The Fabled down river beer baron Joe Tocco was a Sicilian immigrant born in 1890 who would go on to amass a fortune during the failed prohibition experiment which more than 60 years after his murder is still under debate as to it's size. Joe Tocc rose to prominence as a bootlegger and racketeer opeating out of the down river community of Wyandotte. During his rise, Tocco would compile a string of 11 arrests on charges such as investigation of murder, armned robbery, violation of federak liquor laws and evasion of federal income tax. Tocco began building his reputation in Wyandotte in 1915 shortly after his arrival from Sicily when he was picked up on the armned robbery charge.
Inspite of his frequent trips into the halls of justice Tocco would never have his record tarnished with a conviction escaping several times with help from his political benefactors who provided his organization with protection from state and federal investigations. Tocco worked closely with the powerful Detroit operators and even forged a relationship with Harry Bennett the strong arm right hand man of Henry Ford. This relationship would serve Tocco well as he received several lucrative perks from Bennett and Ford for his protection and influence in several labor matters. In his book "We never called him Henry," Bennett relates how Tocco used to meet with him in his office never failing to arrive without a 45 caliber pistol stuck in his waist band.
Dispite the intimidating presence of the weapon, Bennett goes on to say that Tocco always referred to him as boss and the two enjoyed many laughs over Tocco's underworld adventures. Tocco and his brother Sam reigned over Wyandotte at a time when it was known as one of the toughest rumrunning areas in the country. As testimony to his toughness and iron clad rule, authorities attempted to pin the murders of Joseph Rivett, Charles Tear and John Pelkey on the Tocco operation. The three were members of a rival bootlegging operation which had battled the Tocco's for control of Wyandotte for years.
On November 6, 1931. All three were gunned down in Tears speakeasy on Biddle Avenue in Wyandotte. Witnesses recalled three men entering the establishment carrying two shotguns and a submachine gun. They then calmly proceeded to open fire spraying the length of the barroom with death. Following the shooting all three men made their escape in a large brown sedan parked at the curb in front of the speakeasy.
The triple murders left residents of Wyandotte in a state of shock which eventually turned to outrage over the boldness of the killings which took place in the heart of town just two blocks from police headquarters. Police picked up both Joe and Sam Tocco for investigation of the triple murders but both were released after a heated legal battle with the prosecutors office who sought to block the release of the two notorious crime figures. Tocco obtained his release when he produced tickets showing he was at a prize fight in Detroit at the time of the murders.
The Fall
The Wyandotte massacre hastened the fall of Joe Tocco as a mjor figure in the rackets. He quickly announced his retirement in 1932 after a bomb nearly destroyed his families expensive home in an up scale area of Wyandotte. Tocco quickly moved his family into another custom built home in another classy section of Wyandotte. The bombing and fire would lead to more problems for Tocco when investigators learned that Tocco and his family had moved out of the house prior to the bombing removing all of the pricey furniture and antiques which had previously adorned the structure.
Tocco took it on the lamb when he learned that invetigators were looking to charge him with arson. He would not resurface unitll his legal team had worked out a dissolution of the charges against him. Federal officials followed on the heels of the arson investigation with one of their own, hauling him into federal court on charges of operating an illegal liquor still. This case as all others was settled with a dropping of the charges and an expungment of the case from his record.
It would be another 3 years before Tocco would resurface as a news maker when he appeared in a Liquor Commission case charging him and Joseph Zerilli and William Tocco amoung others with illegally operating three distributorships on behalf of Pfeiffer beer. In this case the liquor commissin gathered evidence showing the Tocco's and Zerilli had illegally obtained distribution routes through methods which included intimidation. The investigation ended with the trio agreeing to give up their stake in Pfeiffer in exchange for charges of extortio being dropped. Tocco would not be mentioned in another criminal case and kept a low profile untill his murder just 3 years later.
A Bloody Ending
47 year old Tocco had remained out of the public eye operating his string of investments while controlling his stake in the rackets through his loyal underlings. Tocco's legitimate business was listed as the owner of the Kit Kat Club located at 635 Bayside Avenue in Detroit. Tocco remained a larger than life figure in Wyandotte speeding around town in a large red sports sedan that was familiar to every resident in the city. Joe pulled up to the curb near the intersection of McKinley at 9:30 pm. No one is sure why he parked so far from his home which was located nearly two blocks away.
In a statement Tocco made to police following his shooting, Tocco stated that he was shot by at least two men as he exited his car. Tocco originally claimed to have seen no one but later admitted to seeing two men. Tocco upon hearing the shots dashed between two homes "275 and 267 Antoine," and up a nine foot flight of stairs and into the home of a neighbor. Tocco burst throught the storm door of the home owned by James V. Palazzolo "which it was later learned was the scene of a meeting of Tocco gang on the night of his shooting." As the door flung open and Tocco's attackers continued firing at him, Mrs, Rose Palazzolo was cut by breaking glass from an errant shot that shattered her kitchen window.
Incidently Mrs, Palazzolo's husband was away at the time of shooting in the company of another Tocco brother Peter. Joe proceeded through the kitchen and into the living area where he collapsed from his wounds. Transported to Wyandotte General Hospital by Tony Bozzo "who gave his address as 245 Antoine," who later left the hospital but was picked up and questioned about the shooting. Joe Tocco suffered 5 shots from a pistol and 12 shotgun slugs all enterred from the rear. Tocco was administered the last rites of the catholic church by father Leo Zindler before succumbing to his wounds on May 6, 1938. 350 attended the funeral services for the fallen gangster amoung them were Pete Corrdo, Joe Zerilli and Tommy Rugirella.
