NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Giuseppe Zangara

Giuseppe Zangara (September 7, 1900 – March 20, 1933) attempted to kill United States President-elect Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1933. Successfully assassinated Chicago mayor Anton Cermak during the same incident. maybe uncopyrighted, not sure - for now: This work is copyrighted. ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Äž: For the film, see: 1900 (film). ... Ferruzzano is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Calabria in the Italian region Calabria, located about 110 km southwest of Catanzaro and about 40 km east of Reggio Calabria. ... For other uses, see Calabria (disambiguation). ... is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Raiford is a town located in Union County, Florida. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Äž: For the film, see: 1900 (film). ... is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas US Government Portal For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882–April 12, 1945), 32nd President of the United States, the longest-serving holder of the office and the only man to be elected President more than twice, was one of the central figures of 20th century history. ... Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Anton Cermak Anton Cermak, in Czech AntonÃn ÄŒermÃ¡k, (May 9, 1873 â€“ March 6, 1933) was the mayor of Chicago, Illinois, from 1931 until his death in 1933. ...

1 Early life
2 Mental delusions
3 Assassination attempt
4 Aftermath
5 Execution
6 Motivations
7 In popular culture
8 References
9 See also

Early life

Zangara was born in Ferruzzano, Calabria, Italy. After serving in the Tyrolian Alps in World War I, Zangara did a variety of menial jobs in his home village before emigrating with his uncle to the United States in 1923. He settled in Paterson, New Jersey and on September 11, 1929, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States. Ferruzzano is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Calabria in the Italian region Calabria, located about 110 km southwest of Catanzaro and about 40 km east of Reggio Calabria. ... For other uses, see Calabria (disambiguation). ... Coat of arms of the Counts of Tyrol Austria-Hungary in 1914, showing Tirolâ€“Vorarlberg as the left-most province, coloured cream Capital Meran (Merano), until 1848 Government Principality Historical era Middle Ages - Created County 1140 - Bequeathed to Habsburgs 1363 or 1369 - Joined Council of Princes 1582 - Trent, Tyrol and... â€œThe Great War â€ redirects here. ... Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... â€œPatersonâ€ redirects here. ... is the 254th day of the year (255th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Naturalization is the process whereby a person becomes a national of a nation, or a citizen of a country, other than the one of his birth. ...

Mental delusions

Zangara, a poorly educated bricklayer, suffered severe pain in his abdomen, later attributed to adhesions of the gall bladder. These were later cited as a cause for his increasing mental delusions. It became increasingly difficult for him to work due to both his physical and mental conditions, and in his fevered mind came to believe the President of the United States was supernaturally responsible for causing his pain. Further, he was a very lonely man; he blamed authority figures for his pain, but the side effects of his condition included chronic flatulence, while his outspoken and impatient nature likely pushed other people away. Other sources report that Zangara envied those who had more than he did, and sought the assassination of "all capitalist presidents and kings." Zangara began plotting to assassinate the current president Herbert Hoover, but Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was elected to replace him before Zangara could act on his plan. Zangara would later say, "Hoover and Roosevelt — everybody the same." A bricklayer or mason is a tradesman who lays bricks to construct brickwork. ... For the human abdomen, see human abdomen. ... Adhesions are abnormal bands of tissue that grow in the human body. ... The gallbladder (or cholecyst) is a pear-shaped organ that stores bile (or gall) until the body needs it for digestion. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas US Government Portal For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... Assassin and Assassins redirect here. ... In economics, a capitalist is someone who owns capital, presumably within the economic system of capitalism. ... Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 â€“ October 20, 1964), the thirty-first President of the United States (1929â€“1933), was a world-famous mining engineer and humanitarian administrator. ... Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882–April 12, 1945), 32nd President of the United States, the longest-serving holder of the office and the only man to be elected President more than twice, was one of the central figures of 20th century history. ...

Assassination attempt

On February 15, 1933, FDR was giving a speech in Bayfront Park in the city of Miami, Florida where Zangara was living, working the occasional odd job, and living off his savings. Zangara took a .32 caliber pistol, purchased at a local pawn shop, and joined the crowd. However, being only five feet tall, he was unable to see over other people and had to stand on a wobbly, folding, metal chair, peering over the hat of Lilian Cross, a doctor's wife, to get a clear aim at his target. After the first shot, Mrs. Cross and others grabbed his arm and he fired five more shots wildly. He missed the President-Elect. Five other people were hit including Chicago mayor Anton Cermak, who was sitting next to FDR. En route to the hospital, Cermak had allegedly told FDR, "I'm glad it was me and not you, Mr. President" — words that are currently inscribed on a plaque located in Bayfront Park. Roosevelt himself was remarkably poised. is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Miami redirects here. ... A Browning 9 millimeter Hi-Power Ordnance pistol of the French Navy, 19th century, using a Percussion cap mechanism Derringers were small and easily hidden. ... Modern pawnbroker storefront A Pawnbroker is a person who offers loans to individuals who use their personal property as collateral. ... Anton Cermak Anton Cermak, in Czech AntonÃn ÄŒermÃ¡k, (May 9, 1873 â€“ March 6, 1933) was the mayor of Chicago, Illinois, from 1931 until his death in 1933. ...

Aftermath

In the Dade County Courthouse jail, Zangara confessed and stated: "I have the gun in my hand. I kill kings and presidents first and next all capitalists." He pleaded guilty to four counts of attempted murder and was sentenced to 80 years. As he was led out of the courtroom, Zangara told the judge: "Four times 20 is 80. Oh, judge, don't be stingy. Give me a hundred years." The judge, aware that Cermak might not survive his wounds, replied: "Maybe there will be more later.". County slogan: Delivering Excellence Every Day Location of county in the state of Florida County Seat Miami, Florida Area - Total - Water 6,297 km² (2,431 mi²) 1,257 km² (485 mi²) 19. ...

Cermak died of peritonitis 19 days later, on March 6, 1933, two days after Roosevelt's inauguration, the only fatality of the shootings. Zangara was promptly indicted for first-degree murder in Cermak's death. According to Florida's felony murder law, because Zangara intended to commit murder it was irrelevant that his intended target was not the man he killed. is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... An inauguration is a ceremony of formal investiture whereby an individual assumes an office or position of authority or power. ... Murder is both a legal and a moral term, that are not always coincident. ... The felony murder rule is a legal doctrine according to which anyone who commits, or is found to be involved in, a serious crime (a felony), during which any person dies, is guilty of murder. ...

Zangara pleaded guilty and was sentenced to die. Zangara said after hearing his sentence: "You give me electric chair. I no afraid of that chair! You one of capitalists. You is crook man too. Put me in electric chair. I no care!" Under Florida law, a convicted murderer could not share cell space with another prisoner before his execution, but another convicted murderer was already awaiting execution at Raiford. Zangara's sentence required prison officials to expand their waiting area, and the "death cell" became "Death Row." The electric chair is an execution method in which the person being put to death is strapped to a chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body. ... In economics, a capitalist is someone who owns capital, presumably within the economic system of capitalism. ... For information about the Record company see Death Row Records For information about the computer game see Deathrow (game) Death Row is a term that refers to the section of a prison that houses individuals awaiting execution. ...

Execution

On March 20, 1933, after spending only 10 days on Death Row, Zangara was executed in Old Sparky, the electric chair at Florida State Penitentiary in Raiford, Florida. Zangara became incensed when he learned no newsreel cameras would be filming his final moments. His last words at his execution were: "Get to hell out of here, you son of a bitch [spoken to the attending minister]. I go sit down all by myself. Viva Italia! Goodbye to all poor peoples everywhere! Lousy capitalists! No picture! Capitalists! No one here to take my picture. All capitalists lousy bunch of crooks. Go ahead. Pusha da button!" [1] is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Old Sparky. ... The electric chair is an execution method in which the person being put to death is strapped to a chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body. ... Raiford is a town located in Union County, Florida. ... The Inferno redirects here. ... The term son of a bitch or son-of-a-bitch (often pronounced sumbitch in the Southern United States, and frequently euphemised to s. ...

Motivations

Raymond Moley, a leading criminologist, interviewed Zangara in depth and concluded he was not part of any larger terrorist plot, and that he had been shooting at Roosevelt. All major historians agree with Moley. Nevertheless some conspiracy theories in Chicago at the time to the effect that Zangara was a hitman hired by Chicago Outfit boss Frank Nitti as a diversion for a second shooter -- who never fired a shot and was never seen -- to shoot Mayor Cermak, a mortal enemy of the Chicago Mob, instead of President Roosevelt. Raymond Moley, a leading New Dealer who became its bitter opponent. ... This article is becoming very long. ... A conspiracy theory is a theory that defies common historical or current understanding of events, under the claim that those events are the result of manipulations by two or more individuals or various secretive powers or conspiracies. ... A hitman (alternately, hit man), also referred to as a contract killer, is a hired assassin, usually in the employ of organized crime. ... The Chicago Outfit is a crime syndicate that has a long and extensive history dating back to long before Prohibition and part of the U.S. phenomenon known as the Mafia. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... In the terminology of the DEA, diversion is the use of prescription drugs for recreational purposes. ...

In popular culture

Zangara is one of the assassins portrayed in Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman's musical Assassins. The song describing his attempted assassination, "How I Saved Roosevelt", takes many of its lyrics directly from Zangara's final words in the electric chair, and ends with his electrocution. Stephen Joshua Sondheim (b. ... John Weidman is an American librettist. ... Assassins is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by John Weidman and was based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr. ...

In Philip K. Dick's Hugo award winning Man in the High Castle and Jack Womack's Terraplane alternate history novels, Zangara successfully assassinates Roosevelt. In both novels, this has the result of raising John Nance Garner to political power, insuring that his fiscal conservatism delays recovery from the Depression. In Man in the High Castle, this results in reduced military capabilities, so that Nazi Germany and the Japanese Empire win the Second World War, while in Terraplane, the Second World War ends inconclusively, with the survival of Nazi Germany under Albert Speer as Chancellor, apart from the defeat of Imperial Japan through the use of fourteen nuclear weapons against the Home Islands. Philip Kindred Dick (December 16, 1928 â€“ March 2, 1982) was an American writer, mostly known for his works of science fiction. ... The 2005 Hugo Award with base designed by Deb Kosiba. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Jack Womack (b. ... Hudson Terraplane logo. ... Alternative history or alternate history can be: A History told from an alternative viewpoint, rather than from the view of imperialist, conqueror, or explorer. ... John Nance Garner IV (November 22, 1868 â€“ November 7, 1967) was a Representative from Texas and the thirty-second Vice President of the United States (1933-41). ... Fiscal conservatism (also known as economic liberalism) is a term used in the United States to refer to economic and political policy that advocates restraint of government taxation, government expenditures and deficits, and government debt. ... For other uses, see The Great Depression (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Akihito of Japan The Emperor of Japan (天皇, tennō) is Japans titular head of state and the head of the Japanese imperial family. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Hudson Terraplane logo. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... For the son of Albert Speer, also an architect, see Albert Speer (the younger). ...

References

Davis, Kenneth S. FDR: The New York Years: 1928-1933 (1994)
Freidel, Frank. Franklin D. Roosevelt: The Triumph (1956)
Picchi, Blaise. The Five Weeks of Giuseppe Zangara: The Man Who Would Assassinate FDR (1998)
Shappee, Nathan D. "Zangara's Attempted Assassination of Franklin D. Roosevelt" Florida Historical Quarterly 1958 37(2): 101-110. argues he was insane
FDR shooting attempt in Miami to be retold, Luisa Yanez, The Miami Herald, 2007-09-20. Accessed 2007-09-20

The Miami Herald is a daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

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