Photos: Tucson's first "gangland-style" murder in 1960
Tucson's innocence began slipping away with the "gangland-style" murder of land developer Lewis Sirotta in 1960. Sirotta came to Tucson in 1955 from North Hollywood, Calif. Newspaper reports said he was "known to be acquainted with several underworld characters." He lost money when several land deals went bad.
Sirotta left his home in midtown Tucson at 11:45pm, Jan. 2, 1960, to meet a person wanting to do a "business deal" at Mickey's Restaurant at 3830 E. Speedway (now a CVS Pharmacy). The waitress told investigators he was alone the entire time he was in the restaurant. But witnesses said he left with two people in the back seat of his car.
A construction worker noticed the sedan parked at Silverbell and Sunset roads. A day later, on Jan. 4, he reported the car to the Pima County Sheriff's Dept. Deputies towed the car to a body shop for investigation, where they found Sirotta's body in the trunk. Newspapers reported he had be "garotted" from behind (strangulated with wire or cord). The county coroner's report revealed he was drugged with a "Mickey Finn," a drink laced with chloral hydrate, to knock him out.
The case is open, but unsolved.
Lewis Sirotta murder in 1960
The front page of the Tucson Citizen on January 5, 1960, headling the murder of Lewis Sirotta.
Lewis Sirotta murder in 1960
Lewis Sirotta, who was murdered in Tucson in January, 1960.
Lewis Sirotta murder in 1960
An ad for Mickey's Restaurant in 1964.
Lewis Sirotta murder in 1960
Pima County Sheriff Waldon Burr in the area of Silverbell and Sunset roads, where Lewis Sirotta's Oldsmobile sedan was found on Jan. 4, 1960.
Lewis Sirotta murder in 1960
Lewis Sirotta's car was towed to a Tucson body shop on Jan. 4, 1960, where deputies found his body in the trunk
Lewis Sirotta murder in 1960
Pima County Sheriff Waldon Burr gazes into the trunk of the OIdsmobile where Lewis Sirotta's body was found in January, 1960. Sirotta had been dead about 24 hours before his car was found on Silverbell Road.
Lewis Sirotta murder in 1960
Pima County Attorney Harry Ackerman, left, and Pima County Sheriff Waldon Burr, look at papers from Lewis Sirotta's briefcase in January, 1960. Among the papers were documents that Sirotta reported stolen from his car in August, 1958.
Lewis Sirotta murder in 1960
Nazario Abasta, a crane operator, points to the location on a map where he saw Lewis Sirotta's car in January, 1960. He reported the vehicle to the Pima County Sheriff. Deputies found Sirotta's body in the trunk.
Lewis Sirotta murder in 1960
The Arizona Dsily Star on Jan. 5, 1960.
Rick Wiley
Photo editor