ORLANDO WILLIAMS WAS THE JACKIE Robinson of hitmen. He was the first—and only—black contract hitter sanctioned to work on the west coast. He was known and respected within the crime world. When wiseguys spoke of him, most were reverential, whispering the legends of hits he’d performed and people he’d whacked. They called him “The Professor.” This was more than just a cool nickname referencing his considerable talents in the killing arts. They called him this because he was actually a professor. Where most contract hitters killed exclusively, Orlando held down a civilian job. Professor Orlando Williams taught Russian lit at UCLA, and served as the director of the university’s Department of Slavic Languages and Literature.
Most people would think it strange that a man should be both an este
