Births

Eliot Ness

1903 – Eliot Ness – was more than just a Prohibition agent. He was a symbol of incorruptibility and tenacity in the face of organized crime, best known for his pursuit of Al Capone and his “Untouchables” team. But Ness’s story stretches beyond the flickering lights of speakeasies and Tommy guns. Ness, a university graduate with degrees in business and law, began his career as a government investigator. In 1929, at the height of Prohibition, he was tasked with bringing down Capone’s bootlegging empire in Chicago. He handpicked a small team of young, honest agents, earning them the nickname “The Untouchables” for their resistance to bribes and threats. Through meticulous accounting and innovative tactics, Ness’s team chipped away at Capone’s operation. They raided illegal breweries, uncovered financial crimes, and built a case against the notorious gangster. Though Capone ultimately evaded conviction for bootlegging, Ness’s success in proving tax evasion sent him to Alcatraz in 1931. Ness’s impact went beyond Capone. He modernized police forces, using technology like two-way radios and scientific crime scene analysis. He tackled corruption in Cleveland as Safety Director, implementing reforms and battling organized crime. Later, he served as a consultant for businesses and wrote about his experiences in “The Untouchables,” which cemented his public image as a fearless crime fighter. While the Hollywood portrayals of Ness often focus on his Chicago years, his life was a tapestry of achievements and challenges. He faced political pressure, personal struggles, and the evolving landscape of criminal activity. Yet, his dedication to justice and innovation left a lasting mark on American law enforcement.

1933 – Peter Demeter – Demeter was a Hungarian-born Canadian real estate developer who sometime before July 18th, 1973 had arranged with an unknown person to murder his Austrian-born model wife Christine Ferrari. According to investigators the Demeter-Ferrari marriage was not a happy one with constant arguing and fights and then on July 18th, 1973 Ferrari was found in the garage of the couple, she had been beaten to death with a tire iron.  Just under a month later Demeter was arrested and charged with hiring persons unknown to murder her.  When it went to trial, it became an international sensation and one of the longest trials in Canadian history as claims that simultaneous murder plots had been arranged by both Demeter and Ferrari.  In December 1974, Demeter was sentenced to life in prison, surprisingly this was not the end of the story for Demeter who, whilst in prison, he had attempted to arrange hits on his nephew and the daughter of his lawyer!! In 2009, the now elderly Demeter told the parole board to forget about him as he had accepted he would die whilst incarcerated. 

1954 – Vincent Groves – An American serial killer who was responsible for the murders of at least 7 girls and women in ten years between 1978-1988, he is however suspected of murdering over 20 people but these have never been proven. Groves was convicted and received a sentence of life imprisonment plus 20 years, in the early 90s, Groves started suffering from Hepatitis C and liver failure, and in 1996 he died in prison refusing to confess to any more murders.

1965 – Suge Knight – was a man of immense contradictions. A towering figure in the music industry, he was best known as the co-founder and CEO of Death Row Records, the label that propelled gangsta rap into the mainstream and launched the careers of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Tupac Shakur. Yet, his legacy is equally steeped in violence, controversy, and legal troubles. Knight’s life took an early turn from the football field to the streets. Although a talented athlete who earned a scholarship to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he also had ties to the Compton gangs. He honed his business acumen as a bodyguard for celebrities like Bobby Brown, leveraging his imposing presence and underworld connections to navigate the music industry. In 1991, Knight teamed up with Dr. Dre, a talented producer looking for creative and financial freedom. Together, they founded Death Row Records, injecting gangsta rap’s raw energy with Dre’s polished production and Knight’s ruthless deal-making. The label’s early releases, Dr. Dre’s “The Chronic” and Snoop Dogg’s “Doggystyle,” were explosive successes, defining the West Coast sound and making Death Row a cultural phenomenon. Knight’s larger-than-life persona, often described as intimidating and volatile, became synonymous with Death Row. He wasn’t shy about using strong-arm tactics, building a reputation for fear and influence that both attracted and repelled artists. But as the label’s star rose, so did the violence surrounding it. The East Coast-West Coast rap rivalry culminated in the tragic murders of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G., casting a dark shadow over Knight and Death Row. Knight’s legal troubles, long-simmering, finally boiled over. He faced numerous charges, including assault, racketeering, and parole violations. In 2015, he was convicted of manslaughter for a fatal hit-and-run incident, receiving a 28-year prison sentence. Death Row eventually collapsed, its legacy forever tainted by the music it produced and the violence that surrounded it. He will be eligible for release in 2034

1967 – Anthony John Ponticelli – is a convicted murderer who was sentenced to death for killing two brothers in Florida in 1987. He was born on April 19, 1967, and grew up in Marion County, Florida. He became involved in drug dealing and owed money to the Grandinetti brothers, Nicholas and Ralph, for cocaine. On November 27, 1987, he went to their house with another man, Keith Dotson, and shot them both in the head. He then returned to Dotson’s house with a gun and asked his friend Joseph Leonard what he should do with the bodies. He later confessed to Leonard and his cellmate Dennis Freeman that he intended to kill the Grandinetti brothers for money and cocaine. Ponticelli was arrested on December 2, 1987, and charged with first-degree murder. He pleaded guilty on February 18, 1988, and was sentenced to death by Judge Raymond T. McNeal on September 6, 1988. His conviction was affirmed by the First District Court of Appeal on April 16, 2020. His appeal to the Supreme Court of Florida was denied on April 16, 2020. He is currently incarcerated at the Florida State Prison in Raiford.

Deaths

Edwin Bernard Kaprat III

 

1779 – Rev. James Hackman – was an 18th-century clergyman whose life took a tragic turn, culminating in a notorious crime that shocked Georgian England. Born in 1752 in Gosport, Hampshire, England, Hackman was the son of a naval captain. Hackman’s early years were marked by a strong religious influence, and he eventually pursued a career in the church. He became a clergyman and held the position of curate at Wiveton, Norfolk. However, his life would take a dramatic and unfortunate turn in 1779. At the time, Hackman became infatuated with Martha Ray, an actress and the mistress of the Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu. Hackman and Martha had developed a close relationship, and Hackman’s unrequited love for her led him to make a desperate and tragic decision. On the evening of April 7, 1779, as Martha Ray was leaving Covent Garden Theatre in London, Hackman approached her and shot her in the head in a fit of jealous rage. Following the shooting, Hackman attempted to take his own life by ingesting poison, but he was quickly apprehended by the authorities. Martha Ray succumbed to her injuries, and James Hackman was arrested, tried, and ultimately sentenced to death. On April 19, 1779, he was hanged at Tyburn in London. His crime and subsequent execution became the talk of the town, with many speculating about the motives behind such a shocking act by a clergyman. The tragedy of James Hackman’s life and the murder of Martha Ray has been the subject of various historical accounts and works of fiction, reflecting the enduring fascination with this dark episode in 18th-century England.

1951 – Vincent Mangano – also known as “The Executioner”, was a powerful and enigmatic figure in the annals of American organized crime. Born in Palermo, Sicily in 1888, he immigrated to the United States with his family as a young man and quickly rose through the ranks of the burgeoning Cosa Nostra. Mangano’s rise to power coincided with the Castellammarese War, a bloody conflict that reshaped the Mafia landscape in New York City. By 1931, he emerged as the head of the Mangano family, one of the Five Families that would come to dominate organized crime in the city. Mangano’s leadership was characterized by ruthlessness and cunning. He established a stranglehold on the lucrative waterfront, extorting shipping companies and controlling the flow of cargo. His family also engaged in a wide range of other criminal activities, from loan sharking and gambling to prostitution and murder. Mangano’s control over the docks made him a wealthy and influential figure. He used his money and muscle to expand his family’s territory and solidify its position within the Mafia hierarchy. He was a key figure in the formation of the Commission, a governing body that mediated disputes and oversaw the activities of the Five Families. Mangano’s reign of terror came to an abrupt and mysterious end in 1951. He vanished without a trace on April 19th, leaving behind a trail of speculation and rumors. Some believe he was murdered on the orders of his ambitious underboss, Albert Anastasia, while others claim he went into hiding after fearing for his life. Despite numerous investigations, Mangano’s fate remains unknown. His disappearance is one of the most enduring mysteries in Mafia history, adding to the mystique and notoriety that surrounds his legacy. Though his time at the helm of the Gambino family was relatively brief, Vincent Mangano left an indelible mark on the American Mafia. He was a ruthless and cunning leader who amassed vast wealth and power through violence and intimidation. His mysterious disappearance continues to fuel speculation and intrigue, solidifying his place as one of the most fascinating and enigmatic figures in the annals of organized crime.

1995 – Edwin Bernard Kaprat III – An American serial killer who was dubbed “The Granny Killer” who went on a killing spree in the Brookridge and Spring Hill areas of Florida in the early 1990s. He murdered 6 people, mainly elderly ladies, and raped them and once he was finished he would set fire to them and their houses to get rid of the evidence, he was convicted of two murders and received the death penalty, at the time of his execution he was 30 years old.

1995 – Richard Wayne Snell – born in 1930 and executed in 1995, was a notorious American white supremacist and murderer. His life was marked by a deep-seated hatred and a string of violent acts that culminated in his execution for two racially motivated murders. Details of Snell’s early life are sketchy. Born in Iowa to a Nazarene pastor, he received religious training but never pursued ministry. His descent into extremism seems to have stemmed from personal disillusionment and encounters with government agencies, fueling his anti-authority sentiment. Snell became deeply involved in white supremacist activities. He held memberships in several groups, including The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord (CSA), notorious for its militant ideology and anti-government rhetoric. Additionally, he reportedly embraced Christian Identity, a fringe religious movement with racist and anti-Semitic beliefs. Between 1983 and 1984, Snell’s extremist views manifested in acts of violence. His first victim was Jimmy Mitchell, a Black police officer in Arkansas, fatally shot during a traffic stop. Months later, driven by mistaken anti-Semitic paranoia, Snell murdered Harold Hays, a Jewish pawn shop owner. The murders sparked a manhunt, ultimately leading to Snell’s capture and trial. Convicted and sentenced to death for the Mitchell murder, he spent years on death row, appealing his sentence while maintaining his radical beliefs. However, all legal efforts failed, and Snell was executed by lethal injection in 1995.

1996 – John Martin Scripps – Scripps started his criminal career at the age of 15 when he was convicted of burglary, more convictions soon followed for stealing and indecent assault.  In 1980 he went to Mexico on holiday and met his future wife and they both traveled for a couple of years before Scripps was once again in trouble when he received 3 years for theft and resisting arrest, his criminal lifestyle upset his wife and she left him to marry a policeman!!!  In the mid to late 80s, Scripps started working for a drug syndicate, trafficking cocaine through parts of Europe and Asia, and due to this, he spent large parts of the late 80s and early 90s in prison.  In October 1994 he was refused parole and a few days later he escaped with the help of money from his mom he fled to Mexico, the USA, and eventually, Singapore, once he arrived in Singapore he started murdering tourists apparently for their money, he would shock them, beat them and then mutilate their bodies.  We know he murdered 3 in this way but he was suspected of murdering more, he was convicted in Singapore and sentenced to death. 

1999 – Li Yuhui – Yuhui was a Chinese geomancer who was found responsible for the poisoning deaths of three women and two girls after he had murdered them he would rob them, and he accumulated approximately $150,000.  At the time of his offenses, he was 47 years old and a self-described Feng Shui guru, he managed to murder his victims by selling them a drink that would apparently add many years to their lives, unfortunately for these gullible victims the drink was cyanide-based, after being convicted he was sentenced to death. 

2010 – Carl Williams  – Williams, who the media dubbed “Australia’s baby-faced killer”, started on the outskirts of Melbournes drug trade but over a ten-year period he rose to become the leader of a multi-million dollar criminal empire and one of the most powerful people in the Australian underworld.  Williams loved the spotlight that his criminal notoriety gave him, however, he was aware that his criminal lifestyle had made him a target for both friends and rivals.  In 2004, he was convicted of 4 counts of murder and 1 count of conspiracy to murder, he was sentenced to two terms of life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 35 years, however, on this day in 2010, his past caught up with him when he was beaten to death with part of an exercise bike in the yard at Barwon prison. 

2013 – Chen Jui-Chin – A Taiwanese serial killer who was nicknamed “The Chiayi Demon” and became one of Taiwan’s most infamous criminals, he was responsible for the deaths of at least six people including his wife & kids.  He carried out these crimes in 18 years starting in 1985 and ending with his arrest in 2003.  He was convicted on 6 counts of murder, 1 of rape, 1 of robbery, and 1 of attempting to bribe – he received the death penalty for his crimes. 

Events

Mae West

1874 – The barracks on Alcatraz island is destroyed in a fire

1927 – Mae West is found guilty of “obscenity and corrupting the morals of youth” in a New York stage play called “Sex”. She was sentenced to 10 days in prison and fined $500, after this, she became a Hollywood star

1932 – Bonnie Parker is captured in a failed hardware store burglary and jailed. The grand jury fails to indict and she is released months later.

1967 – Yugoslav author Mihajo Mihaijv is sentenced to 4 1/2 years

1971 – Charles Manson is sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Sharon Tate

1982 – Rose Ruiz, marathon race cheater is arrested for forgery

1989 – Central Park Five: The violent rape of jogger Trisha Meili became one of the highest publicized cases of the 1980s. Five men are wrongfully convicted and spend between 6-13 years in prison

1993 – After a 51-day siege by the FBI, 76 Branch Davidians died in a fire near Waco, Texas

1995 – Oklahoma City bombing

2013 – Boston bombing suspects captured in Boston 4 days later