Curse of the Link?

James Clarke was a gangster from the West Side of Manhattan. He mainly dabbled in robberies and burglaries and did a few years at Sing Sing in the early Twenties. He gained some notoriety in 1927 when he managed to beat a rap regarding the hijacking of truck containing $50,000 worth of aspirin.

He gained a bit more notoriety a year later when he testified on behalf of a gunman named Jimmy "the Gin" Russell who was charged with murdering a West Side gangster, Patrick "the Link" Mitchell, who reportedly hijacked booze from the wrong people.

Clarke got his on this date in 1930. He was hanging out in front of a drug store at the northwest corner of 29th Street and Eighth Avneue, talking with someone. He entered the shop to borrow a pack of cigarettes as he had a bet with the person he was speaking with to how many times the letter "E" was printed on the package.  He returned the package to the proprietor and chatted with him and his daughter for a few minutes. Outside a taxi pulled up and guy jumped out. As Clarke exited the building the man from the cab walked up and placed a gun to Clarke's temple and pulled the trigger. The blast sent Clarke flying through the stores front window. As a crowd gathered the gunman made a getaway.