The mystery endured for decades. Whom was the cloaked figure in black that each January 19th slipped into the Baltimore cemetery and laid three roses and a bottle of cognac on Poe's grave? On August 15, 2007, the Baltimore Sun reported that 92 year old Sam Porpora confessed to being the "Poe Toaster."
Although the dates Porpora has offered as evidence have garnered some skepticism, he claims the tradition dates back to 1949 on the one hundredth anniversary of Poe's birth, but newspaper accounts differ. Sometime in the sixties, Porpora had been given the title of historian for the Westminister Church and cemetery. Porpora says he started the tradition "to reinvigorate the church and its congregation."
Due to the confusion regarding the dates of Porpora's story, Jeff Jerome and Jeff Savoye, both officers in the Edgar Allan Poe Society, refuse to believe Porpora is the "Poe Toaster." While Porpora's own daughter said she had never heard of her father's actions, she pointed out that it "fit in with his mischievous nature."
For more information regarding the dates controversy, go to:
"92-year-old man claims to be creator of mysterious 'Poe Toaster.'" - Canada East Online
"Who knows who started Poe toast?" - Baltimore Sun
"Poe Fan Says Tribute Began As Gimmick." - SF Gate
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