On Oct 23 I’ll be at the Italian American Museum with a first look at MY NAME IS PETROSINO, followed by a conversation with author Paul Moses (The Italian Squad) about how Petrosino’s story shaped NYC’s view of crime & immigrants.
Free and open to the public.
Check the flyer for details.
Sept 17 | Film Screening: “The Camden 28”
How far would you go to stop a war?
Join us to explore an iconic Vietnam War story of faith, resistance and betrayal. Featuring historian @micnick.bsky.social and filmmaker @truecrimesny.bsky.social!
🔗 Register: bit.ly/camden28
February 28, 1909. 116 years ago today, Petrosino wrote his last letter to his wife. It revealed a very personal Petrosino, who said of Palermo: “... everything looks very strange to me … I don't like it …Oh, God! What misery is here.” Link to full story in comments.
February 1909. Petrosino was in Rome, operating in secrecy. No one was supposed to know he was there. Then, by chance, he ran into an old friend—reporter Camillo Cianfarra.
"For God's sake, don’t reveal my presence," Petrosino warned him.
Link to full story in comments.
Petrosino arrives in Rome: February 21, 1909.
I remembered today was the 116th anniversary of Joe Petrosino’s departure on his secret mission to Italy. I spent the day tracking it down. His ship, the ticket office, and the last sights he saw as he left New York. Read more at the link in the comments.
Great interview!
Got my first email address in 1993. Just tried reaching out. I guess THAT bridge to the past is officially closed.
Sharing a story about THE GOOD ITALIAN, a silent film created by my students in SVA's MFA Computer Arts program. This film explores early 1900s immigration, crime, policing, and stereotypes—interpreted through the use of... well, no spoilers!
Watch the teaser and read about their process below.
In 1960, Ernest Borgnine said he turned down the role of Al Capone: “I could never portray a real-life person … who caused so much tragedy.”
How does John Turturro navigate authenticity vs. stereotype? Find out in our interview, covering “Pay or Die”to “The Sopranos.”
Link below!
OTD - December 30, 1907.
#JoePetrosino #TrueCrime #DidYouKnow
Can’t ever go wrong with “E.T.”
“Pay or Die” (1960): A packed premiere, Italian Squad members in attendance, and an unexpected tie to Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver.” What links a film about Joe Petrosino to a ‘70s crime classic?
Follow link to story in comments.
#JoePetrosino #PayorDie #TaxiDriver #FilmHistory
“Pay or Die” (1960), starring Ernest Borgnine as Joe Petrosino, has surprising WWII origins.
#JoePetrosino #PayorDie #FilmHistory #TrueCrime #DidYouKnow
www.facebook.com/share/p/15yq...
In May 1909, a film reel from Sicily arrived in NYC. It showed locations tied to Petrosino’s assassination—and perhaps his dramatic funeral procession in Palermo. Could this lost reel still exist?
#JoePetrosino #FilmHistory #TrueCrime #LostFilms
www.facebook.com/share/p/189F...
Two original 1912 posters from Brooklyn screenings of “The Adventures of Lt. Joe Petrosino.” Maybe Adelina Petrosino was at the Victory Theatre screening? She’d moved nearby after her husband’s murder. Both buildings are gone.
#FilmHistory #TrueCrime #DidYouKnow #StopTearingDownNYCHistory
Before superhero movies, there was Joe Petrosino. The 1912 film “The Adventures of Lieutenant Petrosino” immortalized him as a hero but also reflected the prejudices of its time.
LINK: www.facebook.com/share/p/14Hz...
#JoePetrosino #FilmHistory #TrueCrime #DidYouKnow
Did you know a film about the Italian Squad, “The Detectives of the Italian Bureau,” was released just 4 days before Joe Petrosino left for Italy on his final assignment?
A lost film, but a fascinating story:
www.facebook.com/share/p/1XFi...
#JoePetrosino #FilmHistory #TrueCrime #DidYouKnow
PT 2: Without Joe Petrosino, would there ever have been a Tony Soprano? Shortly after his Italian Squad’s icebox ambush, “The Black Hand” became cinema’s first Mafia film. It shaped a genre.
www.facebook.com/share/p/1Awb...
#JoePetrosino #FilmHistory #TrueCrime #FirstMafiaMovie #DidYouKnow
Without Joe Petrosino, would there ever have been a Tony Soprano?
Check out “The First Mafia Movie: Born on Bleecker Street”
www.facebook.com/share/p/19gs...
#JoePetrosino #FilmHistory #TrueCrime #NYCHistory #FirstMafiaMovie #DidYouKnow
This month, I'm exploring films about NYC detective Joe Petrosino: from 1906's THE BLACK HAND to 1960's PAY OR DIE. It all leads to a special convo with John Turturro on Italian-American representation in cinema. Here's a photo from our recording session. Stay tuned!
#TrueCrime #SilentFilm #Italian
Let me tell you about the shadowy figure of Raffaele Cascone, once known as the “King of Mulberry Street.”
Listen to the teaser:
www.patreon.com/posts/king-o...
#truecrime, #joepetrosino, #blackhand, #nypd
