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Description
See any errors? Let us know!Joseph L. Taborsky: The "Mad Dog" Killer
Early Life and First Conviction
Joseph L. Taborsky, born on March 23, 1924, in Hartford, Connecticut, earned the nickname "Mad Dog" for his brutal crimes. His first known crime occurred on March 23, 1950, when he celebrated his 25th birthday by robbing a West Hartford liquor store and killing its owner, Louis Wolfson. Taborsky's younger brother, Albert, was his accomplice and later testified against him. Joseph was sentenced to death, but his conviction was overturned in 1955 due to Albert's mental instability.The "Mad Dog Killings"
After his release, Taborsky vowed to go straight but soon resumed his criminal activities. Between 1956 and 1957, he went on a killing spree that left six people dead and several others injured. These events became known as the "Mad Dog Killings."Victims
- Louis Wolfson - March 23, 1950, West Hartford liquor store owner
- Hartford tailor - December 15, 1956, shot in the head and neck
- Sam Cohn - December 26, 1956, liquor store owner
- Bernard and Ruth Speyer - January 5, 1957, East Hartford shoe store customers
- Jack Rosenthal - February 1957, pharmacist
Victims
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Confirmed Victims: (7)
Louis Wolfson Age: (41), Date of Death: 1950-03-23 ...View 6 additional victims
Links to Additional Sources (14)
See any mistakes? Let us know!Killer's Details
Joseph
Taborsky
March 23, 1924 Hartford, Connecticut, United States
May 17, 1960 (aged 36) Wethersfield, Connecticut, United States
Executed by electric chair
Male
White
Mad Dog
First degree murder
Death
7
1950 - 1957
Connecticut
February 23, 1957
07/10/2025










