Member-only story
Man Shoots Teen Daughter and Her Date After They Return Home After Curfew
In the 1930s, what is often a current tug of war between parents and children, erupted into unexpected violence
A common trope in parenting is the tug of war between parents and children about what time to be home after they’ve gone out by themselves. There is rarely a commonality in terms of agreeing on what is an appropriate time, and big trouble can be brewing if a specific deadline is not adhered to. However, no amount of outrage matches an evening that occurred nearly a century ago when a father ended up shooting his teen daughter and her date after she was brought home past her curfew.
In June, 1931, 18-year-old Margaret D’Alesandro of Newark, New Jersey went out on a date to attend a dance with 28-year-old Charles May, a local owner of a radio shop. Despite her age, she was still expected by her father John to be home at what he considered a decent time. When she ignored his wishes, unexpected violence broke out.
Later expressing his feelings that his daughter’s dating habits greatly vexed him, her father pulled out a gun and shot her in the shoulder (the bullet passing through her lung), and May in both legs. In total, he got off six shots.
