Empire of Sin (65 page)

50
“featured hot man” …
 Chilton,
Bechet
, 28.

51
On June 19, a dance …
 Charters,
Trumpet Around the Corner
, 164; McCusker,
Creole Trombone
, 125.

52
“What about the band?…”
McCusker,
Creole Trombone
, 125.

53
“I was back on my job …”
Armstrong,
Satchmo
, 136.

54
“You still blowin’ that cornet?” …
 Armstrong,
Satchmo
, 137.

55
“What a thrill that was! …”
Armstrong,
Satchmo
, 137.

56
gig that night at Economy Hall …
 McCusker,
Creole Trombone
, 126–27.

57
“blow up a storm …”
Armstrong’s triumph per Armstrong,
Satchmo
, 138–39.

58
had to work various jobs …
 Brothers,
Armstrong’s New Orleans
, 24; Armstrong,
Satchmo
, 133.

59
“I was carrying the coal inside …”
Armstrong,
Satchmo
, 144.

60
“a bolt of lightning …”
Armstrong’s realization re: meaning of Armistice per Teachout,
Pops
, 46.

61
“The freewheeling days …”
McCusker,
Creole Trombone
, 131.

62
another subdued affair …
 Mardi Gras of 1919 per Mitchell,
Mardi Gras Day
, 167, and the NOTP of March 5, 1919.

63
now on a murder charge …
 Harriet Lowe’s death per the NOTP of September 17, 1918.

64
morning of March 10, 1919 …
 Cortimiglia murder reported in the NODI, NODS, and NOTP of March 10, 1919.

Chapter 19: The Axman’s Jazz

  
1
“Who is the axman …”
as per the NODS of March 11, 1919.

  
2
the most brutal assault so far …
 Details of the Cortimiglia attack are mainly from the NODI, NODS, and NOTP of March 10, 1919.

  
3
“Frank, I’m dying …”
as per the NOTP of March 10, 1919 (apparently the Jordanos’ real name was Guagliardo, but they did business under the name Jordano).

  
4
$129 in cash …
 Details of “robbery” per the NOTP of March 10, 1919, and the NODI of March 11, 1919.

  
5
two axes on the premises …
 as per the NODI of March 10, 1919.

  
6
feuding for some time …
 Jordano-Cortimiglia rivalry per the NOTP of March 10, 1919.

  
7
“degenerate madman …”
Mooney’s speculations in the NOTP of March 11, 1919.

  
8
continued to insist that he did not recognize …
 The NOTP and NODS of March 15, 1919, disagreed over whether Charles Cortimiglia joined his wife in condemning Frank Jordano; certainly the husband claimed later not to have recognized his assailant.

  
9
“vouch for the condition of their minds” …
 Doctor’s refusal to comment per the NODS of March 15, 1919.

10
“Both Charlie Cortimiglia and his wife …”
as per the NODS of March 15, 1919.

11
a high-profile presentation to the press …
 as per the NOTP of March 16, 1919.

12
Location—In nearly all of the cases …
 List of common elements in crimes per the NOTP of March 16, 1919.

13
“Esteemed Mortal …”
Text of Axman letter per the NOTP of March 16, 1919.

14
“The tinkle of jazz music …”
as per the NOTP of March 19, 1919.

15
“Enter by way of the bathroom …”
as per the NOTP of March 18, 1919.

16
“every known incidental …”
Davilla’s composition per the NOTP of March 20, 1919.

17
“Immunity promised all homes …”
as per the NODS of May 10, 1919.

18
police on high alert …
 as per the NOTP of March 16, 1919.

19
“No burglar …”
as per the NOTP of March 16, 1919.

20
Besumer finally got his day in court …
 For the Besumer trial, see the NOTPs of April 29, May 1 and 2, 1919.

21
arrested two days after his son …
 Arrest of Iorlando Jordano per the NOTP of March 18, 1919.

22
trial for the murder of baby Mary Cortimiglia …
 Jordano trial per the NOTP of May 6 and 24, 1919.

23
jury found both Jordanos guilty …
 as per the NODS of May 27, 1919.

24
appealed to the state Supreme Court …
 as per the NOTP of August 4, 1919.

25
“There is no getting away from the fact …”
as per the NODI of April 28, 1919.

26
3:15 A.M. on Sunday, August 4 …
 Sarah Laumann attack reported in the NODS, NOTP, and NODI of August 4, 1919.

27
“I felt a stinging …”
as per the NODS of August 4, 1919.

28
“He was about five feet and eight inches …”
as per the NODS of August 4, 1919. 295
grocer named Steve Boca …
 McQueen,
Axman
, 40.

29
a druggist named William Carlson …
 McQueen,
Axman
, 41.

30
“bellowing that her father was full of blood …”
Pipitone murder per Police Report of Homicide and the NOTP of October 27, 1919.

31
a foot-long thick iron bar …
 Police Report of Homicide.

32
“Someone was calling me …”
as per the NODS of October 27, 1919.

33
linking the Pipitone murder to the rash of Mafia killings …
 as per the NODS of October 27, 1919, and the NOTP of October 28, 1919.

34
“that the police have not the slightest clue” …
 as per the NOTP of October 29, 1919.

35
“Everyone kept saying …”
as per the NODI of February 4, 1920.

36
“God, I hope I can sleep now …”
as per the NOTP of February 2, 1920.

37
continuing criticism for his inability to solve the murders …
 See the NOTP of November 21, 1919, and March 20, May 30, and December 7, 1920.

38
in the wilds of Honduras …
 Mooney running railroad per the NOTP of January 10, 1921.

39
PUNCTILIOUSNESS, PRIMNESS, AND PRUDERY …
 as per the NOTP of January 2, 1920.

Chapter 20: The End of an Empire

  
1
going truly underground …
 For vice going underground in the ’20s, see especially Vyhnanek,
Unorganized Crime
, 130–34.

  
2
each arrested at least once …
 For White, Piazza, and Dix arrests, see Vyhnanek,
Unorganized Crime
, 132–33.

  
3
“You can make prosititution illegal …”
cited frequently, as in Long,
Babylon
, 156.

  
4
sold his tony restaurant the Stag to Henry Ramos …
 as per the NOTP of October 18, 1907.

  
5
turned over to his longtime lieutenant …
 Annex to Struve per
Succession of Anderson
.

  
6
stately home on Canal Street …
 Canal Street house to Irene Delsa, move to Rampart Street apartment per
Succession of Anderson
.

  
7
“Why was Anderson never prosecuted …”
as per the NOTP of October 13, 1918.

  
8
US government was still tasked …
 Continuation of War Department measures after Armistice per the NOTP of June 29, 1919. [NB: Since Republicans had been all but eliminated as a political force with the disenfranchisement of blacks in the 1898 Constitution, the Democratic primary was the key vote in any Louisiana election at this time, with the nominee virtually assured of winning in the general election that followed.]

  
9
inspections of the city’s cabarets …
 Wilson and Edler investigation per the NOTP of June 29, 1919.

10
evening of June 26, 1919 …
 The scene at the Arlington comes principally from testimony in the later trial, reported in the NODIs of February 3 and 4, 1920, and the NOTP of February 4, 1920.

11
“There he is now …”
as per the NODI of February 3, 1920.

12
“That little fool …”
as per the NOTP of February 4, 1920.

13
“The girl began wriggling …”
as per the NODI of February 4, 1920.

14
“The Orleans Parish Grand Jury …”
as per the NODI of June 29, 1919.

15
another indictment followed …
 US District Court indictment per the NODS of July 15, 1919.

16
“Cabaret Day in the court …”
The Criminal District Court trial per the NODI of October 2, 1919.

17
ANDERSON CAFÉ SPOTLESS …
 as per the NODI of October 7, 1919.