The State of Mississippi and City of Vicksburg honored five Italians who were lynched just across the Mississippi River in Tallulah, La., on July 20, 1899. Five Italian men who owned grocery stores in town, were seized by a mob of local residents and publicly hanged. The men honored are Giuseppe Di Fatta, Francesco Di Fatta, Pasquale Di Fatta, Giovanni Cerami and Rosario Fiduccia. Three of the men were brothers and all were related.

On Friday, March 19, 2021, a Mississippi State Historical Marker was dedicated at their burial site at the Cedar Hill Cemetery in Vicksburg, Miss. Antoinette Fatta Helton, Linda Fatta Ott, and Deborah Helton Flores—descendants of Giuseppe Di Fatta—sponsored the Historical Marker to ensure the men will never be forgotten.

“Giuseppe’s son, Nicolo Di Fatta ‘Nick Fatta’ anguished over the fact that his father did not receive a proper Catholic burial,” said Ott, Nick’s granddaughter. “Nick passed away in Houston in 1967 and his family knows he too can finally rest in peace. Nick would be very proud of this ceremony and what the marker represents.”

More than 60 people gathered for the dedication ceremony to honor the Italians who were victims of this horrible crime. The descendants of the victims, Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs Jr., Tallulah Mayor Charles Finlayson, fellow Italian Americans, historians, and friends gathered at the gravesite to show respect for the men and to hear the story of what led up to the horrible deaths these men faced.  Cynthia Savaglio, a University of Tampa Assistant professor who wrote a screenplay about the Tallulah lynching, was asked to speak and present the truth of what led up to the murders. After the lynching event in 1899, American Newspapers and magazines wrote incorrect information in an attempt to justify the actions of the lynchers. The truth has finally been told and the victims have been vindicated.

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