On this date in 1932, bootlegger, kidnapper, and hitman Vincent “Mad Dog” Coll was gunned down (this would constitute “death by natural causes” in Coll’s line of work) in a drug store phone booth. Legend has it that he was on the phone with Hell’s Kitchen mob boss Owney Madden, and that Madden kept Coll on the phone until the shooter–possibly working with Dutch Schultz–could get in place. The shooter put enough lead into Coll to kill a whole pack of mad dogs. Fifteen bullets were recovered from Coll’s body. A bunch more went right through him. “Can you here me now?”
Gangster City website – Photo of the phone booth where Coll was gunned down
Gangster City, by Patrick Downey
I take it he was taken out because he was a problematic killer? Or just because?
Coll’s favorite victims were fellow mobsters. That put him at the top of a lot of hit lists. And to seal the deal, Coll killed a five year old boy in a shootout. That brought way too much heat on the NY underworld. Young Vincent just had to go, so they whacked him.
“Can you hear me now?” LOL!
I think he finally got the message.
John D.:
Goes to show that in SOME occupations, “lead poisoning” CAN be a killer.
Nice find.
Stay safe (no “mad dog” for you) out there.
He exceeded his US RDA of lead by a lot.