In the roaring twenties the Mafia ran the big cities. They had
control over the police, the FBI, and most of the top businessmen.
But they also had people they couldn't control and those who caused
problems. They had ways of stopping people that cause problems. Their
problem solver was the hitman.
The hitman was a hired thug that specialized in assassinations and
executions. A hitman usually stuck with one boss, but there were many
that would kill anyone for a price. The average price for a hired
killer was between seventy and one hundred and fifty dollars, or an
ample supply of liquor.
The methods of the hitman depended on how good they were or the type
of job they were suppose to do. Mafia controlled hitmen during
inter-Mafia hits usually shot their victims with a sawed-off double
barreled shotgun. But a freelance hitman may end up just using a long
range rifle shot or a driveby shooting. Many believe most hitmen used
bombs to kill their victims. This way was not considered respectable
nor as personal as a bullet.
Hitmen were also used as interrogators. They would apprehend the
target and then get information from them. Then they would shoot the
victim in the head and either leave the target tied to a chair, or
dump the body into a river. Another common way of death would be to
put the victim's feet into cement and throw them into the river.
Hitmen were a violent breed who specialized in the elimination and
disposal of their boss's enemies. They did their required job, and
then took care of the bodies without problems. It is estimated that
of all the hitmen working during the 1920's, only 20% were ever
arrested. They were an important asset to the Mafia.