PHILADELPHIA POISON RING
Consisting of more than a dozen people, the Philadelphia Poison Ring was a group of people led by two cousins who were involved in insurance scams, counterfeiting, and murder.
The Place and Era
Late 1930's America was still reeling from the stock market crash of 1929. While the nation suffered an average of 15% unemployment, Philadelphia itself reached a 25% rate in 1938. It was in this environment that cousins Herman and Paul Petrillo found themselves with sinister intentions and willing conspirators.
The Cousins Petrillo
Herman and Paul Petrillo had independently fallen into different criminal behaviors. Paul had run a successful tailor shop until the Depression pushed him into shadier deals. He ended up selling cheap insurance to sick people and naming himself as the beneficiary.
Herman was also involved in insurance fraud, dabbling in arson so people could collect payments on their property. He changed paths when he encountered someone selling counterfeit money. Seeing how money was being made out of almost nothing, Herman began studying the necessary skills and became an expert himself.
Herman was also involved in insurance fraud, dabbling in arson so people could collect payments on their property. He changed paths when he encountered someone selling counterfeit money. Seeing how money was being made out of almost nothing, Herman began studying the necessary skills and became an expert himself.
The Ring
At one point, the two cousins took their respective know-how and joined up to create a matrimonial agency that helped widows remarry and set up life insurance policies for their new husbands. Unsurprisingly, the Petrillos were less interested in love and more in profit. These new husbands were met with “accidental” deaths, which allowed the Petrillos and conspirators to collect twice the policy's amount due to the double indemnity clause.
The Snitch
George Meyer's upholstery cleaning company was in financial trouble. He was eventually directed to Herman Petrillo, who offered him a clean up job of a different kind. Meyer was told that if he were willing to organize the death of Ferdinando Alfonsi, he would be given $500 with an additional $2500 worth of counterfeit money.
While Meyer's wasn't interested in killing he played along to see if he could get an advance of the money. When that didn't work, he decided to sell the information to the Secret Service, who already had Herman Petrillo under suspicion. Seeing an opportunity to finally catch Herman Petrillo, Landvoight- the agent investigating Herman- told Meyer he would only get paid if he helped in a sting.
While Meyer's wasn't interested in killing he played along to see if he could get an advance of the money. When that didn't work, he decided to sell the information to the Secret Service, who already had Herman Petrillo under suspicion. Seeing an opportunity to finally catch Herman Petrillo, Landvoight- the agent investigating Herman- told Meyer he would only get paid if he helped in a sting.
The Plan
Teamed up with another Secret Service agent named Phillips, Meyers met up with Herman. With Phillips being introduced as an ex-convict, the conversation with Herman about the Alfonsi murder was brought up, with Herman suggesting various ways in which they could kill him. Phillips suggested they buy a car to run Alfonsi over and move his body, hoping Herman would hand them some counterfeit money. Herman was reluctant, and for the next few weeks, the two sides went back and forth, with Phillips desperately wanting to get the fake money and Herman suggesting they steal the car. Herman eventually capitulated, telling them to give him two weeks to deliver.
After the two-week deadline passed and no contact with Herman was made, Meyer and Phillips got antsy. They did some looking around and could not find Herman anywhere, discovering that he hadn't been seen in a week. The two decided to check up on Alfonsi, so Meyer posed as a construction worker. Talking to Mrs. Alfonsi and asking to see the man of the house, it was explained to Meyer that Mr. Alfonsi was sick and couldn't leave bed.
When Phillips received this information, he organized some agents to pose as insurance agents and visit the Alfonsi house. There, they found an extremely sick Mr. Alfonsi. The police were contacted and Petrillo reached out to Meyer and Phillips, saying he had their money.
Meeting later that day, Herman handed over the fake bills. Meyer and Phillips asked if Herman still wanted Alfonsi dead, to which Herman said it was already being taken care of.
After the two-week deadline passed and no contact with Herman was made, Meyer and Phillips got antsy. They did some looking around and could not find Herman anywhere, discovering that he hadn't been seen in a week. The two decided to check up on Alfonsi, so Meyer posed as a construction worker. Talking to Mrs. Alfonsi and asking to see the man of the house, it was explained to Meyer that Mr. Alfonsi was sick and couldn't leave bed.
When Phillips received this information, he organized some agents to pose as insurance agents and visit the Alfonsi house. There, they found an extremely sick Mr. Alfonsi. The police were contacted and Petrillo reached out to Meyer and Phillips, saying he had their money.
Meeting later that day, Herman handed over the fake bills. Meyer and Phillips asked if Herman still wanted Alfonsi dead, to which Herman said it was already being taken care of.
The Bust
With fake money in hand, the case was handed over to a Philadelphia district attorney named McDevitt. Alfonsi was found to have large amounts of arsenic in his system and eventually died.
Herman was brought in and McDevitt- not sure as to whether they could pin anything on Petrillo as he had managed avoid the law for years- was quickly surprised when Petrillo began to confess to a multitude of murders, claiming his cousin and another were the ring leaders.
Herman was brought in and McDevitt- not sure as to whether they could pin anything on Petrillo as he had managed avoid the law for years- was quickly surprised when Petrillo began to confess to a multitude of murders, claiming his cousin and another were the ring leaders.
The Wrap Up
With pharmacists testifying that the Petrillos had approached them for various poisons, sixteen people were eventually brought forward as part of the ring. The Petrillo cousins and another were executed, with various other members receiving life sentences. In total, 70 bodies were exhumed and examined for signs of poisoning
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