James Cosmano
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James "Sunny Jim" Cosmano was an organized crime figure and a leader of the Black Hand in pre-Prohibition Chicago. Born Vincenzo Cosmano, he along with other Black Handers such as James "The Mad Bomber" Belcastro preyed upon the residents of Chicago's Little Italy and elsewhere the city during the turn of the century. He continued to operate thoughout the early part of the century until the late 1900s when, his attempted extortion of Jim Colosimo and others of the Levee prompted Colosimo to bring in Johnny Torrio from New York in 1909.
Despite the deaths of ten members of the Black Hand with a month of Torrio's arrival, Cosmano continued threatening Colosimo who received a letter from him stating he would burn his cafe, the Colosimo, unless he received $10,000. Agreeing to Cosmano's demands, Torrio arrainged a meeting under a bridge on the South Side in early-1910. However, after Cosmano's arrival, Torrio and eight gunmen including Joseph Moresco, Joseph "Jew Kid" Grabiner, Billy Leathers, "Chicken" Harry Gullett, Mac Fitzpatrick and W.F. Frazier gunned down the Blackhanders with Cosmano receiving serious stomach wound from a shotgun blast by Torrio.
Although survived the attack, Cosmano was eventually smuggled out of his hospital by four associates and left Chicago to continue his activities elsewhere.
An associate of labor racketeer Timothy "Big Tim" Murphy, he was tried with Murphy, Michael "Dago Mike" Carozzo and James Vinci in the 1920 gangland slaying of Maurice "Mossy" Enright, however, he was released along with Murphy and Carozzo due to lack of evidence.
[edit] Further reading
- Asbury, Herbert. The Gangs of Chicago: An Informal History of the Chicago Underworld. New York: Alfred A. Knoff, 1940. ISBN 1-56025-454-8
- Curtis, Ken. Pimpin Ain't Easy: An Education On "The Life". Lakewood, Ohio: Condos On The Moon, 2006. ISBN 0-9746394-1-9
- Johnson, Curt and R. Craig Sautter. The Wicked City: Chicago from Kenna to Capone. New York: Da Capo Press, 1998. ISBN 0-306-80821-8
- Kobler, John. Capone: The Life and Times of Al Capone. New York: Da Capo Press, 2003. ISBN 0-30681-285-1
