He must have felt somewhat secure with the recent peace agreement he had reached with fellow Mafia boss John Vitale or he would have never allowed himself to be in such a vulnerable position or to travel without a bodyguard. What ever the case, John Vitale, the prime suspect in the murder of Gianolla was conveniently meeting with his attorney at the time of the incident discussing the strategy for his upcoming trial for wounding a police officer during the attack on his headquarters. With the death of Gianolla his gang split into two independent factions, both still opposed to John Vitale, but Vitale was now the most powerful and influential Mafia boss in Detroit.