Ernesta Bordoni

Ernesta Bordoni (born 1873 in Bologna, Italy) was an alleged prostitute and convicted murderer. Her life, crime, and physiological characteristics, as represented by Italian historian Guglielmo Ferrero under the teachings of criminologist Cesare Lombroso, were utilized as evidence for the theory of Anthropological criminology. Her case has been later re-analyzed in argument against the merits of anthropological or Biological Criminology. Her story is of importance to the field of criminology and its conflicting schools of thought.

Early life and context Bordoni was born in 1873, By the age of 18, she officially worked as a seamstress, To avoid interference from the state and the confines of the brothel system, many women— Bordoni included— chose to operate independently, albeit illegally.

Murder of Zannino On March 1, 1891, Bordoni murdered her ex-boyfriend, a man identified only as Zannino, by stabbing him with a kitchen knife.