The Violence of Honor: Maria Barbella

Tea Time Crimes

Tune in for the sister episode to last week. This case covers another woman sentenced to death via electric chair in New York, just like Martha Place. Meet Maria Barbella, who walked up to her lover, Dominico Cataldo, and slit his throat from ear to ear because he refused to marry her. However, there is much more to this story than the newspapers are willing to print. Grab a tea and travel back to 1895 New York with us.

Content warning: This episode covers sexual assault

Domestic Abuse Hotline: [phone]

National Sexual Assault Hotline: [phone]

Tea of the Day: Iron Goddess

Theme Music by Brad Frank

Sources:

• “A Desperate Girl’s Crime.” (Saturday’s New York Sun) Fall River Daily Evening News, Mon, Apr 29, 1895 ·Page 4, https://www.newspapers.com/image/590758305/
• “ ‘I have no tears left.’” The Boston Globe, Sat, Apr 27, 1895 Page 12, https://www.newspapers.com/image/430862206/
• “Maria’s Crime Told in Court.” The Evening World, (New York) Thu, Jul 11, 1895 Page 1, https://www.newspapers.com/image/146735804/
• “Maria Barberi at the bar. On Trial for the Murder of Her Faithless Lover.” The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Thu, Jul 11, 1895 Page 2, https://www.newspapers.com/image/50411135/
• “Goaded Into Killing Him.” The Evening World, (New York) Fri, Jul 12, 1895 Page 2, https://www.newspapers.com/image/146735821/
• “The Barberi Murder Trial.” The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Fri, Jul 12, 1895 Page 1, https://www.newspapers.com/image/50411148/
• New-York Tribune, Sat, Jul 13, 1895 Page 11, https://www.newspapers.com/image/149994722/
• “A Kind Hearted Prosecutor.” The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Sun, Jul 14, 1895 Page 5, https://www.newspapers.com/image/50411201/
• “Maria Barberi is Guilty.” The New York Times, Tue, Jul 16, 1895 Page 1, https://www.newspapers.com/image/20303295/
• “To Die on August 19th.” The Standard Union, Thu, Jul 18, 1895 Page 1, https://www.newspapers.com/image/542220914/
• “Murder Justified.” Boston Post, Sun, Jul 21, 1895 Page 2, https://www.newspapers.com/image/72251869/
• “Woman As Criminals.” The Daily Sentinel-Tribune, Sat, Aug 10, 1895 Page 2, https://www.newspapers.com/image/882581856/
• “Would Die for Her.” The Sentinel, Tue, Aug 13, 1895 Page 4, https://www.newspapers.com/image/343922149/
• The Boston Globe, Sun, Aug 18, 1895 Page 9, https://www.newspapers.com/image/431001031/
• “The Barberi Case.” The Buffalo Enquirer, Mon, Nov 16, 1896 Page 1, https://www.newspapers.com/image/325596108/
• “Pleased with jury.” The Boston Globe, Wed, Nov 18, 1896 Page 7, https://www.newspapers.com/image/430773455/
• Library of Congress, “Immigration and Relocation in U.S. History.” https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/immigration/italian/tenements-and-toil/
• Smithsonian American Art Museum, “Tenement Life.” https://americanexperience.si.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Tenement-Life_.pdf
• “Mary Livermore.” Boston National Historical Park, https://www.nps.gov/people/mary-livermore.htm
• “In Her Defense.” The Standard Union, Fri, Nov 20, 1896 Page 1, https://www.newspapers.com/image/542425165/
• “Maria Barberi’s Family Tree.” Chicago Tribune, Sat, Nov 21, 1896 Page 4, https://www.newspapers.com/image/349857733/
• The Philadelphia Times, Sun, Nov 22, 1896 Page 2, https://www.newspapers.com/image/53387436/
• “Ill-Fated Ancestors.” The Boston Globe, Tue, Nov 24, 1896 Page 2, https://newspapers.com/image/430775593/
• “Maria Barberi’s Story.” The Boston Globe, Wed, Nov 25, 1896 Page 4, https://www.newspapers.com/image/430776058/
• “Barberi Testifies.” Carbondale Daily News, Thu, Nov 26, 1896 Page 1, https://www.newspapers.com/image/638800630/
• “Experts Give Testimony.” The Standard Union, Thu, Dec 03, 1896 Page 3, https://newspapers.com/image/542424980/
• “Maria Barberi is Free.” Chicago Tribune, Fri, Dec 11, 1896 Page 5, https://www.newspapers.com/image/349883737/
• “Maria Barberi’s Acquittal.” The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Fri, Dec 11, 1896 Page 6, https://www.newspapers.com/image/50337240/
• “Maria Barberi Not Guilty.” The Times, Fri, Dec 11, 1896 Page 3, https://www.newspapers.com/image/79799997/
• “Maria Barber Lost?” The Daily Times, Fri, Dec 18, 1896 Page 1, https://www.newspapers.com/image/13040409/
• “Heroic Maria Barberi.” Intelligencer Journal, Thu, Dec 31, 1896 Page 6, https://www.newspapers.com/image/557171839/
• “Maria Barbella Married.” The New York Times, Thu, Nov 04, 1897 Page 10, https://www.newspapers.com/image/20443000/
• “To Mrs. Foster’s Memory.”The New York Times, Tue, Feb 25, 1902 Page 5, https://www.newspapers.com/image/20394619/
• People of the State of New York v Maria Barberi (Trial #53), In collection Criminal Trial Transcripts of New York County Collection (1883-1927), July 8 1895 (created), January 2015 (digitized), Lloyd Sealy Library, https://dc.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/index.php/Detail/Object/Show/object_id/3802