We Built This City

On February 15, 1933, shots rang out in Bayfront Park. Italian anarchist Giuseppe Zangara stood on a wooden folding chair, held up a pawnshop .32-caliber pistol, and fired at President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt. The crowd bumped Zangara’s arm, Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak caught a bullet, Roosevelt came out unscathed, and the gunman was apprehended. The mayor died, Zangara pleaded guilty to murder, and he was later fried in the electric chair. Dr. Paul George, noted local historian and Miami Dade College professor, knows crime. And this knowledgeable gentleman leads the Mystery, Mayhem & Vice Crime Coach Tour for the Historical Museum of Southern Florida.

Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m., you can sit back while Dr. George reveals our city’s bloodstained history, all while a luxury bus ferries you between some of Miami’s most infamous drug, mob, and murder landmarks. Tour stops include the Miami City Cemetery, the historic Palm Island house of Al “Scarface” Capone, and the South Beach doorstep where designer Gianni Versace met his untimely demise. According to Susan Johnson, adult programs manager for the museum, “This is the year’s most popular tour,” so sign up ASAP. Advance reservations and payment are required. It’s $39 for HMSF members, $44 for nonmembers. Call 305-375-1621, or visit www.hmsf.org.
Sat., Oct. 18, 2008