I didn't know Jimmy Emma personally but knew of him from his reputation in our neighborhood. Yes he was a very tough guy and fearless. I was in my high school class in New Utrecht High School (the school that you saw in the opening credits of the show Welcome Back Kotter) when we heard gunshots and we went to the windows facing 79th street towards New Utrecht Ave in Brooklyn. We couldn't see anything but that was the moment Jimmy Emma was killed and another guy (I forget who he was now) survived but ran for cover... It was big news in the neighborhood that day...