An Extreme Prejudice portrays Italian immigrants as victims of their own pursuit of happiness. Encouraged to come to Louisiana to increase the white population, most soon found themselves the victims of racial prejudice and deadly violence. This book chronicles the international, national, and local politics involved with our melting-pot nation becoming more tolerant of ethnic differences. In the end, when crimes against Italians proved too daunting, white citizens actively and publicly came to their aid. The Italian work ethic and strong desire to become part of the American dream is now a part of the rich history of New Orleans and Louisiana.
This collection chronicles the most mysterious, bizarre and often overlooked homicides in Louisiana history. Drawing on contemporary records and, where available, the recollections of those who provide a coherent version of the facts, these mesmerizing tales detail some of the more gruesome episodes: the rise of the first Mafia godfather in the United States; the murder of two New Orleans police chiefs; the brutal murder of a famous New Orleans madam; the story of a respectable young woman who "accidentally" poisoned her younger sister and is a suspect in other family deaths; the ritual killing of blacks in southwestern Louisiana and eastern Texas; the mysterious death of a young housewife which still generates debate; and the demise of a local celebrity who believed in his own invincibility.
A history of the Italian immigrant communities in Louisiana at the close the nineteenth century and the difficulty the faced acclimating to American society. Though the Italian contribution to Louisiana’s culture is palpable and celebrated, at one time ethnic Italians were constantly embroiled in scandal, sometimes deserved and sometimes as scapegoats. The new immigrants hoped that they would be welcomed and see for themselves the “streets paved with gold.” Their new lives, however, were difficult. Italians in Louisiana faced prejudice, violence and political exile for their refusal to accept the southern racial mores. Author and historian Alan Gauthreaux documents the experience of those Italians who arrived in Louisiana over one hundred years ago. “This historical survey was no easy task, and the presentation of this intriguing chapter in Louisiana’s rich history is quite impressive. Any Louisiana library would be incomplete without Italian Louisiana, an extensively researched, evenly paced, and well-balanced account of the unique Italian experience in Louisiana.” —Florent Hardy, Jr., Ph.D., state archivist for Louisiana State Archives “Immigration historians have largely focused on the northeast and California when studying the history of Italian Americans in this country. We are therefore grateful to Alan Gauthreaux for his well-researched study on how Italian immigrants to Louisiana fared. More than a hundred years ago, thousands of Italians, mainly from Sicily, were “imported” to Louisiana to work in the sugar cane fields that the newly freed slaves avoided. The Italians faced serious obstacles, including prejudice and violence. In fact, the biggest mass lynching in American history occurred in 1891, when a New Orleans mob slaughtered 11 Italians, including a teen-age boy, after they had been found innocent of murdering a police officer. But Gauthreaux also explores how, through hard work and strong values, these immigrants eventually secured a much brighter future for themselves and their descendants. A “must-read” for anyone interested in Italian Americans and their story.” —Dona De Sanctis, PhD, editor-in-chief, Italian America Magazine
Historian Alan G. Gauthreaux chronicles 12 homicide cases from late 1800s and early 1900s Louisiana--where "unwritten law" justified jilted women who killed their paramours, and police took measures to protect defendants from lynch mobs. Stories include the 1907 kidnapping of seven-year-old Walter Lamana by the New Orleans "Black Hand," the 1912 acquittal of Zea McRee (a woman of "good reputation") in Opelousas, and the 1934 trial and execution of Shreveport's infamous "Butterfly Man.
This collection chronicles the most mysterious, bizarre and often overlooked homicides in Louisiana history. Drawing on contemporary records and, where available, the recollections of those who provide a coherent version of the facts, these mesmerizing tales detail some of the more gruesome episodes: the rise of the first Mafia godfather in the United States; the murder of two New Orleans police chiefs; the brutal murder of a famous New Orleans madam; the story of a respectable young woman who "accidentally" poisoned her younger sister and is a suspect in other family deaths; the ritual killing of blacks in southwestern Louisiana and eastern Texas; the mysterious death of a young housewife which still generates debate; and the demise of a local celebrity who believed in his own invincibility.
A history of the Italian immigrant communities in Louisiana at the close the nineteenth century and the difficulty the faced acclimating to American society. Though the Italian contribution to Louisiana’s culture is palpable and celebrated, at one time ethnic Italians were constantly embroiled in scandal, sometimes deserved and sometimes as scapegoats. The new immigrants hoped that they would be welcomed and see for themselves the “streets paved with gold.” Their new lives, however, were difficult. Italians in Louisiana faced prejudice, violence and political exile for their refusal to accept the southern racial mores. Author and historian Alan Gauthreaux documents the experience of those Italians who arrived in Louisiana over one hundred years ago. “This historical survey was no easy task, and the presentation of this intriguing chapter in Louisiana’s rich history is quite impressive. Any Louisiana library would be incomplete without Italian Louisiana, an extensively researched, evenly paced, and well-balanced account of the unique Italian experience in Louisiana.” —Florent Hardy, Jr., Ph.D., state archivist for Louisiana State Archives “Immigration historians have largely focused on the northeast and California when studying the history of Italian Americans in this country. We are therefore grateful to Alan Gauthreaux for his well-researched study on how Italian immigrants to Louisiana fared. More than a hundred years ago, thousands of Italians, mainly from Sicily, were “imported” to Louisiana to work in the sugar cane fields that the newly freed slaves avoided. The Italians faced serious obstacles, including prejudice and violence. In fact, the biggest mass lynching in American history occurred in 1891, when a New Orleans mob slaughtered 11 Italians, including a teen-age boy, after they had been found innocent of murdering a police officer. But Gauthreaux also explores how, through hard work and strong values, these immigrants eventually secured a much brighter future for themselves and their descendants. A “must-read” for anyone interested in Italian Americans and their story.” —Dona De Sanctis, PhD, editor-in-chief, Italian America Magazine
Historian Alan G. Gauthreaux chronicles 12 homicide cases from late 1800s and early 1900s Louisiana--where "unwritten law" justified jilted women who killed their paramours, and police took measures to protect defendants from lynch mobs. Stories include the 1907 kidnapping of seven-year-old Walter Lamana by the New Orleans "Black Hand," the 1912 acquittal of Zea McRee (a woman of "good reputation") in Opelousas, and the 1934 trial and execution of Shreveport's infamous "Butterfly Man.
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