Travelling exhibit from the Whyte Museum.
Immigrant, father, entrepreneur, town councillor, and bootlegger. Emilio Picariello remains one of the enigmatic personalities of his times, capturing the imaginations of Canadians today almost as much as he did during his sensational murder trial and death by hanging ninety years ago.
The Rise and Fall of Emilio Picariello, a travelling exhibit from the Fernie Museum, provides a new interpretation of the 1923 arrest and execution of Emilio Picariello and Florence Lassandro. See what Adriana A. Davies, the exhibit’s curator, discovered when she asked the question, “What if they were innocent of the murder, as they had claimed, and if they were wrongfully found guilty?”
This exhibit traces the rise of Picariello from a young Italian immigrant, to a shrewd and successful businessman, to his fall and eventual death as one of Can
ada’s most infamous bootleggers. “This story will be familiar to many people in southwestern Alberta,” says Galt Curator Aimee Benoit, “but visitors will come away with a more complex understanding of Picariello, and the social context in which his story took place.” Dr. Adriana Davies will be the guest speaker at the official exhibit opening from 2 to 3 pm. Media are invited to meet with Dr. Davies and to preview the exhibit before the event, at 1 pm.
