Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Emilio Picariello fonds
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Fonds
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Physical description area
Physical description
2 cm of textual records. -- 16 photographs
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Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Emilio Picariello, 1879-1923, was born in Capriglia, Avellino, Italy. In 1904 he married Marianino Maria Marucci, 1883-1976, who was born in San Marco, D'Cavoti, Italy. They had seven children, Stephano "Steve", 1905-1971, Angelina Rose "Julie", Carmine Mario, 1914-1966, Luigi "Louie", Charles "Chuck", Albert, 1918-1985, and Florence Eleanor "Helen" (Matson), ca. 1922- . The family moved to Fernie, British Columbia in 1911, and subsequently to Blairmore, Alberta, where Emilio's family moved into and ran the Alberta Hotel. He also owned and operated many other businesses in Blairmore. After prohibition became law in Alberta in 1916, he became a bootlegger, running illegal alcohol across the Alberta-British Columbia border through the Crowsnest Pass, and over the foothills from Sweetgrass, Montana. On the afternoon of September 21, 1922 his son, Steve, age 16, suspected of transporting liquor, refused to stop when ordered to do so, and was shot in the hand by Alberta Provincial Police (APP) Constable Steve Lawson. That evening, Emilio and Florence Lassandro (or Filumena Losandro), Mrs. Picariello's housekeeper and nanny to her children, went to see Lawson to get information as to Steve's condition and whereabouts. They were involved in a confrontation with Lawson during which the policeman was killed. Emilio and Florence were convicted of murder and hanged at Fort Saskatchewan jail on May 2, 1923. They are buried in an Edmonton cemetery. There are still doubts about their guilt. For further information see Neil Watson's entry, "Filumena (Florence) Sanfidele Lassandro Costanzo", in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. XV, at <a href="http://www.biographi.ca" target="_blank"> www.biographi.ca</a>.
Custodial history
Scope and content
The fonds consists of letters to his wife while in prison (1922-1923); marriage certificate (1904); family photographs (1910s-1963); and a notebook with some business accounts (1924-1926).
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Purchased from Helen Matson and gift of Gerald Vaughn, 1982-1989.
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script note
The material is primarily in English, with a small portion in Italian.
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
No restrictions on access.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
No finding aid, but the letters and some of the photos have been digitized.
View letters: http://www.glenbow.org/collections/search/findingaids/archhtm/extras/picariello/m-6242.pdf
View photos:
http://ww2.glenbow.org/search/archivesPhotosResults.aspx?XC=/search/archivesPhotosResults.aspx&TN=IMAGEBAN&AC=QBE_QUERY&RF=WebResults&DF=WebResultsDetails&DL=0&RL=0&NP=255&MR=10&QB0=AND&QF0=File%20number&QI0=NA-5067+/+NA-5309+/+PA-2945+/+PA-3169
Associated materials
Records of Chief Detective J.D. Nicholson, who investigated the Lawson murder, are in the Alberta Provincial Police fonds at Glenbow (M-4843-(30-31). Records of J. McKinley Cameron, the lawyer who represented Picariello and Lassandro, are also held by Glenbow (M-6840-[344, 354-370]).
Accruals
General note
Call numbers. M-6242, PA-2945, PA-3169, NA-5067, NA-5309
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number area
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
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Name access points
- Picariello, Emilio (Subject)
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Language of description
- English