Staten Island, NY
Antonio Meucci – Antonio Meucci was born in San Frediano, near Florence in Italy, in April 1808. He studied design and mechanical engineering at Florence’s Academy of Fine Arts. In 1835 he left Italy for Cuba to take a job at the Teatro Tacon in Havana. After a 15 year stay in Cuba where Meucci conducted numerous experiences with electricity (Antonio loved devices!) he and his wife Ester came to New York in 1850 where they purchased a house in the Rosebank section of Staten Island.
The Meucci house, now the museum, is 160 years old!
Here, Meucci had a marginal living as an inventor and a candle maker.
The original candle furnace Meucci and Garibaldi used.
Antonio Meucci is now generally recognized as being the true original inventor of the telephone. He created several prototype devices and filed several initial preliminary patents.
The only remaining prototypes of Meucci’s telephone, including his mechanical drawings and descriptions.
Meucci’s telephone company stock
However, his business was performing very poorly. Late in his life Meucci was severely injured in an accident and, unable to earn an income for his family, his wife Ester was forced to sell most of his telephone prototypes for a mere $6 to feed the family (later when Meucci recovered and tried to buy back the prototypes he was told they had been repurchased by “a young man” who’s name wasn’t known, but some believe it was someone related to or working with Alexander Graham Bell).
While Meucci had a temporary patent on his telephone invention, he could never raise the $250 needed in that day to file a permanent patent (a large sum of money for the time). We he was injured his family did not have the $12 to renew the temporary patent and it lapsed. In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell filed his telephone patent. A legal battle ensued but in spite of dozens of sworn statements from very credible sources about the originality of Meucci’s telephone, Antonio lost the case (it was said the judge had stock on Bell’s company).
Antonio Meucci died in 1896, and along with his death so went the legal battles trying to get back the patent for the telephone.
Giuseppe Garibaldi – Garibaldi was born on July 4th, 1807 in Nice, Italy. Italy at the time was a country divided into several territories. As he grew up he became a strong advocate for reunification. In 1848 thru 1849 Garibaldi fought in Italy against Napoleon. His wife, Anita, fought along with him. She died in 1849 while she and Garibaldi retreated from the defense of Rome against the combined forces of Austria, France, Spanish and Neapolitan troops.
Garibaldi’s military uniform.
Garibaldi’s military pistol.
In 1850 Garibaldi came to America and landed in New York. Antonio Meucci offered him the hospitality of his home in Staten Island.
A chair made by Garibaldi during his stay with Meucci.
A paino made by Garibaldi during his stay with Meucci.
In 1854 Garibaldi returned to Italy. In 1859 he was appointed General of the Austro-Piedmontese war. Through 1860 Garibaldi played a key role in the war to free Sicily and re-unify all of Italy. Throughout the next 20 years, war swept across the Italian land and Garibaldi fought win the independence and unity of Italy. He died on June 2, 1882 having established himself as an icon of 19th century revolutionary nationalism and liberalism.
Emily Gear has been the director of this museum for 6 years. In that time she, her staff, and visitors have experienced a number of unusually activities. In particular, activity seems to have increased in the past 2 years as the museum has been opened to paranormal investigators.
She states the following experiences have been encountered:
- Shadows moving through the second floor rooms and especially the first and second floor hall ways.
- Voices in the second floor office (formerly the Meucci bedroom).
- The closet door in the second floor library room is said to open on it’s own.
- String feelings of fear and anxiety are experienced in the library room.
- Voices in the first floor gallery room.
- Both cold and hot spots throughout the building.
- Strong and foul orders in various rooms.
- Strong feeling of foreboding.
Additionally, Emily has had people with a “Frank’s Box” (aka. Telephone To The Dead) investigate several times. She says very forceful messages have come through. One entity has stated it doesn’t like people there and is trying to drive them out. Another group of entities is searching for something they say is hidden in the building.
Emily said things seem to happen more often between midnight and 3am, and when she is present.
The Investigation Team
LIPI’s investigation team was lead by Lead Investigators Mike Cardinuto and Robert Levine. Other members in attendance were Jaiem Fleischmann, Justin “Credible” DiGangi, Peter Ferraro, and Paul Guarino. Emily Gear, the museum the director, also was present during the investigation.
LIPI Lead Investigator Mike Cardinuto (back right) in the gallery room discussing the
investigation plan with investigators Peter Ferraro, Justin DiGangi and Paul Guarino.
Justin unloads gear for the investigation.
Long Island Paranormal Investigators sets up an HQ area for the investigation.
A group of investigators and case managers from Long Island Paranormal Investigators had visited the museum a few weeks before the official investigation to review the layout and better understand the needs of the environment and the clients.
Long Island Paranormal Investigators’ Lead Investigator Mike Cardinuto with
Case Managers Thelma D’Amico (left) and Cheryl Wittmann check the Director’s office
(formerly the Meucci’s bedroom) during a prior day trip to the museum.
Long Island Paranormal Investigators’ Lead Investigator Mike Cardinuto looks over the
second floor Library Room during a prior day trip to the museum.
LIPI Lead Investigators Mike Cardinuto and Robert Levine review the case management
documents before beginning the investigation.
The Investigation Equipment
For investigating this museum LIPI used our 4 camera DVR system, our Hi8 Video Camera, digital and analog audio recorders, digital photography and 35mm photography, a variety of EMF detectors including the K2 meter and Trifield meter, IR thermometers, digitaland ambient thermometers, IM-176 Geiger counter, and our remote temperature data logger.
Some of the hand-held equipment LIPI used on this investigation.
The DVR system’s IR cameras were placed in the first floor gallery room, the second floor library room, second floor bed room, and second floor office.
LIPI Tech Manager Justin “Credible” DiGangi and investigator/tech specialist
Paul Guarino planning the DVR camera setup.
Tech specialist Paul Guarino sets up a DVR camera in the gallery room.
The Investigation Plan
The plan called a lights out investigation with for two teams of 2 investigators each to spend time investigating the second floor and basement of the museum. Due to the small size of the building and the ease of noise traveling investigating this museum a third team of a pair of investigators remained on the main floor to monitor the DVR and periodically check the gallery room and hallway. Teams would rotate throughout the night giving everyone a chance to investigate the whole area as well as bring different equipment to each location.
After a brief break for dinner, LIPI began our lights our investigation of the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum according to the plan.
The LIPI investigation team breaks for dinner before starting the investigation.
The Director’s office, formerly a bedroom.
Empathic Specialist Peter Ferraro conducts EVPs in the hallway on the second floor.
Inside the second floor Library Room. The door on right is said to open on its own.
Another view from inside the second floor Library Room.
The second floor Garibaldi’s bedroom.
Garibaldi’s rifles and sword in the bedroom.
The first floor hallway facing the main entrance.
The actual (original) front of the house is behind the house.
Lead Investigator Robert Levine checks Trifield EMF readings in the basement.
Some of the original house foundation can still be seen in the basement.
Investigators Rob Levine and Peter Ferraro monitor the DVR in the HQ room
while museum Director Emily Geer watches too.
Close up view of our DVR monitor during the investigation.
Empathic specialist and group sensitive Peter Ferraro writes up his report near the end of the investigation.
Findings and Conclusion:
Long Island Paranormal Investigators was unable to confirm paranormal activity at the museum. The audio, video photographic evidence collected by Long Island Paranormal Investigators did not reveal any potential paranormal activity.
However, additional investigations at the museum are being planned. The results will be posted to this page when completed.