Wicked Erie - Paperback

by Justin Dombrowski (Author)

Discover sinister stories of Erie's hidden history.

Life on the lake is not always pleasant, as these stories of scandal, robbery, murder, suicide, the mob, and more, reveal. The threatening reign of terror from the Phantom Burglar in the winter of 1926 kept Erie residents living in fear, culminating in a shocking finale. In 1927, bandits stole the payroll of the Erie County Electric Company in a harrowing robbery, and the manhunt and investigation that followed captivated the city. Extortion and blackmail were the purported tactics of local Black Hand gangsters in threatening letters sent to one of Erie's wealthiest turn-of-the-century citizens. The tragic murder of twenty-two-year-old Mary Sobucki enraged local law enforcement and shined a light on the underworld operations of baby harvesting farms. Author Justin Dombrowski presents narratives of Erie's wicked past.

Author Biography

Justin Dombrowski has spent more than sixteen years studying history within Erie County, Pennsylvania, specializing in Erie's criminal and legal historical records. A native of Erie, Pennsylvania, he is an alumnus of Mercyhurst University and can usually be found searching for the next historical adventure. This is his third book with The History Press. He resides in Erie, Pennsylvania.