| Chicago, 1928: Abortionist Sentenced to Die | |
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The first man sentenced to die in Illinois's electric chair was not at typical death row inmate: he was a physician whose patient died during the commission of an illegal abortion. Dr. Amenti Rongetti's death sentence was handed down by a Chicago jury March 1, 1928, after three hours of deliberation. Rongetti had been convicted of murder in the abortion death of 19-year-old Loretta Enders. The scheduled execution date was to be April 13. Rongetti reportedly stood stunned and quiet as the sentence was read, but his wife became hysterical, pushing her way through the courtroom crowd crying, "Let me out." Rongetti's attorney, Scott Stewart, immediately filed motion for a new trial. Rongetti had allegedly performed the fatal operation upon Loretta, who suffered complications. But, the court heard, refused to provide a follow-up procedure because Loretta had no money to pay for it. The judge held that evidence supported the contention that Rongetti had denied Loretta lifesaving treatment because of her inability to pay. Rongetti's defense claimed that Loretta came to him at a hospital after having undergone an illegal abortion elsewhere. Witnesses in the case said that they recieved threats to try to intimidate them. Reporters covering the case in Chicago contended that Rongetti was the first doctor in the United States ever sentenced to die over a patient's abortion death. Evidently Stuart's bid for a new trial was successful, because the very next year, Rongetti (identified as "Amante" Rongetti) was at large to be implicated in the criminal abortion death of Elizabeth Palumbo. Sources: New York Times 3/2/28, 3/10/28
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