The Axeman Of New Orleans: 5 Chilling Facts About The Unsolved 1918-1919 Serial Murders

The Axeman of New Orleans remains one of the most chilling and perplexing unsolved mysteries in American true crime history, a case that continues to generate intense fascination over a century later. Active between May 1918 and October 1919, this unidentified serial killer plunged the city into a state of hysterical panic, leaving a trail of blood and a bizarre demand for jazz music in his wake.

As of today, December 10, 2025, modern true crime researchers continue to sift through the historical record, trying to connect the dots between the brutal attacks, the specific targeting of Italian-American grocers, and the killer’s infamous, taunting letter to the press. The saga of the Axeman is not just a tale of murder; it is a dark snapshot of New Orleans society during the era of World War I and the rise of jazz.

The Complete Profile: Timeline and Victims of the Axeman

The Axeman’s method was distinct, terrifying, and consistent: he would break into the homes of his victims, usually by chiseling out a panel on a back door, attack the occupants with an axe (often the family’s own tool), and then disappear into the night. The attacks showed a clear pattern of targeting Italian immigrants and Italian-American families, a sociological detail that fuels many of the long-standing theories about his identity and motive.

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The following list details the primary victims definitively linked to the Axeman, though the total number of attacks is estimated to be over a dozen:

• May 23, 1918: Joseph and Catherine Maggio. The first confirmed victims. Italian grocer Joseph Maggio and his wife, Catherine, were attacked in their home. Joseph’s throat was slashed with a straight razor before the axe attack, a detail that suggests a personal element or a frenzied rage. Both died.
• June 27, 1918: Louis Besumer and Harriet Lowe. Besumer, a grocer, and his mistress, Harriet Lowe, were attacked. Lowe later died from her wounds, but Besumer survived. Authorities briefly suspected Besumer himself due to the nature of their relationship, but he was released.
• August 5, 1918: Anna Schneider. Pregnant and severely beaten with an axe, Anna Schneider survived the attack. She gave birth just two days later. Her survival was a rare exception in the Axeman’s spree.
• August 10, 1918: Joseph Romano. An elderly Italian barber, Romano was brutally attacked. His nieces, who found him, described the assailant as a dark-skinned, heavy-set man. Romano died shortly after the attack.
• March 10, 1919: Charles, Rosie, and Mary Cortimiglia. The Axeman attacked the Cortimiglia family. Rosie Cortimiglia and her two-year-old daughter, Mary, were killed. Charles survived and initially implicated Frank Jordano and his son, but later recanted his testimony, claiming he was pressured by police. Jordano was convicted but later released.
• October 27, 1919: Mike Pepitone. The final confirmed victim. Pepitone was attacked and killed in his home. This attack is often cited as the last of the Axeman’s reign, leading to the theory that the killer was either caught, killed, or left the city immediately after.

The Infamous Axeman's Letter: A Killer's Demand for Jazz

The most bizarre and famous element of the Axeman case is the letter he allegedly sent to New Orleans newspapers, published on March 13, 1919. This chilling communication transformed the killer from a mere murderer into a figure of macabre folklore.

The letter, which claimed to be from the Axeman himself, announced that he would strike again at 12:15 AM on the following Tuesday night. It contained a direct, terrifying threat, but also a strange offer of mercy.

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The Ultimatum: Play Jazz or Die

In a passage that forever linked the case to the city’s vibrant musical culture, the letter stated: "I am very fond of jazz music, and I swear by all the devils in the nether regions that every person shall be spared in whose home a jazz band is in full swing at the time I have mentioned."

The ultimatum was clear: play jazz music loudly to signal your appreciation and safety, or risk a visit from the Axeman. The city’s reaction was immediate and unprecedented. On the specified night, dance halls were packed, and countless homes blasted jazz music, with many residents reportedly purchasing records just to comply with the killer's demand. No attack occurred that night, cementing the letter as a successful, psychological terror campaign.

The Deep Dive: Unpacking the Axeman's Identity Theories

Over a century later, the identity of the Axeman remains the subject of intense speculation among true crime enthusiasts and historians. The leading theories often revolve around the killer's specific targeting of the Italian-American community, particularly grocers.

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Theory 1: The Mafia/Organized Crime Connection

New Orleans in the 1910s had a significant presence of Italian organized crime. One prominent theory suggests the Axeman was not a lone serial killer driven by typical motives, but a hitman or enforcer for a Mafia-like group. The victims, many of whom were Italian grocers, may have been targeted for failing to pay protection money or for crossing a local crime boss. The brutality of the axe murders could have been a deliberate, terrifying message to the community.

Theory 2: The Frank Jordano Connection

Frank Jordano, a young man who was convicted and later released for the murder of the Cortimiglia family, remains a key figure in the case. Charles Cortimiglia, the surviving husband, eventually recanted his initial testimony against Jordano. However, one of the most compelling, though unproven, theories links the Axeman to a woman named Esther Albano. This theory suggests that Albano was the widow of Mike Pepitone (the final victim), who later murdered Jordano in 1920 in Los Angeles, claiming revenge for her husband's death. This suggests that Pepitone may have been the Axeman, and Jordano's conviction was a separate, related crime, or that Jordano was the killer and Pepitone was the avenger. The chain of violence is murky, but the connection between Jordano and Pepitone’s widow is a documented fact.

Theory 3: The Obsessive Serial Killer

The most straightforward theory is that the Axeman was a lone, sexually motivated or purely sadistic serial killer. The brutal nature of the attacks, the use of the victims' own axes, and the forced entry point to a killer who enjoyed the violation of the home and the intimacy of the attack. His sudden cessation of activity after the Pepitone murder suggests he either died, was incarcerated for a different crime, or moved away from New Orleans. The "Jazz Letter" itself may have been a brilliant, one-off tactic to taunt police and prove his power over the city, rather than a genuine expression of his motive.

The Axeman of New Orleans remains a terrifying enigma, a testament to the fact that some of the most compelling true crime stories are those that remain forever shrouded in mystery. The dark legend lives on, immortalized in the eerie echoes of 1919 jazz music.