Belcastro James AKA The Mad Bomber AKA King of the Bombers. Born 1895 Died 1945. Belcastro came out of Chicago old red-light district, the Levee where he was a Blackhand extortionist before joining the mob under Johnny Torrio.
A skilled bomb maker and terrorist, Torrio and later Capone put his skills to use to conquer the Chicago labor unions and bootleg competitors however, it was during the 1927 Chicago primary elections that Belcastro reached the height of his fame. Belcastro bombed voting booths across the city in the wards known to oppose Capone’s man for office Mayor “Big Bill” William Hale Thompson.
Dubbed "The Pineapple Primary". (The bombs he used resembled large pineapples) at least 15 people were killed, several at Belcastro’s hands. He was a suspect in the murder of lawyer and political candidate Octavius Granady, was killed on April 10, 1927. On January 11, 1931, Belcastro became wrapped up in the Touhy-Nitti union wars and was shot five times but survived. Belcastro stayed with the Outfit through the Nitti years dying from a heart attack in 1945.
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