Elena Semander

popular name: Big Jim Colosimo

date_of_death: May 11, 1920

age: 42

cause_of_death: Homicide - gunshot wounds

claim_to_fame: Crime and their Victims

best_know_for: James "Big Jim" Colosimo was the first organized crime leader in Chicago who ran a popular restaurant, Colosimo's Cafe, that was a hot spot for vice in Chicago. Colosimo built his empire on gambling, prostitution and load sharking. When Johnny Torrio, his second-in-command, suggested that Colosimo get into bootlegging - Colosimo said emphatically "No!" as he didn't want any attention drawn to the police. Torrio brought in hitman Frankie Yale and had him killed in his own restaurant. Torrio took over and made a then small-time hoodlum named Al Capone his #2 man to build up the bootlegging operation.

popular name: Martha Moxley

date_of_death: October 30, 1975

age: 15

cause_of_death: Homicide by blunt trauma

claim_to_fame: Crime and their Victims

best_know_for: Martha Moxley was a 15-year-old American high school student from Greenwich, Connecticut, who was murdered in 1975. Moxley was last seen alive spending time at the home of the Skakel family, across the street from her home in Belle Haven. Michael Skakel, also aged 15 at the time, was convicted in 2002 of murdering Moxley and was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. What we do know: On Oct. 31, 1975, the body of Martha Moxley was found under a pine tree at the edge of her family’s property, diagonally across from the Skakel home in the Greenwich enclave of Belle Haven. She had been beaten about the head 15 times with a #6 Toney Penna woman's model golf club with such savagery that the golf club shattered in the attack. She was also stabbed through the neck with the shaft. Police found two of the golf club’s pieces nearby. The third—part of the handle and shaft—was never recovered. Despite the conviction of Michael Skakel not once, but twice he was subsequently released from prison 2013 after a judge ruled a third trial would not justified given the passage of time and many witnesses have since died. What we can say with nearly 100% certainty is that Michael and/or his older brother Tommy, with the possible assistance of their cousin Jimmy Terrien—all of them nephews of Ethel Kennedy—murdered Moxley. Proving once again that there are two justice systems - one for the rich and one for everyone else. Today Michael Skakel is a free man who is believed to be living in Florida while his brother Tommy lives in Massachusetts.

popular name: Michael Rizzitello

date_of_death: October 26, 2005

age: 78

cause_of_death: Cancer

claim_to_fame: Crime and their Victims

best_know_for: Michael Rizzitello (aka "Mike Rizzi") was a capo (underboss) in the Milano crime family of Los Angeles. Rizzitello's criminal record stretched back to 1947 whe he worked for "Crazy Joe" Gallo in the 1950s who was a member of the Profaci crime family (later named the Colombo crime family). When Gallo attempted to take over the Profaci crime family, Rizzitello was one of his key gunmen who participated in the murder of mobster John Guariglia and Paul Ricci at the HiFi Lounge in Brooklyn on November 11, 1961, along with future LA mob soldier Tommy Ricciardi. Soon after in 1956, Mike Rizzitello moved to California. In California, Rizzitello first became affiliated with the Los Angeles crime family working as a debt collector and extortionist for Salvatore "Dago Louie" Piscopo along with a friend of his named Louie "Lefty" Castiglione. He was also mentored by Joseph Sica; an associate of Piscopo. During his time in Los Angeles he was responsible for conspiracy to commit murder, armed robbery, illegal gambling, racketeering, extortion, loan sharking, mail fraud, insurance fraud, and extortion. Rizzitello's activities were featured in several biography novels by mobsters-turned-informants Jimmy Fratianno (The Last Mafioso and Vengeance Is Mine), Anthony Fiato (The Animal in Hollywood), and Kenny Gallo (Breakshot).