In this sixth installment of Tales from the Archives, we uncover three unforgettable — and unsettling — stories pulled straight from old newspapers that reveal the complex, often dark realities of Italian American history .

We begin with Rosa DeCicco, an Italian immigrant whose obsession with reclaiming her children led to repeated arrests, courtroom drama, and violent confrontations that shocked early-1900s Portland. Her story raises difficult questions about motherhood, custody, and mental health at a time when women had few protections.

Next, we travel to Castle Garden in 1878, where immigration officials uncovered a disturbing case involving a young Italian girl allegedly sold by her own father and brought to America under suspicious circumstances — a chilling glimpse into the exploitation and trafficking that haunted many immigrant families.

We close with the remarkable life of Michael Bochino, a deeply devout Italian immigrant in Baltimore whose backyard shrine to the Virgin Mary became a place of pilgrimage for decades. Revered by many yet plagued by personal controversy, Bino’s life reveals the complicated intersection of faith, temper, devotion, and legacy.

These stories remind us that Italian American history is not just one of triumph — but also of struggle, sacrifice, and survival.

In this fifth installment of Tales from the Archives, we uncover three haunting, unfinished stories pulled straight from early 20th-century newspapers — stories where Italian immigrants were remembered in headlines, but forgotten in history.

We begin in 1911 Southern Colorado, where an Italian rancher is found murdered on a lonely county road near Aguilar. A former business partner is arrested, a posse is formed, and newspapers eagerly report the violence — but the story abruptly disappears, leaving unanswered questions about justice and what became of those involved.

Next, we turn to a national scandal involving the son of President William Howard Taft. After a tragic automobile accident in Massachusetts leaves an Italian laborer with a fractured skull, newspapers focus almost entirely on the president’s distress and his son’s remorse — while the injured immigrant himself fades into the background. His name appears misspelled, his identity obscured, and his fate ultimately unknown.

Finally, we travel to Pueblo’s Italian community in 1925, where a groom vanishes just days before his long-awaited church wedding. Accusations of kidnapping, jealousy, poisoning, and scandal swirl through the press, but conflicting reports and misspelled names make it impossible to determine what truly happened — or whether the groom disappeared by force or by choice.

These are stories of violence, love, jealousy, power, and erasure, told through the imperfect lens of old newspapers. Tales from the Archives explores not just what was reported — but what was left out.

If you’re drawn to historical true crime, Italian American history, forgotten headlines, and mysteries lost to time, this episode is for you.

This episode is a rerelease from our archives, originally published on New Year’s Eve, and shared again as we ring in the new year.

On December 31, 1915, in Douglas, Alaska, a shocking murder took place in broad daylight—one that newspapers at the time described as “one of the most cold-blooded murders to ever occur in the North.” The victim was Mike Defino, an Italian immigrant whose life ended outside a saloon after a bitter dispute over money turned deadly.

In this archival episode of Italian American Stories Podcast, we revisit the tragic story of Defino’s murder, the dramatic manhunt that followed through the snow, and the disturbing details revealed during a rare early-20th-century autopsy. The case ultimately took a strange turn when the accused killer was declared mentally unfit to stand trial, leaving justice unresolved.

This episode explores:

• The New Year’s Eve murder of Mike Defino in 1915

• Italian immigrants working in Alaska’s mining communities

• Early territorial laws, arrests, and life in remote Alaska

• Graphic autopsy reporting from historical newspapers

• A murder case that ended without a trial

This rerelease is part of our effort to bring important stories from the archives back into focus—stories that remind us how much history can be hidden in a single headline.

🎙️ Italian American Stories Podcast
Hosted by Stephanie & Sandy

Every Christmas, Denver’s Civic Center glows with thousands of lights — a tradition generations have grown up with. But few people know the name of the man behind it.

In this special Christmas Day episode, Stephanie and Sandy tell the remarkable story of John Malpiede, an Italian American electrician whose creativity, perseverance, and love for his city transformed Denver into a national symbol of holiday magic. Born to immigrants from Potenza, Italy, John spent nearly four decades as Denver’s city electrician, quietly shaping the city’s skyline — from Union Station chandeliers to the Civic Center Christmas lights that drew crowds from across the country.

Through the Great Depression, World War II, devastating fires, tight budgets, and even a shocking wiretapping scandal that briefly put his career and reputation on the line, John never stopped finding ways to bring beauty and joy to Denver. His work reflected not just technical skill, but heart — salvaging materials, inventing solutions, and believing that even in hard times, a city deserved light.

This episode explores John’s family roots, his rise as Denver’s “Christmas lights man,” the controversy that nearly derailed his career, and the legacy he ultimately left behind — one that still shines every holiday season.

A story of resilience, community, and quiet craftsmanship, Episode 81 is a reminder that history is often shaped by people working behind the scenes… flipping switches, climbing ladders, and lighting the way.

In this episode of Italian American Stories, host Stephanie Detton is joined by Dina Gregory, creator of La Befana’s Table, for a deeply thoughtful conversation about folklore, belonging, creativity, and the power of gathering.

Born from Dina’s real-life experience animating a puppet of La Befana—Italy’s legendary gift-giver—in the streets of New York City during the isolation of the pandemic, La Befana’s Table began as an unexpected act of connection. What started with a puppet taken “out of the box” grew into a gathering space rooted in Italian folklore, storytelling, and community.

Dina shares how puppeteering La Befana helped her navigate grief, loneliness, and identity, and how those experiences eventually led her to create La Befana’s Table: a Substack, podcast, and evolving creative project centered on curiosity, wonder, and the sacred beauty of everyday life. Together, Stephanie and Dina explore Italian American identity, ancestral memory, storytelling traditions, and what it means to create spaces where people can show up as their full selves.

This episode is an origin story—not just of a project, but of a calling—and an invitation to pull up a chair, slow down, and reconnect with something ancient, meaningful, and deeply human.

Follow her at

Substack:https://labefanastable.substack.com/about

The Gifts of La Befana

Instagram: @iamdinagregory

Instagram: @labefanastable

In Part 2 of our deep dive into the chilling story of Antonio Neroni — also known as “Bava” — we pick up right where we left off: three bodies discovered beneath his cabin floor, one man still missing, and Neroni locked in a battle of wills with Colorado law enforcement.

This episode unravels the dramatic final chapter of one of Colorado’s most sensational crime stories. From the accidental discovery of Joseph Monticello’s body just 30 feet from Neroni’s cellar, to Neroni’s violent outbursts in jail, to the tense courtroom packed with reporters, townspeople, and even high-school students — we walk you through the case exactly as it unfolded in the papers of 1907 and 1908.

You’ll hear:
• How Neroni finally confessed to Monticello’s murder
• The shocking behavior that fueled an insanity defense
• Why the courtroom trial became a statewide spectacle
• The last-minute decision that saved Neroni from the gallows
• The mysterious and controversial death that ended his life behind bars
• The guard who was later charged — and convicted — in Neroni’s killing
• How Neroni’s crimes sparked outrage, reform, and headlines across Colorado

This tragic and gruesome story stretches from southern Italy to the prisons of Colorado, raising questions about violence, corruption, mental illness, and sensational journalism. It’s one of the wildest episodes we’ve ever covered — and proof that truth is often stranger than fiction.

If you enjoy the episode, make sure to follow, rate, and share the Italian American Stories Podcast. And check out our website for photos, newspaper clippings, and more historical deep dives.

In this chilling two-part series, Stephanie and Sandy take listeners deep into one of Colorado’s darkest and most unsettling Italian American cases—the life and crimes of Antonio Neroni, a man who lived under many names…and left just as many tragedies behind.

Born in Italy in 1877, Neroni’s violent past began shockingly early—and followed him across the ocean to the rugged company towns of southern Colorado. By the early 1900s, “Tony Bava,” as he called himself, had settled in Florence, where mysterious disappearances began to ripple through the community: a housekeeper, a farmhand, and two brothers who were also his business partners.

When charred bones, burned clothing, and a blood-stained axe were discovered on his property, the quiet farming town erupted into fear, superstition, and rage. Crowds gathered. Psychic visions were reported. And investigators unearthed horrors along the Arkansas River and beneath Neroni’s farmhouse cellar that stunned even seasoned lawmen.

In Part 1, we cover:
• Neroni’s violent beginnings in Italy
• The world of Colorado coal towns in the early 1900s
• The sudden disappearances surrounding his small Florence farm
• Disturbing discoveries that turned rumor into terror
• Neroni’s chilling confessions…and contradictions
• His unhinged escape attempts and increasing instability

This is a story filled with mystery, hysteria, community fear, and a growing body count—one that captured headlines across the country and had Colorado wondering whether they were facing a murderer, a madman, or something far worse.

Join us as we unravel the first half of the shocking case of Antonio Neroni, Colorado’s forgotten nightmare.

Stay tuned next week for Part 2, where we dive into the trial, the hunt for the final missing man, and the explosive conclusion of this unbelievable story.

✨ AVAILABLE NOW — Episode 77: Christina Minutillo ✨

Our newest episode is officially LIVE — and trust me, you don’t want to miss this one.

Today, I sit down with Christina Minutillo — podcaster, traveler, cookbook author, and a woman whose passion for Italian roots has completely transformed her life.

From uncovering her family’s hidden history in tiny villages outside Naples…
To filming 300-person neighborhood feasts…
To traveling the world cooking with locals…
To hosting her very first roots-travel experience in her ancestral town…

Christina’s story is one of heritage, mystery, courage, and rediscovery.

We talk about:
🇮🇹 What it feels like to walk the streets of your ancestors
🍝 The power of food and community
🏘️ Why small Italian towns hold a magic we’ve lost
✈️ How travel helped her conquer fear
📚 The inspiration behind her cookbook Cooking with Italian Roots
🕵🏻‍♀️ And the emotional mystery she uncovered about her great-grandfather — one that still needs solving…

If you love Italian American stories, family mysteries, travel, or just hearing someone speak from the heart… this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen now to Episode 77: Christina Minutillo — available on all platforms.