Seven can be an unlucky number

On this date back in 1929 Chicago gangster Pete Locasto climbed into a sedan with his pals Sam De Salvo and Mike Medeira. Sam was driving and when the car came to the intersection of Harlem Avenue and Twenty-Second Street, Mike's right arm "dropped down in a friendly gesture". Suddenly, in an unfriendly gesture, Mike began to pump bullet after bullet (seven to be exact) into his pal. Pete caught lead in the face, neck and body.

Sam drove to a less populated area and pulled over. There he and Mike grabbed Pete and tossed him into ditch that ran along the road and went about their way. A short time later a passing car saw Pete and stopped. The drive investigated and found the gangster still breathing. He loaded Pete into his car and took him to the hospital where the wounded gangster had no qualms with filling in the whos, wheres and whys of the shooting in between bouts of unconsciousness.  Pete managed to linger on for about eleven days before finally cashing in on February 22.

Black Hand claims one of their own

One hundred and eight years ago today in New York City thirty-five year old Felipo Randazzo locked the door to his butcher shop, located at 177 Christie Street, and turned to begin his walk home. the time was 11:20p.m. (long hours back then) After a couple of steps a large caliber bullet fired from a powerful rifle plowed through his heart, went out his back, passed through the shop door and hit a column inside before coming to a rest on the floor.

At first it was thought that he was an innocent victim of the Black Hand until a search of his shop turned up a dynamite cartridge of the type used in some recent Black Hand explosions.

The NYPD's famous Mafia fighting cop Lt. Petrosino put his entire sixteen man Italian Squad on the case and soon they learned that Randazzo was indeed a member of the Black Hand. He had come over from Palermo three years previously and worked as a plasterer before hooking up with a nefarious band of extortionist. With his profits he was able to open his butcher shop three months before being shot down.

During the investigation the Italian Squad learned through one of Randazzo's friends that the dead man had had a falling out with some of the members of his gang and he [Randazzo] intended to supply the police with information that would have resulted in their arrests but his confederates to take care of him first.

Sunday nights are alright for fighting

Ninety-four years ago tonight, a Sunday, a large group of guys and dolls were lining the stairwell of a lower eastside building waiting to get into the night club that occupied the third floor. As the band was preparing to play a couple of shots rang out and the throng of people ran out into the streets. One man, Michael Dimesci, ran across the street and dropped dead with a bullet in his heart.

Frankie Uale

The police sent officers to all the hospitals in the area to see if anyone else showed up. Within the hour Brooklyn mobster Frankie Uale stumbled into one with a bullet wound to the lung. Uale said he just happened to be walking by the club when the shooting took place and had no idea what it was about. Police later asserted that they believed the Brooklyn Mafioso was the intended target and that Dimesci may have been an innocent bystander.

Pulpy Goodness

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The importance of house inspections

Back in December 1930, Federal agents raided a large still that was managed by "Jew" John Marcus, described as one of Southern Ohio's "toughest all around racketeers in criminals life."Marcus had ties to the Cincinnati underworld as well as Detroit. However once his still was raided his business associates weren't to happy with him. In fact, it appears that they were quite displeased and Marcus disappeared.

Ever since the raid authorities were searching for Marcus assuming that he went into hiding. That all changed on this date back in 1931 when a couple went to inspect a house that the were considering buying. The house had been vacant since the previous August when it was raided and another still destroyed. After their first visit the prospective buyers learned about the raid and that there were a few hidden rooms in the basement that they had missed on their first visit, so went back to investigate.

They found the hidden rooms and propped up against a wall in a sitting positions was Marcus, or what was left of him anyways. See, he'd been there for awhile. His arms were tied behind him with picture wire, and his legs were trussed up with wire that was then wrapped around his neck. He also had a gag in his mouth. There was one bullet hole in his skull above what used to be his right eye. Since he'd been there for a number of weeks and "mice had been at him", positive identification was made from a label in his suit and some letters that were still in his coat. A stain leading to a nearby drain indicated that he had been killed there.

Silenced

In June of 1930 Leo Noto, said to be an olive oil dealer, and accomplices kidnapped the son of a wealthy Brooklyn baker that lived just down the street from him. The kidnappers demanded $10,000 and released the boy after $7000 was paid with the promise to make up the $3000 in the near future. In the interim the baker went to the police and a trap was laid to catch the gang when they came to claim the additional $3000. The trap worked and six members of the kidnap gang, including Noto, were apprehended.

Noto was released on $25,000 bail and made a deal with the authorities to testify against the rest of the gang. The gang made sure that Noto didn’t live to see the trial date. Eighty-five years ago today twenty-nine year old Noto left the house that he shared with his wife and four children and, with his hands in his pockets, began walking across a vacant lot. While he was still in the lot a Packard sedan containing three men pulled up. The doors flew open and two shotguns went off. Noto pitched forward dead.

The Tide Turns

In the spring of 1931 Vincent Coll and a contingent of disgruntled gunmen broke off from Dutch Schultz's gang and waged war against their former boss. Over the course of the summer the Dutchman's boys started popping up dead. On this date back in 1932 however, Schultz gunmen delivered a crippling blow to their foe.

Coll gang members Louis and Fiore Basile and Patsy Del Greco (center of photo) were holed up in one of the gangs Bronx hideouts with a man named Joseph Paronne (whether or not he was part of the gang is unknown) and a couple of women and some children. At approximately 9:30pm the doorbell rang. One of the gang answered the door and four or five gunmen pushed their way into the apartment and opened fire. Del Greco and the Basile Brothers were the main targets and took the majority of the lead. Patsy was killed with three shots and Louis Basile with four. His brother Fiore was severely wounded with bullets over the heart and in the left arm. Trying to escape, one of the women ran into the line of fire and was killed when a bullet pierced her head. The other woman and Paronne received non-life threatening wounds. The killer’s main target however had not been on the premises for two days. How the killers found out where the Coll gang was has never been ascertained but chances are there was a traitor in the midst.

More on the Schultz-Coll war can be found in Gangster City: The History of the New York Underworld 1900-1935