No Dynamite for the Fourth of July

Unfortunately for New Jersey gangster, Dynamite Joe Tricoli, the explosions in the wee hours of July 4, 1929 were the ones resulting in his demise. He was shot twice in the back of the head and twice beneath the rear left shoulder.

He was last seen leaving a Newark restaurant at 1:30 a.m. Four hours later a man was walking his dog through the Eagle Rock reservation in West Orange, New Jersey when his dog ran up and found Tricoli laying face down in the road.

Tricoli on the spot

Police stated that they were going to question him that day regarding the kidnapping of local bank executive and that the kidnap gang bumped him off before he had a chance to speak to detectives. The executive in question went to the morgue but stated that Tricoli was not one of his abductors.

Tricoli had been accused of kidnapping in the past, as well as robberies and being a beer runner. Another motive given was that he was killed for messing around with another gangsters girl.

On his person was found a wallet containing $295, drivers licenses from four states, a diamond studded pocket watch and a large diamond ring.

Dynamite Joe Tricoli