Identified! PA - Philadelphia - 'Boy in the Box' - 4UMPA - Feb'57 - Joseph Augustus Zarelli #4

[Daphne1972]

‘Boy in the Box': Naming America's Unknown Child

In 1957, a young boy was found dead and beaten inside a box in Philadelphia’s Fox Chase neighborhood. The investigation into his death became one of the nation’s most notorious cold cases. Now, 65 years later, police finally know the boy’s name: Joseph Augusuts Zarelli. The NBC10 Investigators...

www.nbcphiladelphia.com

About 22:03 mark. What? Joseph was born to a couple living at see attachment. Couple?? And this is not the 61st street/Market street area. Is this where MEAP and JJP lived?

Bump.
Can anyone tell me what it's about?

 

[Alleykins]

Bump.
Can anyone tell me what it's about?

Dated January 16th.
"The NBC10 Investigators and Claudia Vargas unveil the decades-long process it took to finally identify the “Boy in the Box.”

 

[MountainLover]

The video says the residence of the couple at the time of birth was 64th Street and Callowhill St in West Philly.

 

[Ms Suzanne]

This is so good they are doing this for him. Facebook

 

[fred&edna]

I checked whether we can tell if the abuse was done by a man or woman by the spacing and size of the fingerprints.
I have a 4 year old about the same size as JAZ was. I am a woman with very small hands. I touched her head the same way. It was definitely smaller hands who touched him.
My blood froze realizing that.

But it does not necessarily mean it was the mother, even though I do not know why she is protected so much (her living adult kids have nothing to do with anything she may have done).
At least once she went back to work JAZ must have been in someones care during her (i guess evening) work hours.
If she did it permanently or just for the hours she worked, not clear.

Is there any evidence left? After such a long time, it is probably full of DNA that is from everybody who handled the items over the decades.
Were there any fingerprints on the box? Or hair that was not his?

I've wondered if the marks (which clearly appeared to be pressure applied with fingers) were associated with holding his head while giving him the crude haircut. I've always thought he was alive when the nail trimming, bathing, and hair cut... and all took place soon before his death.

ETA: It seems that in some of the searches I've done (I can't remember exactly who) there was someone close to the paternal side of the family who owned a barber shop in the 61st street area at the time. Which may mean nothing and I could be mis-remembering.

 

[Daphne1972]

The video says the residence of the couple at the time of birth was 64th Street and Callowhill St in West Philly.

Yes but whose address was that? Which couple?

 

[MountainLover]

Yes but whose address was that? Which couple?

Names weren't given in the video, just the location at time of birth.

 

[AliceInPain]

The video says the residence of the couple at the time of birth was 64th Street and Callowhill St in West Philly.

I just rewatched it and nbc got it wrong.
That is not at all what was said at the presser.
I doubt the reporter even watched it all but got some of their "information" from reddit or something.
LE never mentioned a couple, just "the family", and they said they lived at 61st and Market.
The 64th and Callowhill house they show is where "someone else involved in the creation of Joseph" lived.
Very easy to find in old Philadelphia phone directories, available for free on the LOC (Library of Congress) website.
I hope I don't come off as snarky with this post, but getting something like that wrong in a widely watched show annoys me. Imagine some old person going "oh, I think I remember that boy! But nevermind, he didn't live there, no point calling it in".

o/t Who's the girl in your profile picture? I remember her face but can't remember her name =*(

 

[ifindedout]

Video story.

Loved Ones Reveal More About the Family of ‘Boy in the Box' Joseph Augustus Zarelli

After 65 years, the “Boy in the Box” was finally identified as Joseph Augustus Zarelli in December. However, questions still remain about the boy’s parents. NBC10 investigative reporter Claudia Vargas speaks with loved ones to learn more about Joseph’s family.

www.nbcphiladelphia.com

 

[Susikatze]

That is nice to see the paternal cousin cia who JAZ was identified.
Other than that, there is no really new news in the article, a few pictures of Betsys family and her, thou.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

A memorial tribute was held in honor of Joseph Augustus Zarelli on Saturday, which marked 66 years since Zarelli’s body was discovered bruised and malnourished on Susquehanna Road.

Members of the Vidocq Society held a small ceremony at Ivy Hill Cemetery where Zarelli is buried.

"This is a Philadelphia story. This is a human story. We could’ve gone to where he was found at Susquehanna Road. We didn’t. We decided that’s history. Here, he exists as Joseph Augustus Zarelli," said Bill Fleisher, Commissioner of the Vidocq Society

Boy in the Box: Memorial honors child identified in decades-old Philadelphia cold case

A memorial tribute was held in honor of Joseph Augustus Zarelli on Saturday, which marked 66 years since Zarelli’s body was discovered bruised and malnourished on Susquehanna Road.

www.fox29.com

 

[AliceInPain]

Bill Fleisher (of the Vidocq Society) had a presentation with Northeast Philadelphia History Network today, it was open to everyone both in-person and on Zoom, did anyone here attend?

I'm curious what he said about Joseph because I'm hearing he may have told some different story about Joseph's living situation than what I believed after listening to the initial presser and Colleen's interview.
?

 

[Delle]

He has expressed in a previous podcast that he leaned towards the possibility of a foster situation. He alluded to that again in tonight's presentation. He also briefly talked about M's report and some oddities with the Nicoletti foster home. he stated several times that he does not believe that either birth parent was involved and that he did not feel they were aware that Joseph was their son.

 

[fred&edna]

He has expressed in a previous podcast that he leaned towards the possibility of a foster situation. He alluded to that again in tonight's presentation. He also briefly talked about M's report and some oddities with the Nicoletti foster home. he stated several times that he does not believe that either birth parent was involved and that he did not feel they were aware that Joseph was their son.

Interesting. That view differs from some others we've heard from.

I think the entire N home was weird. jmo

 

[Blurgle]

Using this post as a springboard. Knowing little Joseph was discarded in an empty JC Penney bassinet box two months after his younger maternal half sister was born, rules out the possibility of his being adopted.

Imo.

Are you predicating your certainty on the belief that in the midst of the biggest baby boom in United States history, no one else in the entire city of Philadelphia was out buying bassinets?

 

[Friday Fan]

DBM duplicate

 

[Friday Fan]

Are you predicating your certainty on the belief that in the midst of the biggest baby boom in United States history, no one else in the entire city of Philadelphia was out buying bassinets?

Actually there only 12 sold (they were sold for only a few weeks in Dec 1956) and only one child show up dead in one of their boxes

 

[AgeofAquaruis]

I think we've been on the same page with this from the time his name was revealed. The only thing I would like to know from the bio family is how Joseph ended up with the person/people who abused him.

I would ask whatever agency handled the adoption that question. I don't think the family knows,and that they are quite shell shocked,and heart broken about this whole tragedy. MOO

 

[Regal Beagle]

I just rewatched it and nbc got it wrong.
That is not at all what was said at the presser.
I doubt the reporter even watched it all but got some of their "information" from reddit or something.
LE never mentioned a couple, just "the family", and they said they lived at 61st and Market.
The 64th and Callowhill house they show is where "someone else involved in the creation of Joseph" lived.
Very easy to find in old Philadelphia phone directories, available for free on the LOC (Library of Congress) website.
I hope I don't come off as snarky with this post, but getting something like that wrong in a widely watched show annoys me. Imagine some old person going "oh, I think I remember that boy! But nevermind, he didn't live there, no point calling it in".

o/t Who's the girl in your profile picture? I remember her face but can't remember her name =*(

Aliayah Lunsford

 

[scruffydog]

Aliayah Lunsford

Exactly. And the 64th and Callowhill house was where JAZ's father lived with his parents. (I looked up the Zarelli name on Ancestry and found the house)