President Franklin D. Roosevelt positioned upon his car, before Zangara opened fire. (All That's Interesting)
Early Life & Upbringing
Giuseppe Zangara was born in a small, impoverished village in southern Italy. Growing up in Ferruzzano, Calabria, his early life was marked by poverty and little opportunity for success. His family was no exception-- from the age of 6, he was made to contribute to his family's survival, being forced to perform extensive manual labor on his father's farm. At a young age, he developed a chronic abdominal pain, which he later claimed began after an appendectomy. The pain would fail to subside through the rest of his life.
Due to the great amount of work he was forced into, he received little to no formal education. He became increasingly frustrated through his adolescence due to his worsening physical pain and lack of intellect. With rigid social structure and financial hardship keeping the impoverished stuck in cyclical intensive labor, Zangara believed he had no way of advancing through life in Calabria. He was eventually drafted into the Italian Army, likely at some point in the early 1920s. Once discharged, he returned to manual laboring as a bricklayer. His stomach pain only continued to worsen, making his daily life unbearable.
Coming To The U.S.
Zangara emigrated to the United States in 1923, leaving behind his rural village in Ferruzzano with his uncle. America was hailed as a land of opportunity to many Italian immigrants, and he had high hopes of developing a better path to the life he wanted to life. The journey itself was much harder than originally thought-- Italian immigrants were the poorest in the transatlantic crossing, and were put into overcrowded third-class steerage. In this movement, Zangara and company were faced with unsanitary conditions and food scarcity.
When the group arrived to America, Zangara likely passed through Ellis Island, where he would have experienced strenuous trial and inspection before being allowed to enter. Most agree that it is likely he barely passed these screenings due to his abdominal pain and U.S. officials' tendency to turn away those who could not work.
Once he had entered the country, Zangara settled in Paterson, New Jersey. Paterson held a slew of immigrant populations, and was known for its silk mills and various manufacturing jobs. He took whatever position he could find, continuing his trade as a bricklayer. Again, this position only continued to worsen his condition, requiring long hours of lifting and working in extreme weather. WIth no alternatives due to his lack of education, he was forced to endure this work.
During this period, Zangara’s sense frustrations and disillusionment worsened. The "American Dream", which had seemed so promising from across the ocean, turned out to be cruel and unforgiving, just as the life he had left behind had been. While wealthy folk had enjoyed a prosperous lifestyle, the impoverished had to endure dangerous positions to make a living, a fault which immigrants were disproportionately placed in. Zangara believed that the world was against him, and began to rebel against those who were more powerful than him.
In 1929, he had earned U.S. citizenship, a milestone for many immigrants in finding their place in America. Rather than pride, however, Zangara continued to be resentful. His life was crowded with failures: his chronic pain abrupted much of his situation, he had little economic prosperity, and he continued to grow in intense feelings towards the ruling class.
Continuing Pain
Zangara was fortunate enough to receive surgery for his stomach pain, however, the procedure did not bring forth the relief that he was hoping for. Rather, his discomfort continued to worsen as he aged, leading him to seek whatever treatment he could find that may manage his condition. No treatments had worked, making him angrier and focused on blaming the political and social structure of America for his immense suffering.
Gaps In The Story
The life of Giuseppe Zangara is marked by several gaps and inconsistencies, similar to that of other immigrant and impoverished assassins mentioned. Much of this account is pieced together from secondhand accounts or witnesses from his life. Much of this information also comes from writings he had completed in prison before his execution, where he reflected on the larger pieces of his life and his motivations. Some of these accounts are colored by inconsistencies and leave us with an incomplete view of what his life was actually like.
This paints a larger picture on society's dealings, placing those who are less fortunate in the background while amplifying the lives of those who fit the majority. Often, these marginalized identities are neglected in the preserving of society. This pattern would reduce these individuals to almost nothing without the acts that they had performed.
Assassination Attempt
On February 15, 1933, President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt was giving an impromptu speech from the back of an open car in Bayfront Park in Miami, Florida, where Zangara had been living at the time while working offhanded jobs to earn a sparse living. Frustrated by his immense pain over the years, Zangara had seen Roosevelt as the highest symbol of power, which he despised. He had purchased a .32-caliber US Revolver Company revolver for $8 from a local pawn shop, and intended to shoot the president. He joined a crowd who had gathered around the president. Standing only 5 feet tall, he struggled to make his way to the front of the crowd and/or see his way across it. So, he climbed atop a wobbly bench to get a clear shot.
Mrs. Lillian Cross, who had a similar idea, found herself close to Zangara. When he raised the revolver, she quickly noticed the gun positioned next to her right shoulder, and shifter her purse to her left hand instinctually to push the shooter's arm out of the way. Despite his efforts to overpower her, Zangara had misfired and hit five people in the crowd. One of the victims was Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak, who was standing near Roosevelt in the car. Roosevelt had escaped unharmed, while other victims (Mrs. Joseph J. Gill, Ms. Margaret Kruis, Detective WIliam Sinnott, and Russel Caldwell) sustained injuries.
In the eyes of the public, the event had unfolded rapidly. Witness testimonies and media coverage were soon premiering many conflicting accounts. Many disputed the exact sequence of shots due to the frantic nature of the moment. The news was also desperate to sensationalize the moment to draw attention, thus misrepresenting the true story. One of the most reported parts of the shooting were the alleged final words of Mayor Anton Cermak. Supposedly, after being fatally wounded, he learned over to Roosevelt and stated "I'm glad it was me, not you". The Chicago Tribute ran this quote to a wide outreach, but it was not attributed to any witness. Many scholars question the authenticity, remarking it as merely an attempt to gain popularity. The assassination was a prime example of how the media often skews information for monetary gains.
Trial, Conviction, & Death
Zangara was captured almost immediated and charged with attempted murder, and the murder of Mayor Cermak. His trial began nine days after the shooting, on Februayr 23, 1933, and lasted only a few hours. Represented by court-appointed lawyers, he was found guilty. Zangara's defense argued that his chronic pain and resentment towards the political establishment may have influenced him deeply, while the prosecution maintained that he had acted with a clear malicious intent. He was sentenced to the death penalty by electrocution.
The trial and media coverage, too, became a spectacle. Zangara was reported to have enjoyed the attention, often posing for photographers and reporters swarming the court. He infamously stated "Where are the photographers?" hen on the witness stand during the trial. This quote attested to his defiant and cunning attitude towards his trial and conviction, displaying a desire to be seen. His words captured throughout the trial also attested to this intense need for spectacle and attention.
Giuseppe Zangara was killed by electrocution on March 10, 1933-- just less than a month after the shooting-- at Florida State Prison in Raiford. As he was being prepared for the act, he shouted "Viva Italia!" as his final words, a demonstration of his nationalist pride. Some accounts also state that he muttered "I die for my country", but these are unconfirmed. His final moments are marked with a chilling theatricality. Mirroring the story of his life, his death was vastly overshadowed by the shock of the attempt and the reports of Anton Cermak's final words.
Zangara's prison headshots-- February 15, 1933. (Dead Presidents Daily)
A picture of the chair that killed Zangara by electrocution. (RMY Auctions)
Why He Did It
Zangara had believed that the elite were a system which constricted the rights and protections of those who were of marginalized status, particularly immigrants such as himself. A life of manual labor, chronic pain, and constant dissatisfaction led Zangara to hold much resentment against anyone who was wealthier than him. His pain was not only physical, but emotional.
Political figures like Franklin D. Roosevelt were the pinnacle of Zangara's frustrations, serving as a symbol of unrequited promises and disappointments. He believed that Roosevelt, and those of a similar status, were responsible for the misery of the working class. His assassination attempt was a means of getting even with those who had oppressed him.
"I no care who I kill, long as it's king!"
Additional Resources
Zangara’s death warrant: https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/334329
Live interview with Zangara: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yedhd1ahE2M
Links to Luigi Mangione: https://abusablepast.org/luigi-mangione-giuseppe-zangara-and-the-forgotten-history-of-italian-american-radicalism/