Giuseppe zangara execution

After the mayor died, Zangara was indicted for murder, pleaded guilty, was sentenced to death and was executed in Florida’s electric chair on March 20,

Giuseppe Zangara attempts to assassinate President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt in Miami's Bayfront Park. Instead, he mortally wounds Chicago mayor Anton J. In perhaps one of the shortest periods of time between crime and execution 32 days , Zangara is executed on March 20, in Florida's electric chair. The attempted assassination of President-elect Franklin D.

Roosevelt is almost forgotten today, but for connoisseurs of Fate there is nothing quite like it. FDR arrived at the political rally tanned and relaxed from a deep-sea fishing trip on Vincent Astor's yacht. Sitting atop the back seat of a convertible, he rode slowly through the packed crowds and stopped in front of a stage full of VIPs, among them the mayor of Chicago, Anton J.

After making a brief speech from the car, he was talking privately with the dignitaries who came down from the stage to greet him when five shots rang out.

After spending only 10 days on death row, Zangara was executed on March 20, , in Old Sparky, the electric chair at Florida State Prison in Raiford.

Some 30 feet from the car, a man in the third row of spectators was standing on tiptoe on a rickety chair, his arm stretched over the heads in front of him, firing a. Directly behind him was Thomas Armour, a Miami carpenter. Directly in front of him was Mrs. Lillian Cross, wife of a Miami doctor, who was also standing on a chair. Either Armour or Mrs.

Cross grabbed the gunman's arm to deflect his aim -- both so claimed afterwards -- or perhaps it was the unsteady chair. Whatever happened, all five shots missed FDR and hit others.