Charles "Cherry Nose" Gioe, a 50-year-old Italian-American male, was a lieutenant in the Chicago Outfit, a notorious criminal organization. He was known for his involvement in extortion and blackmail, particularly during the Hollywood extortion scandals of the 1940s. On August 18, 1954, Gioe was shot to death in Chicago, Illinois. His murder was a result of his accidental interference in a dispute involving Joseph "Joey" Glimco, a prominent labor racketeer in Chicago.
Gioe's death marked the end of a 24-year career in organized crime, during which he had climbed the ranks by outliving many of his peers.
Gioe's criminal career began in the early 1930s when he was arrested alongside future Chicago mob boss Anthony "Joe Batters" Accardo for carrying concealed weapons. Although the case was never tried, it marked the beginning of Gioe's rise within the Chicago Outfit. He later became a high-ranking lieutenant under Frank Nitti, who took over the organization after Al Capone's imprisonment. Gioe was involved in various criminal activities, including the Hollywood extortion racket, where he, along with other mobsters, extorted money from movie studios in exchange for labor peace.
In 1943, Gioe, along with Paul "The Waiter" Ricca and Louis "Little New York" Campagna, was indicted for extortion. The case, known as the Hollywood Extortion Case, saw Gioe and his associates convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison. Despite protests from Senator Estes Kefauver, Gioe was paroled in 1947. Upon his release, he resumed his position within the Chicago Outfit, becoming second to Ricca and Campagna.
Gioe's murder in 1954 was a direct consequence of his naivete and misjudgment. He had misinterpreted Glimco's intentions and inadvertently interfered in a dispute Glimco was having with a contractor building a Howard Johnson's restaurant. This fatal mistake led to Gioe being shot by mafia soldiers under Glimco's control. Although Louis "Cock-Eyed Louie" Fratto, another mobster, was questioned in connection with Gioe's murder, he was not considered a prime suspect.
The investigation into Gioe's death highlighted the violent and treacherous nature of organized crime in Chicago during that era. His funeral, held in a mortuary on Grand Avenue, was a low-key affair with fewer than fifty mourners in attendance, reflecting the dangerous and solitary life of a mobster. Gioe's death serves as a reminder of the perilous world of organized crime and the often-violent ends that befall those who inhabit it.
