Maria Barbella
Encyclopedia
Maria Barbella was the first woman sentenced to die in the electric chair
. She was convicted of killing her lover in 1895; however, the ruling was overturned in 1896 and she was freed.
, Italy
. Her family immigrated to Mulberry Bend
, New York
in 1892. After living in the United States for nearly a year, Maria Barbella met Domenico Cataldo, who was from her same region of Italy. She worked in a factory and every day she would pass by Cataldo’s shoeshine
booth. They spent lots of time together but these meetings were kept a secret from Michele Barbella, Maria's overprotective father. Michele found out about Domenico and he forbade Maria from ever seeing or speaking to him again. Domenico continued to pursue Maria until she finally gave in and agreed to meet with him again.
One day Cataldo took her to a boarding
house, where he seemingly drugged her with the drink he bought her, and took advantage of her. Because of her very strong morals about intimacy and marriage, Barbella said that they would have to get married to make everything right. He promised they would marry in several months, but they never did because he was already married to a woman in Italy, with whom he had children. Domenico said he was going back to Italy so he wouldn’t be able to marry her, leaving her devastated. Maria told her mother about the situation. Her mother confronted Domenico and insisted he marry Maria but he said the only way he would do that was if they paid him $200. On April 26, 1895, Maria killed him by cutting his throat with a razor.
(otherwise known as "The Tombs") for 2.5 months. Her appointed attorneys were Amos Evans and Henry Sedgwick
. The trial began on July 11. This case stirred up controversy because Italians felt that the verdict was unjust since there were no Italians in the jury. At the time of the trial, Maria was unable to speak or understand English
. Maria admitted everything: how she slit his throat and how he ran after her, but couldn’t reach her and had dropped dead. The jury was shown to have felt sympathy for her case; however, according to Recorder Goff, "The verdict was in accordance with the facts, and no other verdict could, in view of the evidence, have been considered." The jury declared Maria guilty and she was sent to Sing Sing
prison where she was sentenced to death by electric chair occurring on August 19, 1895. She was the second woman sentenced to death in New York and the first woman to be sentenced to execution by electric chair. After 1902 nothing is known about her life.
. She was granted an appeal when she was suddenly said to be epileptic and mentally ill because of everything that had happened. She was found not guilty, remarried and had a son named Frederick. Her husband left her and remarried in Italy in 1902.
Electric chair
Execution by electrocution, usually performed using an electric chair, is an execution method originating in the United States in which the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body...
. She was convicted of killing her lover in 1895; however, the ruling was overturned in 1896 and she was freed.
Life
Maria Barbella was born in FerrandinaFerrandina
Ferrandina is a town and comune in the province of Matera, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. Italy is famous for High Quality Olive Oil...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Her family immigrated to Mulberry Bend
Mulberry Bend
Mulberry Bend was an area in the notorious Five Points neighborhood in Lower Manhattan. It was bound by Bayard Street in the north, Cross Street in the south, Orange Street on the west and Mulberry Street on the east. The "Bend" in the street layout was due to the original topography of the area...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1892. After living in the United States for nearly a year, Maria Barbella met Domenico Cataldo, who was from her same region of Italy. She worked in a factory and every day she would pass by Cataldo’s shoeshine
Shoeshine
Shoeshine is a 1946 film and the first major work directed by Vittorio De Sica. In it, two shoeshine boys get into trouble with the police after trying to find the money to buy a horse.-Plot:...
booth. They spent lots of time together but these meetings were kept a secret from Michele Barbella, Maria's overprotective father. Michele found out about Domenico and he forbade Maria from ever seeing or speaking to him again. Domenico continued to pursue Maria until she finally gave in and agreed to meet with him again.
One day Cataldo took her to a boarding
Boarding
Boarding may refer to:*Temporarily residing somewhere, as in a boarding school or boarding house*Boarding , a naval term for the forcible attempt at capturing another naval vessel*Boarding , customs, coastguard etc...
house, where he seemingly drugged her with the drink he bought her, and took advantage of her. Because of her very strong morals about intimacy and marriage, Barbella said that they would have to get married to make everything right. He promised they would marry in several months, but they never did because he was already married to a woman in Italy, with whom he had children. Domenico said he was going back to Italy so he wouldn’t be able to marry her, leaving her devastated. Maria told her mother about the situation. Her mother confronted Domenico and insisted he marry Maria but he said the only way he would do that was if they paid him $200. On April 26, 1895, Maria killed him by cutting his throat with a razor.
Trial
She was arrested and put in The New York Halls of Justice and House of DetentionThe Tombs
"The Tombs" is the colloquial name for the Manhattan Detention Complex, a jail in Lower Manhattan at 125 White Street, as well as the popular name of a series of preceding downtown jails, the first of which was built in 1838 in the Egyptian Revival style of architecture.The nickname has been used...
(otherwise known as "The Tombs") for 2.5 months. Her appointed attorneys were Amos Evans and Henry Sedgwick
Henry Dwight Sedgwick
Henry Dwight Sedgwick III was an American lawyer and author.-Early life and career:Sedgwick was in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, the second child of Henry Dwight Sedgwick II and Henrietta Ellery . On his paternal grandmother's side, he was part of the New England Dwight family...
. The trial began on July 11. This case stirred up controversy because Italians felt that the verdict was unjust since there were no Italians in the jury. At the time of the trial, Maria was unable to speak or understand English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. Maria admitted everything: how she slit his throat and how he ran after her, but couldn’t reach her and had dropped dead. The jury was shown to have felt sympathy for her case; however, according to Recorder Goff, "The verdict was in accordance with the facts, and no other verdict could, in view of the evidence, have been considered." The jury declared Maria guilty and she was sent to Sing Sing
Sing Sing
Sing Sing Correctional Facility is a maximum security prison operated by the New York State Department of Correctional Services in the town of Ossining, New York...
prison where she was sentenced to death by electric chair occurring on August 19, 1895. She was the second woman sentenced to death in New York and the first woman to be sentenced to execution by electric chair. After 1902 nothing is known about her life.
Second Trial and Release
Many complained to the Governor about how the situation was handled, but it seemed nothing could be done. On November 16, 1896, she was given a second trial at the criminal branch of the New York Supreme CourtNew York Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in thestate court system of New York, United States. There is a supreme court in each of New York State's 62 counties, although some smaller counties share judges with neighboring counties...
. She was granted an appeal when she was suddenly said to be epileptic and mentally ill because of everything that had happened. She was found not guilty, remarried and had a son named Frederick. Her husband left her and remarried in Italy in 1902.