DELORENZO, Gaetano

1882 - 1926  (44 years)

• Name	DELORENZO, Gaetano
  Birth	29 Jul 1882	Italy
  Gender	Male
  Death	24 Nov 1926	Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY
  Person ID	I205812	Laur from Germany
  Last Modified	17 Sep 2020

  
  

  Family	TRINCANETTI, Maria,   b. 13 Dec 1890, Italy d. 22 Mar 1978, Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY (Age 87 years)
  Children	1. DELORENZO, Samuel A R,   b. 20 Oct 1914, Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY d. Aug 1976 (Age 61 years)   2. DELORENZO, Claude Anthony,   b. Abt 1917, Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY d. 4 Apr 2004, Santa Fe, Santa Fe County, NM (Age 87 years)   3. DELORENZO, Vincent Americo,   b. 8 Aug 1918, Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY d. 15 Dec 1999, Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY (Age 81 years)
  Family ID	F28983	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	18 Oct 2025

  
  

• Notes

  Niagara Gazette - 11/24/1926 His head battered almost to a pulp by a sharp instrument. Gaetano, 44 years old, was found in the little apartment In which he lived alone behind his store at 251 Twenty-fourth St shortly before noon today. Robbery apparently was the motive for the crime. Attacked While Asleep. The storekeeper had been attacked while he slept. The pockets of clothin g were turned inside out as if the assailants had gone through them hastily in search of money. His body, clad only In night clothing was under the mattress and coverings that had been torn from the bed and heaped on him after his murderer or murderers had thrown him brutally in a corner .The trail iron bedstead had been wrenched apart and thrown about the, room and the springs stood on end against a dresser.Blood was spattered over the hedging and walls and smeared a crucifix that hung on the wall just over the head of the bed. The Instrument with which DeLorenzo was murdered was not found this afternoon. The Discovery. The murder was discovered by John Lafreniere, a barber. 312 Twenty-fifth street, who works in a barber shop just across the street from DeLorenzo's grocery. Shortly after 11 o'clock this morning Antonio Peterchelli. Pittsburgh, friend of DeLorenzo, called at the store to see the storekeeper . He left and the store locked and going around to a rear entrance he discovered the door was unlocked. Peterchelli entered the apartment behind the store and called to DeLorenzo, thinking that he was still sleeping. When there was no response he entered through the small kitchen into the dining-room and then to the door of De Lorenzo's bedroom. The door was ajar and pushing it open further Peterchelli saw the room in disorder.He became alarmed and ran from the Apartment to the barbershop across the street where he asked Lafreniere if he had seen De Lorenzo. He told the barber that he believed something; had happened to the storekeeper and lafreniere went with him to the DeLorenzo apartment. Brutally Murdered The barber went Into the bedroom.the blind was drawn and the small room, only about eight by 10 feet, was in semi-darkness. Lafreniere climbed over the disarranged bedstead and discovered De Lorenzo's bare legs protruding from beneath the pile of bedding in the corner. The wall and bedding was blood spattered and the barber hurried to a telephone and notified police. Police Superintendent John A. Curry and Detective Chief George H. Callihan led a squad of patrolmen and detectives to the scene of the murder. They were joined by Coroner Harry R. Emes. In a hurried examination at the apartment police were unable to pick up a clue to the identity of the murderer or murderers. Lafreniere told them that he had seen De Lorenzo about the store at 8 o'clock last night. Others in the neighborhood said that they had seen the storekeeper in his store later. No one could be fund who had seen anyone with him or who had noticed anyone enter the building. There was no evidence that entrance had been forced to either the store or the apartment. Police think that the murderer was someone whom De Lorenzo had expected and that the next door had been left unlocked for him. They are checking up now to determine if anyone was in the habit of staying in the apartment with De Lorenzo at night. Leaves Widow, Children De Lorenzo was married but was separated from his wife. She and their three children reside in Whitney avenue east of Sugar street, police learned. The woman will be questioned in regard to her husband's friends. Neighbors of the storekeeper told police that he was in the habit of carrying a large sum of money on his person. Police believe that the man's murderers tore the bed apart in a search for money. Corner Emes said the wounds on the man's head may have bee made by a cleaver or hatchet. A cleaver was found in a rear room but there was no blood on the blade or handle. A hatchet also was found but it bore no traces of blood. Trunks Untouched Furniture in the dining room just off the bedroom where the murder took place was not disarranged. There were several trunks and boxes in the apartment but none of them had been broken into by the storekeeper's murderers. They contained nothing of value the police found when they examined them. In the boxes were several family photographs of De Lorenzo and his relatives and the trunks contained clothing. Fingerprint photographs of the furniture in the bedroom were taken by Superintendent Curry. A bank book made out in De Lorenzo's name and showing a comfortable deposit in a local bank was picked up by the poice in the bedroom. This will also be photographed for fingerprints as it was apparent the murderer had handled it and then cast it aside.