From Ziegfeld glamour to mobster's widow, Dale Winter embodied the Jazz Age
Admirers and the envious whispered Dale Winter's name. Beauty and stage presence propelled her through the Ziegfeld Follies, her star soaring on Broadway. Hollywood beckoned, and her sophisticated allure made her a sought-after actress, though true superstardom eluded her grasp. Newspaper columns chronicled her every move, from stunning gowns to her whirlwind social life. She epitomized Jazz Age elegance.
In my Roaring Twenties novel, Silver Echoes, Dale Winter eerily foreshadows Silver Dollar Tabor's future as Silver descends into darkness.
Offstage, her life exploded with drama: Dale Winter married "Diamond Jim" Colosimo...
a notorious Chicago gangster, shocking society. Imagine the whispers: refined actress and ruthless mobster! Colosimo, who built his empire on vice, previously shared ownership of brothels with Victoria Moresco.
They say Colosimo's Cafe witnessed their first encounter. Dale, a striving singer, performed there. Colosimo, a man who appreciated beautiful women, became captivated. Perhaps power and wealth lured Dale, or perhaps she saw a different side to "Diamond Jim." Regardless, a lavish wedding cemented their unlikely power couple status.
Darkness lurked behind the glitz. Colosimo's criminal empire cast a long shadow. Dale, despite wealth and fame, reportedly lived with gnawing unease, haunted by violence and law enforcement.
Their marriage raged with conflict. Dale's world of glamour clashed with Colosimo's world of crime. Though she enjoyed wealth, she became inextricably linked to a dangerous man.
Then, the unthinkable struck. Jim Colosimo fell victim to his own world, murdered.
His death, a brutal reminder of organized crime's ruthlessness, left Dale a widow, forever marked by her mob connection. The spotlight, once highlighting glamour and talent, now harshly linked her to the notorious gangster—not as his ex-wife, but as his widow.
After Colosimo's death, Dale's sparkle dimmed. Her career never recovered its brilliance. Whispers and rumors, her widowhood tied to a criminal, trapped her in the past. She became a cautionary figure, a reminder of the underworld's dangers.
In Silver Echoes, quirky, vibrant, real-life characters wrestle with their dreams against the background of elegant speakeasies, Prohibition, mobsters, and unthinkable violence.
Dale Winter's story mirrors Silver Dollar Tabor's, cautioning against ambition, lust, and the seductive allure of danger. She was torn between show business's lights and organized crime's shadows. Her life reveals tragedy beneath glitz and glamour. Dale's story, woven into Silver Echoes, enriches the narrative, reminding us of untold stories.