Empire of Sin

[L Verge]

Just started reading a book by this name written by Gary Krist. It is a history of New Orleans in the thirty-or-so years after the Civil War. I have not gotten too far into it, but it is interesting to see how this old city went from tolerable interracial relations before the CW and Reconstruction to one of mistrust, violence, and considerable political and social mayhem afterwards.

I was also surprised to find that Italian immigrants often bore the brunt of much of the hatred - and quite a few gave back as good as they got. I knew New Orleans was known for diversity (Spanish, French, Creoles, octoroons, mullatoes, whites, blacks and assorted other varieties), but for some reason, I had never thought of Italians. There is one story of a white-led riot against a group of Italians suspected of being of The Black Hand that could equal any violent scenario that Hollywood has to offer.