The Glowing Tombstone of Pittsburgh

Tombstone of Giovanna Cecere Photo by Find-a-Grave user, Roseanne Kocinski-Fowler

Giovanna Cecere was born on June 23, 1929 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to parents Mr. and Mrs. Frank Cecere. She was one of at least seven children. Unfortunately, a heart condition would end her life far too soon. She passed away on October 27, 1948 at the age of 19 and was buried in St. Michael’s Cemetery. But, she would not rest in peace for long.

On Friday, July 31, 1953, hundreds of curiosity seekers flocked to the cemetery to catch a glimpse of a spectacular sight. A few days before, Mrs. Germaine Woods of 117 St. Paul Street, noticed something strange. It was an eerie yellow-green glow, coming from a tombstone in St. Michael’s. That tombstone would, obviously, turn out to be that of Giovanna Cecere. As word spread about the strange phenomena, a throng of onlookers began arriving, and police were called in to help control the situation. That night, Police Inspector Paul Mozuch showed up to control the crowds, as well as try to figure out just why the tombstone was glowing. According to his observations, the tombstone itself was made of a highly polished red marble. No paint or powders were present that would explain the glow. Further, it didn’t seem that the stone was reflecting any nearby lights.

The glow seemed to come from an area around the porcelain portrait of Giovanna which was on the tombstone. Weirdly, the glow wasn’t observed to those standing in front of the tombstone, or anywhere IN the cemetery for that matter. The glow was only observed from a spot on St. Paul Street, about half a mile away.

Also called in that night, was George Cecere, the brother of Giovanna, who lived nearby, as well as the parish priest. The priest covered the tombstone, which extinguished the glow, then blessed the grave with holy water, leaving it covered.  George and Mozuch stayed until 3 am that night, keeping watch over the grave.  However, that was merely the beginning of a weekend full of onlookers.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 03 August 1953

Each night, the gates to the cemetery were locked, and the tombstone was covered up. That didn’t stop people from showing up, though. Worse yet, it didn’t detract treasure hunters from trying to chip away at Giovanna’s stone, especially her portrait. Chicken wire was put up around the gravesite and padlocks (which were broken off) locked up the gates. Patrolman Michael O’Toole and Acting Lt. John Perich were on site Sunday to direct traffic and replace the covering that kept being removed. 

The church’s official stance was that this whole thing was the result of crazy rumors, and was not supernatural, nor miraculous in nature. Inspector Mozuch personally believed that the tombstone’s glow was a result of the stone absorbing the sun’s rays all day long. Norgal Hoger, a chemist who had not observed the stone in person, gave the explanation of ‘fox-fire’ as it was a common phenomenon in cemeteries. Whatever, the cause, the mania would eventually die down. Today, Giovanna once again lies in rest. She is joined by her sister, Mary Jo, who shares the tombstone. What is conspicuously missing, however, is the porcelain portrait that once graced the tomb and was said to be the center of the mysterious glow. Was it removed by the family to put the rumors to rest…or did one of those treasure hunters actually walk away with a prize?

“The glowing tombstone” is a popular trope in paranormal research, and with the glow centering on the tombstone portrait, I can’t help but think about West Virginia’s ‘Devil Baby of Ravenswood,‘ in which a similar portrait was the root of a spooky legend. Feel free to go check out that blog post as well, and if you visit Giovanna or little George (The Devil Baby of Ravenswood), please remember that these were real people…not just ghost stories. Treat them with the respect they deserve. And as always, happy haunting. 

Giovanna’s Obituary Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph 28 October 1948

The Pittsburgh Press 01 August 1953

The Star Press (Muncie, Indiana) 02 August 1953