In 1978, a Milwaukee man named August Palmisano was killed by a car bomb. His death still remains unsolved today and a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter is looking for answers in a new podcast called My Cousin Augie.
Investigative reporter Mary Spicuzza is Palmisano’s cousin and she shares what it was like looking into her cousin’s murder, and possible connections to organized crime in Milwaukee.
"Milwaukee had a police chief (Harold Breier) who had long said that organized crime ... didn't exist," explains Spicuzza. "And I think once you have something like that [car bomb], it's hard to deny that there's organized crime here."
Digging into family history was traumatic for Spicuzza, who wrestled with telling this story for over 20 years. For generations family members only spoke of cousin Augie in whispers and never spoke of why he was murdered.
It was also a challenge to tell this story as a long-time politics and investigative reporter.
"My training as a reporter back in the day was...'You're not part of the story. Don't insert yourself into the story.' So, I had a lot of walls," says Spicuzza. "I honestly think it would have been dishonest to readers or listeners to hide that [Palmisano] was my cousin and try to pretend I was just this uninvolved observer."
While the written story released early this summer, and all seven episodes of the podcast are available online, the project has since taken on a second life. People from all over the state have come forward sharing their stories of their interactions with Spicuzza's cousin, or memories of Milwaukee's Mafia, or just how much the story left an impression on them.
"I have been very encouraged by how positive of a reception this has gotten," Spicuzza says. "I can't think of the last time that I have gotten nice emails from Republican operatives ... as well as Democratic operatives ... who have reached out to write and say how much they appreciated my work."
The project also provided Spicuzza some unearthed, heart-warming stories about Palmisano that highlighted his kindness across the city.
"It made me reflect on this person who I grew up thinking was maybe a bad guy or a villain," says Spicuzza. "And I'm hearing about all of these just wonderful things he did for the community, which is a pleasant surprise."
WUWM is airing all seven podcast episodes on Sundays at 7 p.m. CT. over the next seven weeks.
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