(Pics) Mob Bosses Meet Their (fictional) End in Stylish 1940 Cadillac ! (Jada 1/18)

On March 15, 1940, mob kingpin Frankie "Slicks" Malditesta was being driven in his brand new 1940 Cadillac limo to a meeting arranged by his brother-in-law, Chuckie "Cheezie" Pizzerio at a warehouse on the west side of Chicago. A hitman suddenly walked up to the car as Slicks stepped out.

The assassin was clearly cool and experienced, as he leaned against the driver/bodyguard's bulletproof door and window preventing any return fire while he pumped four or five .38 caliber bullets into Frankie's vital organs. The mob boss was dead before he hit the ground.

The Cadillac was undamaged but needed a thorough cleaning and as Frankie's brother-in-law (and new head gangster) Chuckie Pizzerio rinsed off the gleaming Cadillac the next day, he announced to reporters gathered around : "I'm shocked, SHOCKED, that dear Frankie was ambushed in broad daylight by some random criminal ! Who would do such a thing ?"

The big Cadillac became Pizzerio's personal ride as an armed driver took him around town while he oversaw his Chicago rackets.
On the Ides of March, 1947, exactly seven years after Frankie's untimely rubout, "Cheezie" was being driven down the boulevard when he and his driver spotted a lovely damsel on the side of the road in apparent distress with car trouble. A brisk wind showed a pair of gorgeous gams on the dame and both Chuckie and his bodyguard grinned as Pizzerio told him to stop, pull over and ask the young lady if she would like some helping hands.

As the Cadillac halted and the front door opened, a man stepped out of the shadows at the back of the automobile with a large can of Hi-Test Texaco gasoline which he proceeded to quickly pour down the space between the thick bulletproof glass and the rear door frame.

A quick jam of a metal wedge into the door hinge and a toss of a flaming Zippo lighter onto the running board caused a blast and an instant deadly inferno inside the Series 75's plush and comfortable back seat.

The young lady rapidly produced a small .32 caliber pistol from high up on her garter belt and quickly placed a single bullet between the eyes of the stunned driver. By this time the phrase "Ashes to ashes !" that was muttered by the gas-man while he walked away took on full meaning as the thick armored glass and steel of the Cadillac's back compartment produced a pizza oven-like atmosphere that fully roasted Chuckie "Cheezie" Pizzerio to a crispy crust consistency.

The 1940 Cadillac remained lost after that until it was recently discovered in an abandoned South Side Chicago garage and fully restored to like-new condition. It has been shown at several high-end auctions and it appears there is one prospective buyer in particular who is known only as "Louie from Miami" (or California, depending on who you talk to).

Hopefully, the beautiful Cadillac will now find a legitimate and crime-free home to go to !

Mike