NOLO CONTENDRE

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: Hitman

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: The Trust

Enemies: Bo Barrigan, "Killer" Croesus, Simon Ejszaka, Injun Joe, "Joisey" Joe, Morgan, George "Georgie Porgy" Ovani, Punisher (Castle), Tomas Santiago, Charlie Siciliano, "Happy" Jack Tanner;
    many more over the years

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: "No Contest" (translation of his title <Latin>)

Base of Operations: Detroit, Michigan;
    also active in Manhattan, New York

First Appearance: Punisher I#2 (February, 1986)

Powers/Abilities: No superhuman powers. He is a strong (stronger than the Punisher) and savage combatant, skilled with various forms of armed and unarmed combat. He is also a talented assassin, requiring stealth.

History: Little is known about Nolo Contendre, other than the fact that he was a hitman operating out of Detroit, with a perfect record.

(Punisher I#2) - After the faked death of the Kingpin, the group known as the Trust saw the opportunity to wipe out organized crime once and for all.  The Trust hired Nolo Contendre to take out a number of notable mob leaders. He successfully assassinated Bo Barrigan, "Killer" Croesus, Injun Joe, George "Georgie Porgy" Ovani. He also cut the cable on Morgan's elevator, dropping him to the ground and crippling him, though Morgan survived, unbeknownst to him.

    Another mobster, Charlie Siciliano, organized a meeting of some of the remaining mob bosses to stop what he perceived to be a gang war. This meeting--held overnight at a closed Grand Centtral Station--was attended by himself, Simon Ejszaka, "Joisey" Joe, Tomas Santiago, "Happy" Jack Tanner, and others. However, Nolo Contendre learned of the meeting and ambushed the mobsters, killing Joisey Joe and possibly others. The Punisher, who had also learned of the meeting, pursued Nolo Contendre into the subway station. Nolo got the drop on Castle and shot him point blank in the chest, falling for the "target effect" of Castle's skull symbol, through which he was shielded by kevlar. Castle went after him again, catching him in the shoulder with a blade. The stronger Nolo tackled Castle and proceeded to start strangling him, but Castle managed to kick him back. Nolo's head went through the glass door in the subway, which then opened, decapitating him.

Comments: Created by Steven Grant and Mike Zeck.

Castle pretty much just wanted to know who had hired Nolo, but things escalated.

I'm not 100% certain that it was Nolo Contendre that took out all of the mobsters one by one...it may have just been in-fighting within the mob.

The moral of the story: When the subway says "Please stand clear of the closing doors," you do it!!

Thanks to Ronald Byrd and Joe Littrell for pointing out:
Actually, it's spelled Nolo contendere, and is Latin for <literally> "I do not wish to contend."
see the dictionary.com entry -
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=nolo%20contendere

CLARIFICATIONS:
Not so much

images: (without ads)
Punisher I#2, p18, pan4 (main image)