The Axe Man of New Orleans

Author: Musa Kareem

Hell, March 13, 1919, Esteemed Mortal of New Orleans: The Axe Man.They have never caught me and they never will. They have never seen me, for I am invisible, even as the ether that surrounds your earth. I am not a human being, but a spirit and a demon from the hottest hell. I am what you Orleanais and your foolish police call the Axe Man.

This is a supposed quote from the infamous murderer known as the Axe man of New Orleans. If this is a genuine quote, it pretty much sums up the type of person we are dealing with here. Even if this quote isn’t genuine, the events that happened in New Orleans, 1918 through 1919 are creepy enough.

It’s the night of May 23rd, 1918; a couple named Catherine and Joseph Maggio are in their home,419 Magnolia St.and in that night, they became known as the first victims of the Axe Man.The story is the Axe Man crept through the darkness of the Maggio home, knocked the couple with an axe andcuttheir throatswithone of Joseph’s straight razors.Catherine was found almost entirely decapitated, while her husband suffered from multiple severe injuries.Their bodies were discovered by joseph’s brother, who lived with the couple.When the attack was investigated,the only leads that were found was a missing panel from the kitchen door and a bloody axe.This break-in was abnormal because no valuables or money were.The Maggio attack is only beginning of the many disturbing attacks supposedly committed by the Axe Man, some more gruesome or disturbing than others.

On March 10th,1919, the Cortimiglia family was attacked.Charles attempted to protect his family by engaging in a fight with the Axe Man. Charles Cortimiglia would lose that fight and the Axe Man would go on to attacking Charles wife Rose and their two-year-old daughter, Rose. Charles and Rose would survive the attack, but their daughter tragically didnot.Like all the other Axe Man attacks the only thing police found was the bloody axe the attacker used.The attacker was described as dark, tall,heavy-set, wearing a dark suit and a black slouch hat.Three days later, on March 13th, 1919, the letter quoted up above was sent to a New Orleans newspaper called The Times-Picayune.In the letter he would go on to threaten and insult the police.The most sinister thing about this letter is threat aimed towards the citizens of New Orleans.

Undoubtedly, you Orleanians think of me as a most horrible murderer, which I am, but I could be much worse if I wanted to. If I wished, I could pay a visit to your city every night. At will I could slay thousands of your best citizens (and the worst), for I am in close relationship with the Angel of Death.

Now, to be exact, at 12:15 (earthly time) on next Tuesday night, I am going to pass over New Orleans. In my infinite mercy, I am going to make a little proposition to you people. Here it is:I am very fond of jazz music, and I swear by all the devils in the nether region that every person shall be spared in whose home a jazz band is in full swing at the time I have just mentioned. If everyone has a jazz band going, well, then, so much the better for you people. One thing is certain and that is that some of your people who do not jazz it out on that specific Tuesday night (if there be any) will get the axe.

This letter put fear in the hearts of the New Orleans citizens. On the Tuesday mentioned in the letter the people of New Orleans blasted jazz music in their homes and those who didn’t have a record player poured into local jazz clubs, just to stay clear from the Axe Mans wrath.What is interesting is the fact that no one was attacked on that night.The letter would also go on to spark the creation of a jazz song called“Don’t Scare Me Papa,” also known as the mysterious Axe Mans jazz.

October 27th,1919 was the last time the Axe Man attacked someone.He attacked and killed a man named Mike Pepitone. Mike was bashed in the head eight-teen times. He initially survived the attack but died only two hours later. After this the Axe Man seemed to just vanish from the city of New Orleans. He was never caught or even identified.

Work Cited:

BuzzFeed Multiplayer. “BuzzFeed Multiplayer: The Terrifying Axeman of New Orleans.” YouTube,2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrMGIqecu0Y&t=456s.

Kelly, Meghan. “The Axe Murderer Who Loved Jazz.” Wbur.com, 2018. https://www.wbur.org/endlessthread/2018/06/22/the-axeman-serial-killer-new-orleans

For more information check the links below:


The Axeman of New Orleans.
https://www.legendsofamerica.com/la-axeman/2/.
This article is essentially a timeline of the Axe man’s murders and other important events related to the Axe man.

The Legends of History: The Axe Man of New Orleans (Serial Killer History Explained). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9iHBtN0DaE.
This video goes in detain of each murder done by the Axeman and his possible motivations.

“Criminal Profiles: The Axeman of New Orleans
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8XX7k5Jt84
In this video the narrator goes through each one of the Axe man’s murders and attacks. He mentions the important dates in the story that is the notorious Axe man.