- "There was a murder in a bowling alley. A man named Prohaszka. Owned a majority in Kitchen Cabs."
"They were turning those over in the garage they took me to."
"Right, I think Fisk hired the man that killed Prohaszka." - ―Matt Murdock and Claire Temple[src]
The Assassination of Prohaszka was a murder of Prohaszka, planned by Wilson Fisk to take control over the Kitchen Cab.
Background[]
- "We're handling it."
"Like you keep saying you're handling Prohaszka."
"We are in the process of negotiating with Mr. Prohaszka." - ―James Wesley and Vladimir Ranskahov[src]
As a part of Wilson Fisk's alliance with Vladimir and Anatoly Ranskahov, the Russian Mafia was in charge of the distribution of Madame Gao's Steel Serpent heroin across New York City. However, their capacity was limited, so Fisk and James Wesley attempted to negotiate with Prohaszka to acquire the Kitchen Cab assets for the Russian Mafia to use, but Prohaszka made it clear that he had no interest in working with them.[4] Fisk and Wesley eventually decided to get rid of Prohaszka for good and instructred John Healy to carry out the hit.[5]
Assassination[]
John Healy confronts Prohaszka
- "This is how he negotiates, huh?"
- ―Prohaszka to John Healy[src]
Acquiring a gun from Turk Barrett, John Healy approached Prohaszka at Whitestone Lanes where he had a private bowling game and did not want to have anything to do with Healy. Healy kept insisting to join him for a game, so Prohaszka ordered his men to kick him out, but Healy quickly subdued both of them and pointed his gun at Prohaszka. However, the gun jammed despite Barrett's guarantees, so Prohaszka knocked it out of Healy's hands and attacked him. In a subequent brawl between the two, Healy was able to break Prohaszka's arm and punch him several times, before tackling him on the floor and crushing his head with a bowling ball. The Whitestown Lanes clerk called the New York City Police Department, so Healy hid the gun under the arcade machine and surrenedered, immediately requesting a lawyer to represent him.[5]
Aftermath[]
- "All I wanted was to throw a few balls. The lady at the shoe counter will tell you the same."
"She also says that you crushed the deceased's skull with a bowling ball."
"Self-defense. The man and his... whatever they were, they threatened my life." - ―John Healy and Foggy Nelson[src]
With John Healy arrested, James Wesley approached Nelson and Murdock on behalf of Confederated Global Investments and offered them to take on his case, expecting them to handle it without any suspicions. Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson met with Healy at 15th Precinct Police Station, who claimed that he killed Prohaszka in self-defense, although he refused to disclose anything about Wesley. Despite Nelson being wary, Murdock accepted the case and offered to waiver criminal procedure law 180.80, but Healy refused and insisted on proceeding with the trial immediately. Meanwhile, Wesley attended Whitestone Lanes and collected the gun that Healy hid there, so no evidence could point at them.
Nelson and Murdock represent John Healy in court
During the trial when Nelson insisted that Healy was acting in self-defense, Murdock noticed that one of the jurors felt nervous when Wesley entered the courtroom. As the Masked Man, Murdock found out that she was being blackmailed by Oscar and forced him to back off, although Oscar claimed that it would not make a difference. As the trial resumed, Murdock found out that there are more jurors being blackmailed and the jury voted for Healy to be proclaimed not guilty. Once Healy walked out of the courtoom, he was attacked by the Masked Man who forced Healy to admit that he had been working for Wilson Fisk, before Healy killed himself out of fear of Fisk's wrath.[5]
In the wake of Prohaszka's death, Leland Owlsley seized his holdings and transferred them over to Vladimir and Anatoly Ranskahov, leading to Kitchen Cab being absorbed by Veles Taxi, operated by the Russian Mafia.[6]