A Different Kind of Hit:
Sox Owner Vitale Gunned Down
Son Takes the Helm of Club
Coppers: Death was "an accident," despite 27 bullet wounds
Mob-style hit follows GM turmoil
Chicago, December 1, 2051 - The Brewster Baseball Association was rocked today by word that Black Sox owner Vinnie Vitale had been gunned down as he emerged smiling from a strip mall massage parlor.
Vitale met his maker this morning at 11:15 a.m. outside the "Happy Endings" parlor on Center Avenue in Chicago Heights, when machine gun fire erupted from a speeding SUV. Dozens of passers-by ran for cover, although police were not able to find a single witness.
Homicide detectives rapidly concluded their investigation just hours later. "This appears to have been an accident," said Chief Inspector Taykin Cash as his staff cleaned up shells casings and blood on the sidewalk. The City's Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Hyam Korhupt, later ruled that Vitale died of natural causes, despite the 27 bullet wounds. "Probably a previous injury," he explained as he drove off in a new 2052 Mercedes.
Vinnie during happier times. Like when he was alive.
Despite the quick closure of the police investigation, the death of Vitale had all the hallmarks of a classic mob shooting. The elder Vitale was known to frequent "Happy Endings," widely known as a "rub and tug." "He was like clockwork there," said one source. "Arriving at 11 a.m. to qualify for the early bird special, then exiting roughly 14 minutes later. Clockwork in every respect, if you know what I mean, heh heh. And he always left smiling."
With such a precise routine, enemies of Vitale would not have to work hard to know his schedule. But it remains unclear who brought about this less-than-happy ending for old Vinnie. Rival mob gangs were quick to tweet condolences and praise for Vitale. "I loved him like a brother," said one of most prominent dons, Alfonse "Boner" Gambone. "I admired Vinnie because he was a vastly successful businessman and because he had a strong moral compass," he added. "Vinnie only whacked guys when it was absolutely necessary,."
According to sources, Sonny Vitale is now vowing revenge:
But some experts on Chi-town organized crime have a more enticing theory than family rivalries. They note that this mob hit came just a couple of weeks after GM Mike Dunn was fired by Vitale. Then, a day later, Dunn suddenly returned. The theory, they say, is that Dunn worked with Sonny to have Vinnie rubbed out, as revenge for the abortive firing.
"Look, Sonny always wanted control," said noted mob watcher Shanda Lear, author of "Brewster's Billions: the Untold Story of Corruption and Mob Influence in the Brewster Baseball Association" (Skyfox Publishing, 2051). "And it was clear that Vinnie wasn't going anywhere soon. At the same time, Vinnie wanted Dunn gone. Once Dunn walked back in the door of the front office, it was clear that Sonny was attempting to seize control. This hit was the logical next step."
Dunn, when asked for comment, issued the following statement: "We remained focused on the free agent market, and won't let little inconveniences like the death of an owner distract us. When we see division rivals signing a guy who only played in UMEBA and the GBC to a nearly $100 million contract, we know that we must remain solely focused on free agency. So take your cockamamie theories elsewhere."
The death of Vitale comes only two weeks after Phoenix Talons owner Brian Fisher also died under mysterious circumstances, his body found in the bathroom of an iHop restaurant. Lear, the author of the book on MBBA corruption, was not surprised. "When you have this sort of group of owners, many of whom would sell their mother to win a title, seeing one or two meet an untimely end should shock no one."
