Posted By: SEAN_SOUTH
Don't Mess With The Count Dante:Chicago Outfit - 10/12/12 05:19 PM
Larger than life character 'Count Dante' has to be one of the most eccentric characters in the annals of mob history.
Famed for the Dojo Wars of the 60's and a lengendary comic book ad where the Count(John Timothy Keehan) promised to teach students 'The Dance Of Death, Count Dante was a Martial Arts sensei who, according to childhood friend and former Chicago Outfit lawyer Robert Cooley was an extremely volatile and confrontational character.
Close friend Douglas Dwyer accompanied the Count on a series of confrontations and rivalries in the macho martial arts world that led to them taping dynamite caps to a rival Chicago dojo. According to Cooley the Count intimidatedbusiness interests to sell at a 'reasonable' cost to expand his empire but things
came to a head in a lengendary battle during which a man was pierced through the chest with a spear and Jim koncivec was killed. He was arrested shortly after.
Robert Cooley got him off but it wasn't long before the erratic but deadly Count came into contact with Cooley's Chicago Outfit contacts. During one confrontation Cooley had to cool things down in a sit down while an Outfit henchman threatened to put a fork through the Count's eye. The fearless Count stod his ground and
stated proudly he could take his opponent's eyes out with his bare hands.
Sooner or later the erratic nature of Count Dante's life was bound to spiral dangerously out of control. Dante was a mastermind in the notorious 1974 Chicago Purolator vault robbery in which 4.3 million dollars was stolen. He called Cooley
to his apartment where he showed him a wardrobe stuffed with bills, perhaps a million dollars worth. Later that night he rang Cooley and told him that money was 'fake', and not to worry about it. The next day Cooley found him dead at the apartment. Cooley suggests he was poisoned as the money and body disappeared with-
out a trace and around 1.25 million dollars was never recovered.
The legend and mystery of the Count lives on to this day. Martial Arts fans for instance still suspect foul play and a revenge attack from a rival sensei for his death. To this day he is lengendary in martial arts circles and known in popular culture for his lengendary antics and crazy comic book 'Dance Of Death' adverts.
Anyone remember this guy?
Here's some more info:- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_Dante
His story also features heavily in Robert Cooley's Chicago Outfit book:- When Corruption Was King
Famed for the Dojo Wars of the 60's and a lengendary comic book ad where the Count(John Timothy Keehan) promised to teach students 'The Dance Of Death, Count Dante was a Martial Arts sensei who, according to childhood friend and former Chicago Outfit lawyer Robert Cooley was an extremely volatile and confrontational character.
Close friend Douglas Dwyer accompanied the Count on a series of confrontations and rivalries in the macho martial arts world that led to them taping dynamite caps to a rival Chicago dojo. According to Cooley the Count intimidatedbusiness interests to sell at a 'reasonable' cost to expand his empire but things
came to a head in a lengendary battle during which a man was pierced through the chest with a spear and Jim koncivec was killed. He was arrested shortly after.
Robert Cooley got him off but it wasn't long before the erratic but deadly Count came into contact with Cooley's Chicago Outfit contacts. During one confrontation Cooley had to cool things down in a sit down while an Outfit henchman threatened to put a fork through the Count's eye. The fearless Count stod his ground and
stated proudly he could take his opponent's eyes out with his bare hands.
Sooner or later the erratic nature of Count Dante's life was bound to spiral dangerously out of control. Dante was a mastermind in the notorious 1974 Chicago Purolator vault robbery in which 4.3 million dollars was stolen. He called Cooley
to his apartment where he showed him a wardrobe stuffed with bills, perhaps a million dollars worth. Later that night he rang Cooley and told him that money was 'fake', and not to worry about it. The next day Cooley found him dead at the apartment. Cooley suggests he was poisoned as the money and body disappeared with-
out a trace and around 1.25 million dollars was never recovered.
The legend and mystery of the Count lives on to this day. Martial Arts fans for instance still suspect foul play and a revenge attack from a rival sensei for his death. To this day he is lengendary in martial arts circles and known in popular culture for his lengendary antics and crazy comic book 'Dance Of Death' adverts.
Anyone remember this guy?
Here's some more info:- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_Dante
His story also features heavily in Robert Cooley's Chicago Outfit book:- When Corruption Was King
.