Saint Agnes Cemetery Utica, NY

Saint Agnes Cemetery located at 605 Arthur Street in Utica, NY was founded during Utica's most prosperous days of industry and immigrant influx. Situated in what was known as the “Italian quarter” of the city, this very large cemetery serves as the burial location of many of the city's original Italian, Irish,Welsh and German immigrant settlers. Ethnic groupings are easily recognizable in the original park-like setting of this cemetery, with many beautiful and ornate headstones to see. It continues to be an active cemetery and is very well maintained.

The Coupe Mausoleum is a stunning example from the 1940's in the "newer" section of the cemetery.

Joseph C. Coupe 1857-1940

Lucy S. Coupe 1860-1945

 

For you Paranormal seekers- Saint Agnes Cemetery is listed as one of the few haunted cemeteries of New York State!

It has been claimed that the spirit of a young lady roams the cemetery at night, watching after a ghostly baby who crawls along beside her....

Interesting claim- Because while researching the cemetery I found this.....

and several  other newspaper articles which detailed the 1909 murders of a young girl and a baby in the rear corner of Saint Agnes Cemetery.  Interestingly, none of the paranormal claims reported, mentioned knowledge of the murders....

September 12, 1909- 39 year old Theodore Rizzo lured 6 y/o Fannie Infusino, her 2 y/o baby brother Ferdinando Infusino and their 7 y/o friend, Theresa Procopio, to a desolate wooded area at the rear of Saint Agnes Cemetery, to a culvert area known as the “gulf”. Mr. Rizzo had indecent intentions for the young girls, but they fought back and threatened to tell their fathers about what Mr. Rizzo tried to do. Mr. Rizzo, who later claimed to have been under the influence of much drink, pulled a .38 caliber revolver from his pocket and without a second thought, fired a round at each of the children. Young Theresa sustained two gunshot wounds, the second, fatal. Little Freddie suffered a severe gunshot wound to the abdomen, and Fannie received a shot through her arm and abdomen. Rizzo ran from the area leaving the children for dead. Fannie somehow survived the night, tending to her fatally wounded baby brother. When the children were found the next morning, Theresa had already passed away. Fannie and Freddie, both mortally wounded and weak from blood loss were rushed to the local hospital, neither expected to make it. Freddie passed away soon after arriving at the hospital. Last rights were administered to Fannie. In the hours and days thereafter, by some miracle unexpected by doctors, young Fannie was able to tell police what happened and who did it. While she was not initially able to positively identify the cleanly shaven & newly hair-clipped Mr. Rizzo when police brought him to the hospital for identification, she was able to state that the man who did the deed was the brother of a roomer in the Procopio home. The same man who only a short time before the shooting, had lent Mrs. Procopio a penny to purchase a postage stamp. Theodore Rizzo was executed 6 weeks later at Auburn State Prison. Fannie Infusino survived her injuries. Theresa Procopio and Ferdinando Infusino are buried in Saint Agnes Cemetery.

©copyright KarenAlfred