The Berini Haunting: A Tale of Spirits, Warnings, and Poltergeists



The Berini Haunting, also known as the hauntings at the Berini ancestral home in New England, is a chilling and multi-layered ghost story from the late 1970s that has captured the attention of paranormal researchers and folklore enthusiasts alike. What began in 1979 as soft voices and comforting presences gradually morphed into violent poltergeist activity by 1981 forcing the family to call on spiritual and scientific investigators.

Serena: The Innocent Messenger

In May 1979, Rose Berini the matriarch heard a childlike voice:

“Mama, mama, this is Serena.”

Unfamiliar with the name, the family later discovered that Joe Berini’s sister, Serena, had died in the house at age five decades earlier. Strikingly, Serena’s soft voice often preceded serious events: daughter Daisy’s near-fatal tonsil surgery, Joe’s grandmother’s stroke, and even Rose struggling to breathe in her sleep. This early phase introduced a spectral messenger whose warnings seemed rooted in love.

The Boy in White: Searching for Purpose

After Serena's appearances faded, a mysterious boy in white began drifting through their upstairs hallway in spring 1981. Rose described it as “like looking through a milk bottle” peaceful yet melancholic. He asked poignant questions:

“Where do all the lonely people go? Where do I belong?”

Investigations unearthed a primal white communion suit under which Joe later found a Virgin Mary medallion. The boy was identified as Giorgio, Joe’s uncle, who died at eight and wore his communion suit in death. Armed with knowledge of his identity, the boy's role morphed into something more intense.

Poltergeist Emergence

Giorgio’s final departure coincided with the first violent occurrences:

• Bedroom telephones flying off tables.
• Doors slamming repeatedly.
• Objects thrown and dishes broken.

Reports describe the transition: the family sought a priest, but ignoring the spirit only intensified the activity, knives, lights, floorboards, and even kitchen utensils became weapons in unseen hands.

The Hunchbacked “Minister”: The Menace Arrives

By June 1981, a dark, malevolent figure had taken over:

• A hunchbacked, black-caped entity called itself a “minister of God.”
• Rose endured physical attacks: strangling, levitation, bed-chucking, lamp-smashes, and slicing ice freezers.

Objects flew violently; a carving knife was ominously embedded in the kitchen table. Eventually, the horror tipped the balance: the family fled the home.

Faith, Exorcism & Return to Normality

After vacating the home, the Berinis invited priests to perform an exorcism. Miraculously:

1. All paranormal activity ceased.
2. The family returned in late 1981—and reportedly peace remained.

It was only after the haunting ended that the American Institute of Parapsychology (formerly Psychical Research Foundation) confirmed some occurrences via external witness testimony.

Themes and Reflections

Spirit as messengers: Serena and Giorgio appeared protective and communicative even if unsettling.
Escalation to malice: As spiritual warnings faded, a dark entity escalated the fear with violence.
Physical harassment: The transition from whispers to physical threat is a classic poltergeist sign.
Spiritual closure: Exorcism worked where diplomacy had failed, showing one path to resolution.

Final Thoughts

The Berini Haunting is unique for weaving gentle, spirit-like communications with escalating malevolent poltergeists all within the same location. Serena’s soft voice of warning, Giorgio’s sorrowful search, and the hunchbacked “minister” of terror create a narrative that’s both sad and deeply unnerving.

What do you believe? Are the Berinis haunted by familial echoes long past or did something darker simply latch onto the energies awakened in that old home? Either way, their story remains a compelling, layered legend in American haunting lore.