Peter Pianezzi with his mother Rose Pianezzi, at a trial where he is charged with the murders of George (Les) Bruneman and Frank A. Greuzard, Los Angeles, 1940s
Access to this collection is generously supported by Arcadia funds. Ex-convict Peter Pianezzi with his mother Rose Pianezzi at a trial where he is charged with two murders. Rose Pianezzi was a witness on his behalf. Allegedly, Pianezzi shot gambler George (Les) Bruneman 16 times in a cafe and then fatally shot cafe employee Frank A. Greuzard when he attempted to take down Pianezzi's license plate number. The murder, which occurred October 25, 1937, is thought to have been gang-related. The first trial ended with a hung jury, 9-3 for the acquittal of Pianezzi. In the second trial, Pianezzi received a life sentence for the murders. Later, at age 80, Pianezzi was pardoned based on innocence. Text from original nitrate sleeve: Pianezzi, Peter Handwritten annotation from nitrate negative: Pete Pianezzi and Mrs. Rose Pianezzi
Type
image
Format
b&w nitrate negative
Identifier
ark:/21198/zz0025gsdr
Language
No linguistic content
Subject
Judicial proceedings--California--Los Angeles Shootings--California--Los Angeles Crime Homicides--California--Los Angeles Disaster Witnesses--California--Los Angeles Mothers Gangs--California--Los Angeles Legal Pianezzi, Rose Pianezzi, Peter Bruneman, George Les (Leslie), 1897-1937
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
