Vito Giorgio, born on March 19, 1880, in Borgetto, Sicily, was an Italian-born crime boss based in Los Angeles. He was known for his involvement in organized crime, particularly as a leader of a Black Hand group that engaged in extortion. Giorgio was married to Maria Cristoforo and had four children. He had a history of surviving multiple assassination attempts, including a near-fatal shooting in 1916.
On May 13, 1922, Vito Giorgio was shot to death in a barbershop at Oak and Larrabee
Streets in Chicago. Giorgio, aged 42, was visiting Chicago after attending a Mafia meeting in Buffalo, New York. Accompanied by James Cascio and an unidentified third man, Giorgio entered the barbershop of Salvatore DiBella and John Loiacono. Shortly after sitting in the barber's chair, two gunmen burst into the shop and shot Giorgio in the side of his head, killing him instantly. Cascio, who was playing pool in a rear room, was also shot and killed.
The police investigation revealed that Giorgio had papers linking him to an address on Dauphine Street in New Orleans, where he had previously managed a grocery business. The gunmen, along with the unidentified third man, fled through a rear door of the barbershop. Despite the police's efforts, the assailants were never caught, and the case remains unsolved.
Giorgio's death was part of a larger conflict within the Mafia, as he was closely aligned with New York-based Mafia boss Salvatore "Toto" D'Aquila. D'Aquila was attempting to consolidate power by moving against supporters of the former Giuseppe Morello regime. The murder of Giorgio and Cascio in the barbershop was a significant event in the ongoing power struggle within the Mafia.
In summary, Vito Giorgio's death was a result of his involvement in organized crime and the power struggles within the Mafia. His assassination in Chicago remains a mystery, with no arrests or suspects identified in the case.
