Duel

By 1925, James Vinci already had some infamy in his home town of Chicago. In 1920 he was convicted as the getaway driver during the gangland murder of labor racketeer Mossy Enright. He named the ring leaders and wrapped of the case nicely for the prosecutors. However, during retrial the Illinois Supreme court threw the case out because he confessed under duress. Officer Duress being the ham fisted cop(s) who beat the confession out of him. (That's Vinci's version anyways.)

In 1923 Vinci, who by this time owned a saloon, was back in the news when a car he was driving at a fast speed slammed into a coal truck killing the three underworld characters who were riding with him. Since Vinci was speeding, police assume that the quartet was either fleeing or on their way to a crime.

In the spring of 1925 a confederate of Vinci's, Joseph "Machine Gun Joe" Granata, was arrested for armed robbery. Lets just take a moment to appreciate a moniker like Machine Gun Joe. Remember, this is a few months before the first machine gun was used in a gangland shooting in Chicago. How did Granata become Machine Gun Joe if they weren't used yet? Perhaps a hold over from WWI?  Or maybe Frank McErlane wasn't the first to use one? Anyways back to the story...So Granata is arrested and goes to Vinci for help. Vinci goes to some of his fellow saloon keepers and who knows who else and raises $15,000 to get Machine Gun Joe out on bail pending trial. His day in court arrives but Machine Gun Joe doesn't show up. Goodbye $15,000. Vinci's stock with the saloon keepers and those who kicked in the $15,000 tanks.

At about ten-thirty on the night of July 18, 1925 Machine Gun Joe enters a saloon and is followed by Vinci a few minutes later. After a brief discussion they step outside. Within moments Machine Gun Joe produces a knife and pistol [disappointing weapons considering his nick-name] and starts to slash and shoot at Vinci. Mortally wounded, Vinci runs across the street followed by his attacker, and pulls out his own gun and fires off six rounds. Both men drop dead. Once they were prone, a Vinci confederate ran up and pumped four more shots into Granata just to make sure.

             James Vinci         Joseph Granata