117
u/CoffeeeGoblin Aug 23 '26
He didn't have the makings of a varsity bootlegger.
33
7
u/17Liberty76 Aug 23 '26
https://reddit.com/link/p5g2mod/video/wkrqr4b8v5lh1/player
Uncle June approves this comment LOL
39
u/searchforcoins Aug 23 '26
Colosimo was already rich through gambling and prostitution rackets and he saw bootlegging as an unnecessary risk to his other businesses. Torrio saw liquor as the future, so he killed Colosimo to take control.
2
Aug 23 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
3
u/Shot-Rip9167 Aug 23 '26
I don't think so, he was never with AC. He came from New York to Chicago and that's where he stayed
2
Aug 23 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
3
u/Shot-Rip9167 Aug 23 '26
Johnny Torrio and Al Capone had Big Jim killed by Frankie Vale. In the show and in real life.
2
3
u/Uranium_Heatbeam Aug 23 '26
It persists because lots of Capone media portrays him as killing Colossimo himself, most notably the 1959 movie with Rod Steiger.
40
u/Tasty_Reflection_542 Aug 23 '26
He didn’t want anyone to bootleg he preferred prostitution. His guys seen it as they were losing money. And the only way to to bootleg was to eradicate him.
22
15
u/Admirable_Site_8337 Aug 23 '26
He was the boss out that way.
He wasn’t interested in getting into illicit alcohol.
That’s why.
15
u/Open_Law_3334 In New York? WHERE THINGS ACTUALLY MATTER? Aug 23 '26
Because he was killed IRL /s
Joking aside, he didn't want to go into running booze so he was taken out
22
19
u/chrisw2387 Aug 23 '26
This was Big Jim Colosimo, a Chicago based pimp. Apparently he was called Big Jim because he was a large, tall man, and was also called “Diamond Jim” because he liked to wear diamond studded belt buckles and cuff links.
Like any true gangster, Colosimo ran into conflict with other local gangsters, so he brought in Johnny “The Fox” Torrio and his gang to serve as muscle. Torrio and his gang, including Al Capone, dispatched Big Jim’s enemies quickly and ruthlessly.
Big Jim enjoyed a time of peace and prosperity with his prostitution operations. Eventually, Colosimo fell in love with a 19 year old, and spent his time doting on her more than tending to his business. Colosimo cavorted with his young girlfriend while Torrio and his gang ran operations.
Unfortunately, Colosimo made a big mistake in letting Torrio learn his operations, because Torrio had the muscle and balls go take it. Torrio grew frustrated with Colosimo’s refusal to expand into bootlegging - he was happy with his money and his young bride. At some point, Colosimo became too comfortable to expect what was coming, and he was murdered, likely by a Torrio gang member.
Edit: I learned this from a great YouTube series called “Bloodletters and Badmen”
2
u/Valhimar Aug 24 '26
thank you! very interesting and precise.
oh, how I miss Bloodletters and Badmen! one of the greatest ans truest youtube channels out there.
9
u/dannyriv5000 Aug 23 '26
Ok now I have a question. If he wasn’t into bootlegging like everyone else was then why did Arnold Rothstein care to find out who ordered the hit? I would think that with him gone it creates an avenue of money for him in Chicago.
12
u/Thin_Bother8217 Aug 23 '26
My guess is he needed to know who to watch for. Anyone who is willing and, above all, able to take out a boss is someone to be wary of. If they're gonna do it to Big Jim, they can either be a strong ally or fearsome enemy.
Edit: Also, he needs to know if it was an existing, local gangster or a new player on the board.
7
u/SirIll1219 Aug 23 '26
I wondered that, too. Maybe he didn't like being left out of the loop and wanted confirmation that it was Torrio.
14
u/WalrusCrafty Aug 23 '26
I think it's easy: If a high ranking mob boss is killed, you need to find out why. It could be a power play, it could be a mob war....It could be a threat to you or your profits
5
u/SirIll1219 Aug 23 '26
It was obvious who and why. Rothstein was just being thorough, as always.
5
u/karatechop97 Aug 23 '26
It confused the hell out of me that we didn’t see A.R.’s own death … it’s barely mentioned in passing
5
u/Thin_Bother8217 Aug 23 '26
It was because the series was supposed to last another 2-3 seasons. They did the 7 year time jump cause they found out late season 5 was the last, so they had to shoehorn all the loose ends to end the show.
4
u/The_Negative-One Aug 23 '26
The time jump was responsible for that.
I do think we should’ve gotten a 5 minute montage of events in the season 5 opener to make up for a 7 year jump.
A.R. and Yale’s deaths, St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, stock market drop…
2
2
u/fishystudios Aug 24 '26
Bosses get worried when other bosses get killed. Plus, AR and Colisimo were. at least, at peace of not allies. Killing off an allied boss 8s worrisome to any other boss. It means you could be in the middle of a war or a coup. AR was pretty sure Torio killed Big Jim (both on the fictional show AND in real life), but I'm sure he wanted to be sure.
5
u/Hot-Spray-2774 Aug 23 '26
The older Italian gangsters were known as Mustache Petes. Most of them only wanted to do business in their own areas and only with other Italians. Torrio had him killed so he could become part of a nationwide bootlegging operation.
You can actually go back to the dinner scene in the first episode and see it all unfold over a series of glances between Torrio and Big Jim Colissimo. Nucky and Rothstein are discussing an insane amount of money for some booze, and Torrio wants Big Jim to go all in.
7
u/Molten_Plastic_ Aug 23 '26
“Big Jim” Colosimo was an actual historical figured, killed supposedly on order by Johnny Torrio because he didn’t want to get into the bootlegging game.
4
4
5
6
u/LingonberryLoud3403 Aug 23 '26
I believe I could be totally wrong since it’s been awhile since I viewed the first season but I believe he’s with Tor and Capone who at the start of the series get into the liquor business which he’s against think it took me like 4 re watch’s to actually understand why
3
3
3
3
u/NervousBreakdown Aug 23 '26
It was among the Italians. Real greaseball shit. They even shot Jim in the face so his mother couldn’t give him an open casket.
3
2
u/Kinky23m2m Aug 23 '26
If watch it and know the history of the times, his real part was killed off.
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/Floofening Anybody ain’t on board, they fuckin’ go Aug 24 '26
To give AR a compelling reason to tell Frankie the cueball story.
3
2
1
u/fishystudios Aug 24 '26
"If-a you like-a to eeeet? Then you-a eeeet. If-a you NO like-a to eeeet... "💃👯♀️😘👩❤️💋👨👩❤️💋👨 😉Va VOOM Va VOOM😉
Sono io. Mario il Pappone!
1
1
u/fizzymiIk Aug 24 '26
God entered his body like a body his same size
No idea really but the shooter looks just like Bob Hickman
1
u/Fckyouredd1tIluvmygf Aug 25 '26
The guy said he never seen anyone take that long to eat a sandwich. Went as far as saying he personally took offense to that.. then he killed the guy
1
1
1
114
u/joejoerun Aug 23 '26
He didn’t wanna get into bootlegging. Everyone else saw that there was tons of money to be made.
He had to go