Calling all Cars The Phantom Bomber of St Peter & Paul November 29,1933

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In 1926 and 1927, Saints Peter and Paul Church in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood was bombed four times. Opened in 1924, this Catholic church was predominantly used by San Francisco's Catholic Italian community. Though these bombs were relatively small, they did create enough damage to the church that its insurance provider refused to offer further insurance to the church.

While the majority of Italians and Italian immigrants to America were religiously Catholic, there was also a very strong anti-clerical movement within Italy and within the Italian immigrant community. One reason for anti-clerical activism was due to the Catholic Church's constant support of right wing political parties. Many leftist Italians were active in anti-clerical activism, and anti-clerical papers were widely circulated within the Italian community of San Francisco.

No one took credit for the bombings of Saints Peter and Paul Church. Instead, a bomb would go off every few months, first in January 1926, then again in May and October. Another bomb went off inside the church in January 1927. Though there was a police officer monitoring the church by then, he was unable to catch the bombers.

The bombs were always placed at night and no one was ever injured.

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