boatme99
Member
Recognize the name?
A man who nearly changed history.
An up to this point, completely anonymous Italian immigrant.
Executed by electrocution 82 years ago, today.
On Feb. 19, 1933 in Miami, Fl., he shot Anton Cermak, then mayor of Chicago.
Why should that almost change history?
Cermak was in Miami on a mission. He was worried about his political future and decided to curry favor with the new president-elect, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who was himself in town on a kind of "Thank you" tour.
Zangara obviously had mental problem and he blamed Roosevelt for his constant stomach pains. He decided FDR would be a good target, that day. Unfortunately for Zangara, and Cermak too, it seems he was a lousy shot. He wounded four bystanders and the mayor, who lingered 19 days before succumbing.
In those days of speedier justice, Giuseppe pled guilty of murder and was executed within 2 weeks.
All during his trial for shooting 5 people, (he received 80 years) he was remorseless.
His final words? "Viva Italia. Goodbye to poor peoples everywhere. Pusha da button."
I don't know why, but this story has fascinated me since I heard about it in grade school. A neat bit of history, and a big "what if".
A man who nearly changed history.
An up to this point, completely anonymous Italian immigrant.
Executed by electrocution 82 years ago, today.
On Feb. 19, 1933 in Miami, Fl., he shot Anton Cermak, then mayor of Chicago.
Why should that almost change history?
Cermak was in Miami on a mission. He was worried about his political future and decided to curry favor with the new president-elect, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who was himself in town on a kind of "Thank you" tour.
Zangara obviously had mental problem and he blamed Roosevelt for his constant stomach pains. He decided FDR would be a good target, that day. Unfortunately for Zangara, and Cermak too, it seems he was a lousy shot. He wounded four bystanders and the mayor, who lingered 19 days before succumbing.
In those days of speedier justice, Giuseppe pled guilty of murder and was executed within 2 weeks.
All during his trial for shooting 5 people, (he received 80 years) he was remorseless.
His final words? "Viva Italia. Goodbye to poor peoples everywhere. Pusha da button."
I don't know why, but this story has fascinated me since I heard about it in grade school. A neat bit of history, and a big "what if".
