The North Shore Historical Museum welcomed a full house on Friday, June 20, for the launch of “The Man Who Shot J.P. Morgan: A Life of Arsenic, Anarchy and Intrigue” by Glen Cove resident Mary Noé published by Kent State University Press.
The new biography reexamines one of Long Island’s most dramatic brushes with national history, from inside the very building where it first unfolded.
On July 3, 1915, what is now the museum, then a courthouse, became the epicenter of global media coverage. Frank Holt, the man who shot financier J.P. Morgan inside his East Island mansion while the British ambassador was present, was brought through its doors. Holt was later linked to the bombing of the Senate Reception Room in Washington, D.C., just one day before the attack.
His past slowly unraveled, revealing a poisoned wife, an academic career at Harvard and Cornell, and a life steeped in deception.
“This story, rooted right here in Glen Cove, offers a gripping reminder of how our local past is entwined with the currents of world events,” said Christopher Judge, director of the museum. “Mary Noé’s book brings this extraordinary moment vividly to life.”
Guests at the launch were treated to a performance by actor Greg Bodine in the role of Frank Holt. Bodine, a favorite of museum audiences, has previously portrayed literary figures such as Frankenstein’s creature and Ebenezer Scrooge.
The event complements the museum’s current exhibit showcasing the art of Locust Valley painter F. Edwin Church, continuing its tradition of interdisciplinary programming and dynamic storytelling.
The North Shore Historical Museum is located in the restored 1907 Justices Court Building at 140 Glen St., Glen Cove. It is open to the public Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.
For more information, contact the museum at 516-801-1191 or visit www.nshmgc.org.
