Deviant Criminology

Mad Dog: The Violent Rise and Fall of Vincent Coll

Richard Weaver, Heather Kenney, Rachel Czar Season 1 Episode 27
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The notorious life of Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll unfolds as a tragic tale of an Irish immigrant who became one of New York's most feared gangsters during Prohibition, meeting his violent end at just 23 years old.

• Born in Ireland in 1908, Coll immigrated to the Bronx where he lost five siblings and both parents by age eight
• Sent to reform schools by age 12, where child labor and abuse replaced education and nurturing
• Caught the eye of Dutch Schultz and became his enforcer during Prohibition
• Earned his "Mad Dog" nickname after killing a 5-year-old boy during a street shooting in 1931
• Despite numerous criminal charges, Coll was acquitted when his defense attorney exposed the prosecution's witness as a paid informer
• Falling out with Schultz led to a bloody gang war with casualties on both sides
• Met his end in a hail of gunfire in a phone booth after accepting a contract to kill Lucky Luciano
• His short, violent career illustrates how trauma, poverty and discrimination drove some immigrants toward organized crime

Join us next week for another deep dive into true crime and criminal justice issues that continue to shape our understanding of  crime and justice in society.


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