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Image / Frank Ryan witnesses Helen Angiulli confronting her father William Spinelli, Los Angeles, …

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Title
Frank Ryan witnesses Helen Angiulli confronting her father William Spinelli, Los Angeles, 1938
Date Created and/or Issued
December 22, 1938
Publication Information
Los Angeles Times
Contributing Institution
UCLA, Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library
Collection
Los Angeles Times Photographic Archives
Rights Information
US
Description
Access to this collection is generously supported by Arcadia funds.
After confessing to the murder of his wife William Spinelli has been placed on suicide watch. Spinelli's adult children describe him as being unemployed for the past ten years and beating them when they were children.
Photograph appears with the article, "Ax Slayer Wants to Die," Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec 1938: 3.
Helen's maiden name is Spinelli. Her married name is spelled Angiulli or Angiuli, and her first name is sometimes written as Ellena, but according to her social security record her name is Helen Angiulli.
A crying Helen holds her father's wrist, who is slumped over a table partially concealing his face with his other arm. Detective Ryan stands over William, resting one hand on his shoulder.
Text from negative sleeve: 15237 - Wm Spinelli Sr Ellena Angiuli Frank Ryan Bert Wallis. Joe Taylor. Joseph Spinelli Spinelli Ax Murder TIMES PHOTO BY ANDREW H. ARNOTT 12/22/38 [stamped:] Dec 24 1938
Text from newspaper caption: "Why did you do it?" screamed Ellena Spinelli Anguili as she attacked her father, Virgilio Spinelli Sr., left, confessed ax slayer of his wife, in the homicide office yesterday. Detective Lieutenant Frank Ryan, shown in the picture restrained the young woman after she had grabbed her father by arm and started beating him.
Handwritten on negative: L2R Wm Spinelli Ellena Anguili Frank Ryan 12/22/38
Type
Image
Format
b&w nitrate negative
Identifier
uclamss_1429_11964
ark:/21198/zz002h8tqb
Language
No linguistic content
Subject
Crying
Family members--American--California--Los Angeles
Homicides--California--Los Angeles
Detectives--California--Los Angeles
Ryan, Frank E., b. 1896 or 97
Angiulli, Helen, 1913-2000
Spinelli, Virgilio (William Spinelli), 1880-1940
Source
Los Angeles Times Photographic Collection

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