NEW ORLEANS From Bienville to Bourbon Street to bounce. 300 moments that make New Orleans unique.

WHAT HAPPENED On March 14, 1891, 1718 ~ 2018 a mob of New Orleans citizens charged the parish prison and shot 300 nine and lynched TRICENTENNIAL two Italians. COURTESY BROCATO’S COURTESY KNOWLA There were so many Italians living and working in After New Orleans Po- the French lice Chief David Hen- Quarter that nessey was allegedly it earned the assassinated by the name Little Italian mafia, a group Palermo.’ Angelo Brocato opened his first of citizens lynched storefront in the 500 block of Ursulines and killed 11 Italians. Street where Italians would come every Between 1850 and 1870, New Orleans had the largest The incident strained morning for lemon ice. Italian-born population in the United States. relations between the THE HISTORIC NEWORLEANS COLLECTION THELIBRARY OF CONGRESS U.S. and Italy. So many Italians lived in the French Quarter in the early 20th century, the Vieux Carré earned the nicknames “Little Italy” and “Little Palermo” for the number of Italians, and more specifically, Sicilians, who lived there., Between 1880 and 1910 the state brought After Hennessey’s murder, 19 Italians hundreds of Italian men from Naples, Tri- were arrested. Six of the men were acquitted THE HISTORIC NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION ORLEANS NEW HISTORIC THE este and Palermo to replace the African- following the first trial, and many in the city American laborers went mad with outrage after the Civil War. at what they felt was The Italian population injustice. On March 14, flourished in the fol- 1891, a mob charged the lowing years, as many parish prison, shot nine became merchants and lynched two others and entrepreneurs. The Piazza d’ Italia was built in New Orleans who had been charged “Macaroni” factories Central Business District in 1978 to honor Italians’ in the crime. were built around the contribution to the city. The incident strained city to make pasta. diplomatic relations with Italy and intro- But the Italians weren’t always welcomed. duced the rest of the United States to the One of the city’s darkest moments came in Italian “mafia.” the 1890s after then-Police Chief David Hen- After World War II, most Italians moved nessey was assassinated. Hennessey had out of the city into the suburbs, including planned to shut down the Italian mafia in Kenner. The Piazza d’ Italia was built in New the city, the Provenzano and the Matranga Orleans Central Business District in 1978 to A picture of ‘Italian headquarters’ on Madison Street in 1905, across from the French Market. The building on the right was home to Begue’s, now Tujague’s. families, which were at war. honor Italians’ contribution to the city.