You will recognize the Danna name. This was Guseppe Danna from Sicily. He had only been here less than six years when this incident happened! He ended up surviving his wounds. I wonder if the “Lascota” is actually Lascola? There is a Lascola buried in St. Matthew Cemetery. He is listed as a Stephen Lascola, died in March of 1904.
Vicksburg Herald, June 14, 1907, Page 1
ITALIANS HAVE FIERCE FIGHT
AT MONROE, LA., FIVE MEMBERS OF ITALIAN COLONY ENGAGE IN BLOODY AFFRAY.
RIVALRY IN BUSINESS CAUSE
Joe Danna and Joe Lascota Have Fist Fight and Later Lascota Renews Fight By Shooting Danna, and General Mix-Up Ensues.
Special to The Herald.
Monroe, La., June 13. – Excitement runs high among the big colony of Italians here tonight as the result of a fierce fight engaged in by four of their number at 6 o’clock this evening in the rear of the city market on Desiard street. The injured are:
Joe Lascota, cut in head and shot in bowels; fatal.
Joe Danna, shot in liver and abdomen; probably fatal.
Charles Milla, cut in head with a butcher knife; serious.
Angelina Millia, wife of Charles Millia, shot in left arm.
The trouble grew out of an old jealousy and rivalry between joe Lascota and joe Danna, who are both shoemakers.
They met in the city market about 11 o’clock this morning and engaged in a fist fight. Lascota tried then to shoot Danna, but was prevented by other Italians taking his pistol. Lascota was tried in the city court this afternoon and was given a heavy fine. He went from the city court to the baseball park, and was heard to remark there that he was going back to town and kill Danna.
That Danna was not killed was no fault of his, for he came directly from the park to the fruit store of Charles Milla, in front of whose house Danna had his shoeshop, and opened fire on Danna, shooting him and Milla’s wife.
Two women ran Lascota out, one cutting him in the head with a butcher knife. He ran into the market, followed by Charles Milla. Lascota grabbed a knife from one of the meat stalls and cut a big gash across the side of Milla’s head, making an ugly wound. Lascota then fired his pistol at Tony Danna, a cousin of Joe Nanna, who pulled his gun and shot Lascota. While Lascota was down Milla tried to finish him up by kicking his head.
It was with difficulty that the police stopped the row at this point. They had to threaten to shoot two or three before order was restored.
Tony Danna was arrested and placed in jail, but was later released on bond.
Ouachita Parish History Tidbits 