James Cosmano

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James "Sunny Jim" Cosmano was a leader of the Black Hand street gang in pre-Prohibition Chicago who tried to extort money from the mob.

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[edit] Early years

Born Vincenzo Cosmano, he joined the Black Hand as a young man. Cosmano and other Black Handers, such as James "The Mad Bomber" Belcastro, preyed on the residents of Chicago's Little Italy and other city neighborhoods at the turn of the 20th century.

[edit] Extortion and Doublecross

In the latter part of the decade, Cosmano tried to extort money out of James "Big Jim" Colosimo and others of the Levee. In 1909, seeking relief, Colosimo brought in Johnny "The Fox" Torrio, an up-and-coming mobster from New York. Within a month of Torrio's arrival, ten members of the Black Hand had been murdered. However, Cosmano continued to threaten Colosimo.

In early 1910, Cosmano sent Colosimo a letter threatening to torch his cafe, the Colosimo, unless Colosimo paid him $10,000. Torrio agreed to Cosmano's demands and arranged a meeting a bridge on the South Side to pay the money. However, after Cosmano and the Black Handers arrived, Torrio and eight of his gunmen, including Joseph Moresco, Joseph "Jew Kid" Grabiner, Billy Leathers, "Chicken" Harry Gullett, Mac Fitzpatrick, and W.F. Frazier, opened fire. The Black Handers were mowed down. Cosmano escaped with a serious stomach wound from a shotgun blast by Torrio himself.

[edit] Survival

Cosmano survived the Torrio attack and was taken to the hospital. Later, several of his associates smuggled Cosmano out of the hospital to protect him. Cosmano then left Chicago to continue his activities elsewhere.

An associate of labor racketeer Timothy "Big Tim" Murphy, Cosmano was tried with Murphy, Michael "Dago Mike" Carozzo and James Vinci in the 1920 gangland slaying of Maurice "Mossy" Enright. However, Cosmano, Murphy, and Carozza were eventually released 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