Biography:

James Fisk was born on April 1, 1834 in Bennington, Vermont.  He was a financier, stockbroker, and one of the robber barons.  He formed a brokerage firm in 1866.  A few years later, he and his business partner Jay Gould fought Cornelius Vanderbilt for control of the Erie Railroad.  During the Erie War Gould and Fisk inflated the value of the stocks and thus succeeded in gaining control of the Erie Railroad.  The pair bribed and created alliances with a number of judges, legislators, and politicians including Boss Tweed.  On September 24, 1869, their financial schemes and dishonesty led to the panic of Black Friday.  Fisk was married to Lucy Moore and his mistress was Josie Mansfield.  Mansfield later had an affair with Edward Stokes and the pair attempted to blackmail Fisk out of a large sum of money.  On January 6, 1872 an argument between Stokes and Fisk turned deadly when Stokes shot and killed Fisk.