Frank 'The Enforcer' Nitti has been portrayed by Hollywood as a vicious gang land thug, Capone trigger man and smooth talking cocky gangster. In Brian DePalmers 1987 movie "The Untouchables", the cinema going and video watching public were introduced to Nitti as the nemesis of Elliot Ness and his band of federal agents. The movie even goes as far to show Nitti dying at the hands of Ness, falling from the roof of the Chicago court house where Capone was being tried.

This is all complete nonsense.

Frank Nitti began his criminal career as a barber with a rather shady clientele. His customers would come to him to fence various items of stolen merchandise. It was while in this role that he came to the attention of John Torrio and Al Capone since he had a proven...