“They seem to know the story better than I do myself”: The Portrayal of Florence Lassandro in Canadian Popular Culture
Date
2018-06-06
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Abstract
In 1922, a court sentenced Florence Lassandro and Emilio Picariello to death for the murder of Alberta Provincial Police (APP) Constable Stephen Lawson in Coleman, Alberta. She was the only woman hanged in the history of the province. This thesis examines the relationship between Florence Lassandro and her representation in Canadian popular culture from 1922 to the present. Many historical works have sensationalized her role in the murder. By placing cultural productions in historical context, this thesis identifies and analyzes important social, cultural, and political moments in Canada’s history to argue that they have driven and altered the image of Lassandro in popular culture considerably more than the facts of the crime. The lack of her own voice has allowed people to mould her persona to fit their agenda. During her trial, newspapers reinforced nativist beliefs. Next, Phillip Godsell used her story to justify the internment of Italian-Canadian citizens in WWII because the public feared they would rise up against the Canadian government. In the 1970s and 1980s, the federal government’s introduction of multiculturalism as an official policy and an increased emphasis on women’s history influenced authors to frame her as an innocent victim. Most recently people have used her story to attract cultural tourists to southern Alberta. Nevertheless, her voice is lost in all reinterpretations of her life.
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Lassandro, Picariello, Stephen O. Lawson, Alberta, Prohibition, Alberta Provincial Police, APP, Blairmore, Coleman, Alberta History, Death Penalty, Hanging, Execution, Canadian Popular Culture
Citation
Woroniuk, R. A. (2018). “They seem to know the story better than I do myself”: The Portrayal of Florence Lassandro in Canadian Popular Culture (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/31973