Born in Italy in 1882 and brought to New York at the age of 2, Torrio grew up in the ghetto of the Lower East Side. He was still in his teens when he rose to the position of subchief in Paul Kelly’s huge five points gang, one of the city’s two most powerful. Torrio took place in many gang wars and became adept with fists, boots and knives. By 1912, Torrio shifted his personal interests to a bar and brothel for seamen in an even tougher section near the Brooklyn Navy Yard. He offered strong arm employment to a bullying hoodlum named
Al Capone. As early as 1909, Torrio was beginning to venture west to the city of Chicago to do mob chores for his uncle though marriage,
Jim Colosimo. Around 1915, when Torrio was 33, Big Jim offered Torrio a full-time job in his organization. Torrio turned out most of his Brooklyn racket operations to his partner, Frankie Yale. In Chicago Torrio took over running most of Big Jim’s whore joints. Late in 1919 Torrio brought Capone out to Chicago, after Capone got into some legal problems. Capone was brought to help out with the Whorehouses, but Torrio planned to use Capone in the bootlegging business. Torrio realized that bootlegging would make everyone involved very rich if they just organized their operations and were very careful. Torio also saw the Big Jim had become lazy and didn’t quite understand the potential of bootlegging. So Torrio conspired to eliminate Jim and take over the business completely. Torrio envisioned a Outfit that was under one set of rules and ran very organized. He held an city wide meeting and asked all the local gangs to join his outfit. The Irish gangs refused to join and their leader
Dion Obanion took Torrio to war. Other rivals included the Genna brothers. After months of warefare, Obanion sent word that he would be willing to quit the rackets if Torrio would buy his Seiben Brewery. Torrio jumped at the opportunity and quickly agreed. But Torrio realized that he had been tricked when federal agents raided the place a week after the deal was struck. As a result, Frankie Yale was once again brought in and he along with two hoods, killed Obanion. With Obanion dead, Torrio now had to deal with
Hymie Wiess, who replaced Dion. Wiess proved to be a huge pain in the neck and ambushed Torrio twice. The second time, Torrio barely escaped with his life. That was all that Torrio could take, so he retired leaving his entire organization to Capone. Torrio continued to live in retirement in New York City and in April 1957, while sitting at a local barbershop, he died of a heart attack.
