Ominous Explanations Behind Infamous Mobsters' Nicknames Unfortunately Make A Lot Of Sense
With a nickname like "Lord High Executioner," there's a good chance most people will think twice about messing with you. But while names like "Scarface" and "The Iceman" seem pretty appropriate for someone in the business of "painting houses," others like "Joey the Clown" and "The Chicken Man" don't quite have that same intimidating mob ring to them. So could a guy called the "Artichoke King" really be that dangerous? Judging by the histories of these infamous mobsters, the men behind the monikers were often far worse than their nicknames let on.
Alphonse "Scarface" Capone
Arguably the most infamous mobster of all time, Capone earned his iconic nickname while working as a bouncer at the Harvard Inn nightclub in New York City. After accidentally insulting the sister of Frank Galluccio, a local mobster, Galluccio slashed Capone with a knife three times on the left side of his face.
John "Jackie Nose" D'Amico
The "street boss" of the Gambino crime family from 2005 to 2011, D'Amico wasn't too big on his "Jackie Nose" moniker. According to mobster Michael DiLeonardo, D'Amico had undergone a rhinoplasty to fix his formerly oversized nose — and no one ever let him forget it.
James "Whitey" Bulger
The infamous Winter Hill crime boss is perhaps best known for evading law enforcement for 16 years before ultimately being captured in 2011. Bulger actually preferred being called "Jim," "Jimmy," or even "Boots" early on in his criminal career, though after local police dubbed him "Whitey" because of his blond hair, the nickname stuck.
Anthony "Big Tuna/Joe Batters" Accardo
This Chicago Outfit boss actually had two nicknames, each with very different origins. Accardo's "Joe Batters" moniker was allegedly gifted by Al Capone, who remarked he was "a real Joe Batters" after he beat three mobsters to death with a baseball bat; his "Big Tuna" nickname, on the other hand, was coined by the press, who photographed him holding a large tuna while on a fishing trip.
