Today is Tuesday, March 10th, 2020.

On this day in 1919, Italian immigrants Charles Cortimiglia,

his wife Rose, and their two-year-old daughter, Mary,

were brutally attacked by an intruder.

The bloody assault was one of the first crimes of a phantom killer whose murders remain unsolved to this day,

the Axman of New Orleans. Welcome to today in True Crime, a parcast original.

Due to the graphic nature of today's crimes, listener discretion is advised.

Extreme caution is advised for listeners under 13.

Today we're covering the mysterious attack

of the Cortimiglia family in Gretna, Louisiana, just outside of New Orleans.

But before we dive into the investigation, let's go back to the early morning hours of March 10th, 1919, just after midnight. 69 year old

old Iolondo Giordano laid half awake next to his wife in their small feather bed

struggling to lull himself to sleep.

This was typical for Irelondo.

His rheumatism kept him up night after night.

Just as he drifted off, his aching joints would tug him back to consciousness.

But it was a small price to pay.

After all, he was an old man now.

He was lucky to be alive, to be strong enough to still be working in his small

grocer's shop. Lucky to have his wife, his children.

E Orlando shifted in bed, desperate to get comfortable.

As he closed his eyes again, he listened to his wife's breathing.

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