Big Jim Colosimo was the first man to make organized crime a major Chicago "business." His initial focus was the brothel industry which he built with his first wife, a former madam. Netting around $50,000 a month, success from his 200-house business led to competition for his cash.
When the "Black Hand" targeted Colosimo with extortion threats, he initially paid. After all, he knew how the game was played since he had been involved with that criminal element at the beginning of his career. But when threats continued, and worsened, Big Jim called for help. He summoned his nephew, Johnny Torrio, from New York City.
Torrio had a "business" of his own working in New York. After he came to the frontier town of Chicago, Johnny needed trusted people around him. At the top of his list was Alphonse Capone, also known as "Scarface" since the time his face was sliced in a New York saloon. Al joined Torrio in 1920. With the help of Torrio and his crew, Big Jim built a growing business of saloons, brothels and gambling dens. Of course, it wasn’t enough for Johnny to merely share his uncle’s spoils.
The man who made Chicago crime big business was gunned down at his saloon,
Colosimo’s Restaurant, on May 11, 1920. (The cafe was a popular place, frequented by the likes of trial lawyer Clarence
Darrow and opera singer Enrico
Caruso.) Prohibition had been in effect just under four months. Big Jim’s killer was most likely
Frankie Yale, although he was never charged with the shooting. At the time, and since, most people believed Johnny Torrio ordered his uncle’s death.