Nick De John (1909-1947)
Nicholas “Nick” De John was born on August 15, 1909 in Chicago to Giovanni and Pietrina “Beatrice” (Inserra) DiGiovanni. (His family’s surname can sometimes be spelled Di John, De John, or DiGiovanni.)
On May 11, 1947, Nick De John was found murdered in the trunk of his car in San Francisco.
Jack McGurn Murdered
February 15, 1936: Jack McGurn “Machine Gun Jack” was murdered on February 15, 1936, one day after the 7th anniversary of the St. Valentines Day Massacre. The killers tossed a Valentines Day card near to his body: “You’ve lost your job, you’ve lost your dough, Your jewels and cars and handsome houses, But things could still be worse you know… At least you haven’t lost your trousers!”
Nick De John was briefly considered a suspect but was dropped. The identity of McGurn’s killers remains unknown
Vincent Benevento Shot
December 28, 1945: Vincent Benevento, a member of the Grand Avenue crew, was shot and wounded in his cheese store on December 28, 1945. Nick De John was questioned, along with Dominic Brancato and Dominic DeBello. The press reported that De John was Benevento’s enforcer. Shortly before Benevento’s death, De John was reported to make trips to Detroit and California.
Frank Marshall Murdered
January 21, 1946: Chicago police received an anonymous letter that read that the writer overheard a conversation in a restaurant among three men who said that there were going to have Paul Labriola “take care of De John”. The men also allegedly said that the “De John outfit” was in “hot water” because of the killing of Frank Marshall on January 21, 1946 in Chicago.
Eddie Jones Kidnapped
May 11, 1946: Policy king Edward “Eddie” Jones was kidnapped on May 11, 1946, and held for $100,000 ransom. After the ransom was paid, he and his brother George moved to Mexico. Nick De John was questioned.
Nick De John Moves to California
Nick De John moved from Chicago to California in 1946 after a falling out with the Guzik-Levin gambling syndicate in Chicago. De John reportedly had sought to move into control of the Italian Cheese market in Chicago. [Other Killings related to the Italian Cheese Market are detailed here.]
Nick De John Murdered, May 9, 1947
On May 9, 1947, San Francisco police were called to investigate a car that had been left parked in front of 3004 Laguna Street. When police opened the trunk, they found Nick De John’s dead body. It was believed that De John was murdered within 24 hours prior to his body being found in the truck of his car. He had been strangled with a cord or piano wire as evidenced by a thin red line around his neck.