
• ‌“The Axeman of New Orleans.” Crime + Investigation, 25 Mar. 2019, www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/article/the-axeman-of-new-orleans.
• ‌“Unidentified Serial Killer.” Wikipedia.org, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 9 July 2003