Lawrence Patania
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth Date: Abt 1914 - New Orleans, Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Christening:
Death: 11 May 1943 - New Orleans, Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Burial: in St Vincent de Paul Cemetery, New Orleans, Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Cause of Death: suicide
Parents
Father: Michael Patania
Mother: Rose Tomasello
Notes
General:
Per article in Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA) June 16, 1933 Page 3
Liquor Carrier takes Load Into Police Station
Man Offered Him Quarter to Do Errand, Youth Tells Officers
Lawrence Patania is through carrying packages for strangers, and if he does carry any more packages to pick up a needed quarter, he will steer clear of the Third Precinct station, he declared Thursday.
Patania, 17 years old, 529 Governor Nicholls street, was charged Thursday before United States Commissioner R. H. Carter, Jr., with transporting two armloads of liquor, [THIS WAS DURING PROHIBITION ERA] following his arrest by Police Sergeant Edward Rooney at the Third Precinct station.
"A man offered my a quarter to carry two packages from Canal street to Jackson Square," he told the commissioner, "I was walking along with the man who hired me right behind me."
"When we walked by the police station Sergeant Rooney called me and I walked over to him carrying the packages, and the man kept on going. I did not know there was any liquor in the bags or I would not have taken them - not by Sergeant Rooney, anyway."
Sergeant Rooney, according to prohibition agents, said that Patania is a police character, and that when he was seen carrying two large packages the sergeant called him over to see what he had in the sacks, and to ask him where he got it.
Per article in Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA) June 16, 1933 Page 1
Youth Carrying Liquor Asserts His Innocence
New Orleans, June 15 (AP), - Lawrence Patania, 17, says he is through carrying packages for strangers.
He said a man gave him 25 cents to carry two packages which were found to contain liquor when he was stopped by police as he was going past a precinct station with the man following him. the man, Patania said, kept on walking.
Patania was charged in federal court with transporting liquor.
Per article in Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA) June 2, 1937 Page 27
MURDER CHARGED IN FATAL STREET DUEL
Youth Booked When Negro Dies After Being Knocked to Pavement
Lawrence Patania, 20 years old, 929 Royal street, was booked at the Third Precinct station with murder Tuesday following the death of William Lee, negro, 45, 2219 Bienville street, of injuries said by police to have been received in a fight between the two at French Market Place and Governor Nicholls street Monday.
Captain James E. Cripps, commander of the Third Precinct station, said that the fight was not reported to police until Lee died shortly before 1 a. m. Tuesday. Police went to the scene where the fight occurred and arrested Patania.
During the fight the negro was knocked down, striking his head against the pavement, according to police. An autopsy by the coroner revealed that Lee died of hemorrhage resulting from skull fracture, that office reported.
Per article in Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA) March 31, 1938 Page 9
Arrested After Chase on Charge of Shoplifting
Dressed in a bathing suit and a pair of pants, Lawrence Patania, 22 years old, 929 Royal street, was captured after a chase Wednesday afternoon along Canal street and booked at the Third Precinct station with petty larceny of merchandise from W. T. Grant Company, 1019 Canal street.
Patania, police said, took 27 Mexican handkerchiefs valued at $6.75 from the store. He was seen, police asserted, by Special Officer Henry A. Deeters, who summoned Traffic Patrolman George Scott and with him chased Patania to Iberville and Burgundy streets, where he was captured.
Per article in Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA) November 8, 1939 Page 6
Given Two Years in $7 Larceny as Fourth Offender
Lawrence Patania, 24 year old shoplifter, 929 Royal street, was sentenced Tuesday by Judge Fred W. Oser in criminal district court as a fourth offender to serve two years in Parish Prison for the theft of seven pairs of women's silk mufflers valued at $7 from the store of D. H. Holmes Company, Ltd., at 819 Canal street.
Before imposing the maximum sentence under the petty larceny statute, Judge Oser said the records showed that Patania had been arrested more than 30 times during the past eight years and that he had served two terms of 60 days each and one term of four months on petty larceny charges.
Patania was arrested at the Canal street store on October 23 by Lambert Franz, house detective. He pleaded guilty when called to trial Monday but sentence was deferred until Judge Oser could examine his criminal record.
Per Obituary in the Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA) May 13, 1943 Page 2
PATANIA -- On Tuesday, May 11, 1943, at 10:45 o'clock p. m., LAWRENCE PATANIA, of 529 Royal street, beloved son of Rose Tomaselli and Mike Patania, brother of Mrs. Charles Johnson, Dominick and Domiana Patania, age 29 years, a native of this city.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral, which will take place on Thursday, May 13, 1943, at 11 o'clock a. m., from the funeral home of Lomana-Panna-Fallo, Inc., 625 North Rampart street, near Municipal Auditorium.
Interment in St. Vincent de Paul cemetery.
Per article in Times-Picayune May 13, 1943 Page
PRISONER HANGS SELF WITH BELT
Shoplifter Takes Life on Eve of Sentence
A verdict of suicide was rendered by Dr. C. Grenes Cole, coroner, in the case of Lawrence Patania, 30-year-old shoplifter, who was found dead in his cell at Parish Prison Tuesday night.
Patania, who was serving a six month's sentence imposed April 16 by Judge J. Arthur Charbonnet as a triple offender, was found dead in his cell at 10:55 p. m. by Deputy Sheriff Olney Platt. The prisoner, according to prison officials, looped his belt around his neck, tied one end to the bars above his bunk and hanged himself.
On January 24, 1933, Patania pleaded guilty to petty larceny of $8 and was sentenced by Judge Frank T. Echezabal to serve 60 days. On November 7, 1939, he pleaded guilty to petty larceny of $7 and was sentenced as a double offender by Judge Fred W. Oser to serve two years in jail.
Appearing before Judge William J. O'Hara on April 2 on a petty larceny charge Patania's attorneys asked for the appointment of a lunacy commission to inquire into his mental status and the mental experts reported him sane. Judge O'Hara then sentenced him to serve six months.
Last week he appeared before Judge Charbonnet and pleaded guilty to the theft of a $12 overcoat from the Krauss Company store on November 23, and was scheduled to be sentenced Friday.