Son of Elvina Leonard and the late Louis Sirgo
Husband of Joyce Gervais
WWII Veteran
Obituary - Times-Picayune 1/9/1973
Many have come to know it simply as the "Howard Johnson Tragedy." Over a seven-day period beginning on December 31, 1972, a lone gunman named Mark J. Essex waged war on the New Orleans Police Department and many innocent civilians.
The series of snipings and gun battles ended with five members of the Department killed. They were Alfred E. Harrell, Edwin Hosli Sr., Paul Persigo, Philip Coleman and Assistant Superintendent Louis J. Sirgo.
Essex was finally shot and killed on January 7, 1973, after being tracked down at the Downtown Howard Johnson's hotel. Realizing he was trapped, he set a number of diversionary fires throughout the hotel while killing four civilians and wounding numerous others, including several police officers and firefighters.
Son of Elvina Leonard and the late Louis Sirgo
Husband of Joyce Gervais
WWII Veteran
Obituary - Times-Picayune 1/9/1973
Many have come to know it simply as the "Howard Johnson Tragedy." Over a seven-day period beginning on December 31, 1972, a lone gunman named Mark J. Essex waged war on the New Orleans Police Department and many innocent civilians.
The series of snipings and gun battles ended with five members of the Department killed. They were Alfred E. Harrell, Edwin Hosli Sr., Paul Persigo, Philip Coleman and Assistant Superintendent Louis J. Sirgo.
Essex was finally shot and killed on January 7, 1973, after being tracked down at the Downtown Howard Johnson's hotel. Realizing he was trapped, he set a number of diversionary fires throughout the hotel while killing four civilians and wounding numerous others, including several police officers and firefighters.
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