Frank Nitti

Frank "The Enforcer" Nitti (January 27, 1888- March 19, 1943) was a Sicilian immigrant barber who came to New York City as a young man who later left for Chicago in the early 1920s and soon became a member of Johnny Torrio's and later, Torrio's successor Al Capone's operation, acquiring stolen liquor to sell to speakeasies. In 1931, after Capone had received a lengthy prison sentence for income tax evasion, Nitti became boss of the mob in Chicago.

Related Topics:
January 27 - 1888 - March 19 - 1943 - Johnny Torrio - Al Capone - Liquor - Speakeasies - 1931, - Income tax evasion - Chicago

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In 1943, many in "The Outfit" were indicted for extorting a number of the biggest movie studios in Hollywood. Many of the higher-ups in the mob, most notably Nitti's second in command Paul Ricca, believed Nitti should take the fall for the rest of them. Deeply fearing another long prison term because of his severe claustrophobia, he shot and killed himself in the Chicago's Illinois Central railyard on March 19, 1943.

Related Topics:
Extorting - Movie - Studio - Hollywood - Paul Ricca - Claustrophobia,

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Nitti was immortalized in the movie The Untouchables. His character was played by Billy Drago in the 1987 Brian DePalma film that featured Kevin Costner as Eliot Ness and Robert DeNiro as Capone. Nitti's role was heavily fictionalized; he was portrayed as an assassin who was killed by Ness.

Related Topics:
The Untouchables - Billy Drago - 1987 - Brian DePalma - Kevin Costner - Eliot Ness - Robert DeNiro - Assassin

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He was portrayed by Stanley Tucci in 2002's Road to Perdition. Tucci played Nitti as Capone's ruthless but levelheaded advisor who assigned violent criminal acts to trusted underlings, in contrast to Drago's characterization of him as a violent sociopath who personally (and enthusiastically) did Capone's dirty work.

Related Topics:
Stanley Tucci - 2002 - Road to Perdition - Sociopath

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Nitti was also played by Harold Stone in Roger Corman's 1967 film The St. Valentine's Day Massacre.

Related Topics:
Harold Stone - Roger Corman - 1967

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