AS SEEN ON TV: BIG JIM COLOSIMO

I don't often bring it up with the "Two For Tuesday" edition of the "As Seen On TV" showcase, but usually one of those portrayals has to be from an alternate TV dimension... sometimes even both.

But this week, both televersions in the showcase can be considered for the main Toobworld, Earth Prime-Time.

BIG JIM COLOSIMO

AS SEEN IN:
'Boardwalk Empire'

AS PLAYED BY:
Frank Crudele

BIG JIM COLOSIMO

AS SEEN IN:
"Young Indiana Jones And The Mystery Of The Blues"

AS PLAYED BY:
Ray Serra

From Wikipedia & BlogPost:
The kingpin of Chicago's flesh trade, Big Jim Colosimo owned one of the most popular nightclubs in Chicago and most of the brothels with his partner and wife Victoria Moresco. He fell victim to the same vice he pedaled: lust. He fell for a young dancer, divorced his wife and made his empire suddenly vulnerable to take over.

Prohibition came into effect, making all manufacture, purchase, or sale of alcoholic beverages illegal. Johnny Torrio immediately realized the immense profits bootlegging could bring and urged Colosimo to enter the business. Colosimo refused; he was happy being just a pimp. In addition, Colosimo felt that expansion into other rackets would only draw more attention from the police and rival gangs. During this same period, Colosimo divorced Victoria, Torrio's aunt, and married Dale Winter, a pretty young actress and singer. Winter convinced Colosimo to settle down, dress more conservatively, and stay out of the news.

At this point, Torrio realized that Colosimo was a serious impediment to the mob's potential fortunes. With the approval of Colosimo's allies, the Genna brothers and Aiello, Torrio invited Yale to come to Chicago and kill Colosimo.

In May 1920, Colosimo went out of town to marry his second wife, Dale Winter (he had deserted his first wife). After Colosimo returned to Chicago a week later, Torrio called him and let him know about a shipment arriving at his cafe. When Colosimo appeared at the cafe to wait for its delivery, he was shot and killed.

The murder took place on May 11, 1920, in the main foyer of Colosimo's Cafe. No one was ever prosecuted. Torrio took over the deceased Colosimo's vast criminal kingdom and started to venture into bootlegging.

The initial murder suspect was his new wife Dale, but no one was ever arrested for the murder. It was widely believed that Torrio ordered Colosimo's killing so that the gang could enter the lucrative bootlegging business.

At first, it doesn't look like these two versions of Big Jim Colosimo can be reconciled. The actors look somewhat alike, so that helps. But Colosimo is dressed differently and his murder is played out under different circumstances: according to 'Boardwalk Empire', Big Jim opens up the restaurant and is apparently alone in the place (which looks more ornate and authentic as a restaurant in 'Boardwalk Empire' than in the Indiana Jones tele-flick). But apparently the restaurant is bustling and young Indy Jones is there as a witness.

Normally this would be irreconcilable, but the first version broadcast, from the 'Young Indiana Jones Chronicles', gives us an out - it's a flashback. What we're seeing is a memory of Indiana Jones from thirty years later. After three decades, he was pretty hazy on the details.

(This splainin would then work for all of the episodes of 'YIJC'. And those splainins would be even stronger as they would be the memories of a man in his 90s!)

Dr. Jones could be excused for not remembering hwo Colosimo was dressed or how his body lay after the hit. As for being present when the actual murder looked to take place in an empty restaurant, we can assume that Indiana Jones was present in that 'Boardwalk Empire' episode; it's just that he and the rest of the wait staff were with the kitchen help back in the kitchen. As to him thinking the place was already open for business, the general sense of panic probably influenced his memories.

So even with all of the discrepancies between the two versions, both portrayals of Big Jim Colosimo can exist in the same Toobworld.

BCnU!