Giorgio George Maisano, born on November 6, 1880, in Piana dei Greci, Palermo, Sicily, Italy, immigrated to the United States in 1901. He settled in Los Angeles, California, where he worked as a fruit peddler. On July 29, 1906, at the age of 25, Maisano died from gunshot wounds at the Los Angeles County Hospital. His death was classified as a homicide.
The events leading to Maisano's death began with a conflict involving prominent members of the Italian community in Los Angeles.
On April 4, 1906, Maisano, along with Tony Matranga and Joseph Fusco, was arrested following a fight on Downey Avenue. Maisano was charged with battery, and a trial was set for April 28. This altercation was part of a larger feud between the Matranga gang, with which Maisano was associated, and the Ardizzone/Cuccia family.
The feud escalated when Joseph Ardizzone, a member of the Ardizzone/Cuccia family, shot Maisano twice in the back on June 2, 1906, near North Main Street. The shooting was reportedly a result of a business dispute and personal animosity. Ardizzone fled the scene and evaded capture by the police. Despite undergoing surgery, Maisano succumbed to his injuries nearly two months later.
Maisano's death did not go unnoticed, and it sparked further tensions within the Italian community. Ardizzone, who later became a prominent figure in the Los Angeles crime family, claimed that he acted in self-defense. However, the circumstances of the shooting, including the fact that Maisano was shot in the back, suggested otherwise. Ardizzone's flight from California and subsequent evasion of authorities further complicated the investigation.
The case against Ardizzone eventually fell apart due to a lack of evidence and witnesses willing to testify. Despite his initial arrest upon returning to California, the charges against him were dropped. The feud between the Matranga and Ardizzone families continued, contributing to the violent landscape of early 20th-century Los Angeles.
Maisano's death remains a significant event in the history of organized crime in Los Angeles, highlighting the intense rivalries and violent conflicts that characterized the era. His burial took place on August 1, 1906, at New Calvary Cemetery, marking the end of a brief but tumultuous life.
