From the Archives: The Top 20 Most-Read Tragedies in Norwood History

Norwood, Massachusetts, is a town with a rich, multi-layered history, but few of its archives draw as much attention as the accounts of its darkest moments. From mid-century mysteries to modern natural disasters, the Norwood Historical Society has cataloged a series of events that have left an indelible mark on the community’s psyche.

The following article explores the top 20 true crime and tragedy stories from Norwood’s history, highlighting the resilience of a town that has faced everything from arson to “the storm of the century.”

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Shadows Over the Town: Norwood’s Darkest Chapters

For a town known for its industry and “Wonderful Women,” Norwood has occasionally been the stage for tragedies that captured national headlines. Perhaps the most significant is the 1954 Geraldine Annese case. The murder of the 15-year-old by her neighbor, Peter Makarewicz, was a loss of innocence for the town, made even more poignant by the public displays of grace between the two grieving families.

The 1960s brought a different kind of mystery with the Goldie Fine murder, a case that remains one of the town’s most chilling cold cases, especially given the historical proximity to the “Boston Strangler” investigation.

Not all of Norwood’s tragedies were criminal. The 1971 Junior High School fire remains one of the most visual memories for long-time residents; hundreds stood in the snow to watch the four-story building perish in a blaze that was later ruled as arson.¹ More recently, the 2020 “1000-Year Storm” proved that nature could be just as disruptive.² The sudden deluge forced the total evacuation of Norwood Hospital, leading to its eventual demolition and leaving a void in the town’s medical infrastructure that is still felt today.

Through sports injuries like that of Matt Brown or historical fires like the Cocoanut Grove, Norwood’s history of tragedy is ultimately a story of how a community gathers its strength to rebuild and remember.

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The Top 20: True Crime & Tragedies

Here is the recreated table for Norwood’s True Crime & Tragedies, now including direct links to the articles on the Norwood Historical Society website.

Norwood’s Darkest Chapters: Top 20 Crime & Tragedy Articles

#	Story Title	Subject Matter	Link to Article
1	The Murder of Geraldine Annese (1954)	The tragic death of a teenager and the subsequent trial.	View Article
2	General-Alarm Fire Destroys Junior High (1971)	Arson that leveled the school and forced double sessions.	View Article
3	1000-Year Storm & Hospital Evacuation (2020)	Catastrophic flooding that led to the hospital’s closure.	View Article
4	The Goldie Fine “Stocking” Murder (1964)	An unsolved mystery with ties to the Boston Strangler era.	View Article
5	Matt Brown Hockey Injury (2010)	A life-altering “freak accident” that unified the town.	View Article
6	Local Girls Die in Cocoanut Grove Fire (1942)	The loss of the O’Dea sisters in the famous Boston tragedy.	View Article
7	The Gas Station Kidnapping (1979)	A high-stakes FBI sting operation gone sideways.	View Article
8	The 1933 “Female Fagin” Case	A bizarre Depression-era crime involving a local family.	View Article
9	Police Chief James Murphy’s Sudden Death (1973)	The loss of a beloved leader while in the line of duty.	View Article
10	Fatal Plane Crash Near Norwood Airport (2007)	One of the most significant aviation accidents in local history.	View Article
11	The South Norwood Garage Murder (1954)	The initial discovery and reporting of the Annese tragedy.	View Article
12	“Punchy” McLaughlin Assassination Attempt (1965)	Gangland violence that spilled into the quiet streets of Norwood.	View Article
13	The 1918 Spanish Flu Epidemic in Norwood	How the Great Epidemic devastated the local immigrant population.	View Article
14	The 1974 Robbery & Hostage Situation	A violent shootout that left an officer injured and a town in fear.	View Article
15	The 1904 Harcourt Studios Fire	A fire that destroyed the priceless archives of F. Holland Day.	View Article
16	Girl, 14, Killed on Way to School (2004)	A traffic tragedy that led to significant local safety reforms.	View Article
17	The Davis Avenue Warehouse Fire (2016)	A massive recent fire that required multi-town assistance.	View Article
18	Secrets of the Old Town Jail	Tales of the criminals held in Norwood’s early holding cells.	View Article
19	The South Dedham Double Murder (1865)	A 19th-century tragedy from Norwood’s predecessor town.	View Article
20	The Neponset Valley Farm Fire (1947)	A massive blaze set by local youths that destroyed a landmark.	View Article

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Explore the Archives

• The Geraldine Annese Case Archive
• Junior High School Fire of 1971
• The 1000-Year Storm (June 28, 2020)
• Murdered Norwood Woman (Goldie Fine Case)
• Matt Brown Injury & Legacy
• Local Girls in Cocoanut Grove Fire
• Gas Station Kidnapping Secrets

Compiled by the Norwood Historical Society, with the assistance of Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini.