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{{Short description|Italian-American organized crime group}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Infobox criminal organization
{{synthesis|date=February 2012}}
| name = Cleveland crime family
{{refimprove|date=June 2007}}
| image = <!-- filename only -->
{{original research|date=February 2012}}
| image_size = <!--(defaults to 220px)-->
| caption =
| founded = {{Circa}} {{start date and age|1920}}
| founder = ]
| named_after =
| founding_location = ], ], U.S.
| years_active = {{circa|1920{{ndash}}present}}
| territory = Primarily ], with additional territory throughout Ohio, ], ] and ], as well as ] and ], ]<ref>
* '']'' (November 28, 1968) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429224418/https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,840406,00.html |date=April 29, 2024 }}
* Larry Keller, '']'' (June 1, 1991) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240507203404/https://www.newspapers.com/article/south-florida-sun-sentinel/43360450/ |date=May 7, 2024 }}
* Mike Tobin, '']'' (April 8, 1999) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211161012/https://www.clevescene.com/news/end-of-the-line-1472059 |date=December 11, 2023 }}
* John Petkovic, '']'' (November 23, 2015) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807194646/https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2015/11/the_cleveland_mafia_the_end_of.html |date=August 7, 2020 }}
* Chez Chesak, '']'' (August 3, 2019) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240507175238/https://www.latimes.com/travel/story/2019-08-02/newport-kentucky-las-vegas-gambling-big-name-stars-mob |date=May 7, 2024 }}
* Shay McAlister and Taylor Weiter, ] (May 6, 2021) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240507184641/https://www.whas11.com/article/news/crime/unsolved/newport-george-hawkins-constable-cleveland-mafia/417-40d79657-45e9-4498-8beb-6a647b1a6cea |date=May 7, 2024 }}
* clevelandcrib.org {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200813232058/https://www.clevelandcrib.org/mob-mafia/ |date=August 13, 2020 }}
* Richard Challis {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240507185430/https://dspace.nku.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/1ba72c87-0a1c-4db4-b49b-76e8e832dd6c/content |date=May 7, 2024 }}
</ref>
| ethnicity = ] as "]" and other ethnicities as associates
| membership_est = 60 made members (1950s)<ref name="Notable organized crime figures"> Evan MacDonald, '']'' (July 29, 2015) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603143841/https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2015/07/notable_organized_crime_figure.html |date=June 3, 2023 }}</ref>
| leaders =
| activities = Racketeering, murder, bombing, drug trafficking, skimming, labor racketeering, extortion, prostitution, illegal gambling, construction, garbage collection, loansharking, bookmaking, bribery, assault<ref>
* Ken Prendergast, AmericanMafia.com (October 2002) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803071634/https://www.americanmafia.com/Feature_Articles_241.html |date=August 3, 2021 }}
* John Petkovic, '']'' (November 23, 2015) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807194646/https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2015/11/the_cleveland_mafia_the_end_of.html |date=August 7, 2020 }}
* Mike Tobin, '']'' (April 8, 1999) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211161012/https://www.clevescene.com/news/end-of-the-line-1472059 |date=December 11, 2023 }}
</ref>
| allies = {{plainlist|
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]<ref name="Motorcycle Gangs Overview"> p. 13 ] (May 1991) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526143251/https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/Digitization/147691NCJRS.pdf |date=May 26, 2023 }}</ref>
}} }}
| rivals = {{plainlist|
* ]
* and various other gangs in the Cleveland area
}}
| notable_members =
}}
The '''Cleveland crime family''', also known as the '''Scalish crime family''' or the '''Cleveland Mafia''', is an ] ] ] based in ], ], and throughout the ] area. The organization formed during the 1900s, and early leadership turned over frequently due to a series of power grabs and assassinations. In 1930, ] became ] and was able to bring some stability to the Cleveland family. Under the control of the family's longest-serving boss, ], who led the organization from 1945 until his death in 1976, the Cleveland family exerted influence over the ] (IBT), profiting from ] and the ] of revenue from ] ]s. The family's membership peaked at around sixty "]" during the 1950s.<ref name="Notable organized crime figures"/>


When Scalish died unexpectedly during heart surgery without naming a successor in 1976, the Cleveland family fell into turmoil. A violent ] erupted during the late 1970s when ] ] attempted to take over the city's criminal rackets. ], who became boss of the Cleveland family after Scalish's death, hired hitman ] to kill Greene.<ref>{{cite web |title=United States v. Licavoli |url=https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=9909540152062974273&q=United+States+of+America,+Plaintiff-appellee,+v.+James+T.+Licavoli+(82-3498),+Anthony+Liberatore+(82-3509,82-3606),+John+P.+Calandra+(82-3510),+Pasquale+Cisternino(82-3511),+Ronald+Carabbia+(82-3512),+Kenneth+Ciarcia(82-3513),+Defendants-appellants&hl=0en&as_sdt=2006 |access-date=23 May 2024}}</ref> After several failed attempts on Greene's life, Ferritto succeeded with a ], ending the mob war. The war drew significant law enforcement attention, however, reducing membership and influence of the family. Much of the family's weakening can be attributed to ], who turned government witness and provided the ] (FBI) with incriminating information on the organization.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Porrello |first1=Rick |title=The Rise and Fall of the Cleveland Mafia |date=August 10, 2023 |edition=1}}</ref>
{{Infobox Criminal organization
| name = Cleveland crime family
| image =
| caption =
| founding location = ], ], United States
| founded by = ]


Following a series of convictions, including those of bosses Licavoli, ] and ], the Cleveland family nearly ceased to exist during the 1980s and 1990s. Lonardo became the highest-ranking member of the Mafia to turn government witness when he began cooperating with authorities in 1983.<ref name="Lonardo told FBI"> ] (May 16, 1986) {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20240524191334/https://www.upi.com/Archives/1986/05/16/Angelo-Lonardo-the-former-underboss-of-the-Cleveland-Mafia/5567516600000/ |date=May 24, 2024 }}</ref> As of the early 2000s, law enforcement agencies believe the family is a smaller group but is attempting to rebuild itself, participating in ] and ].<ref name="Last Of The Mohicans"> Scott Burnstein, ''The Gangster Report'' (April 13, 2022) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220414003313/https://gangsterreport.com/one-of-the-last-of-the-mohicans-in-the-ohio-mafia-billy-d-dileno-made-his-mark-cleveland-button-man-moves-on-to-the-big-casino-in-the-sky/ |date=April 14, 2022 }}</ref>
| years active = 1900s-present
| ethnic makeup = "]" are Italian and Sicilian Americans and the associates can be both Sicilian and Italian, but many associates can be of different races and cultural backgrounds
| membership = 50 made members
| territory = ] and all ], ], and ]
| criminal activities = ], murder, car bombing, drug trafficking,skimming, labor racketeering, extortion, illegal gambling, construction, garbage collection, loansharking, bookmaking, bribery, assault
| allies = ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and the ] crime families
| rivals = various ] over Cleveland, including their allies
}}
The '''Cleveland crime family''' is the collective name given to a succession of Mafia gangs, such as the '''Licavoli crime family''' (pronounced {{IPA-it|liˈkaːvoli|}})or the '''Mayfield Road Mob''', that were based in Cleveland's little Italy.<ref>Mobsters, unions, and feds: the Mafia and the American labor movement By James B. Jacobs </ref> The '''Cleveland crime family''' was an ] (or ]) ] active in the ], ] and the ] from the beginning of the 1920s until the 1980s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.freetimes.com/stories/15/9/the-mafia-plot-to-kill-dennis-kucinich|title=The Cleveland Free Times :: Cover :: The Mafia Plot To Kill Dennis Kucinich|date=2007-07-08|access-date=2017-06-22|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070708205903/http://www.freetimes.com/stories/15/9/the-mafia-plot-to-kill-dennis-kucinich|archivedate=2007-07-08|df=}}</ref>


==History== ==History==
===Early organized crime in Cleveland===
Semi-organized ]- and ]-run "]" ] rackets first emerged in ], ], around the year 1900. The ] (CDP) soon established an "Italian squad" (also known as the "Black Hand squad") to deal with the problem. After a series of Black Hand-related murders in the city in 1906, the Italian squad largely suppressed this first expression of ] in Cleveland.{{sfn|May|2014|page=71}}{{Efn|"Black hand" murders continued into the 1920s.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kelly|first=Ralph|title=Murder in Cleveland: The Prohibition Toll. Chapter 1-The Bodies in the Snow|work=The Plain Dealer|date=December 26, 1933|pages=1, 9}}</ref>}}

Loosely organized gangs emerged again in the 1910s. One Italian American ], known as the Mayfield Road Mob, formed in Cleveland's ] neighborhood about 1913.{{sfn|Griffin|DeNevi|2002|page=166}} Elsewhere in Little Italy,{{sfn|May|2014|page=67}}{{Efn|Now part of Cleveland's ] and ] neighborhoods, Big Italy ran along Woodland Avenue from Ontario Street/Orange Avenue in the west to E. 40th Street in the east. Initially Sicilian (with Italians coming after 1910), the Big Italy community formed about 1900. It was home to most of the city's wholesale and retail produce stores, and most residents worked as laborers and tradesmen. It began to decline significantly during the 1930s, and vanished in the 1940s as whites moved out and ] moved in.{{sfn|Bonocore|2005|page=20}}{{sfn|Mitchell|2008|page=7}}{{sfn|Miller|Wheeler|1997|page=103}}}} ] Angelo Serra oversaw a gang primarily specializing in ] that at one point yielded $500,000 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|500000|1916|r=-5}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars) a year. At roughly the same time, Dominic Benigno led a gang which ] in payroll ].<ref name=merrick>{{cite news|last=Merrick|first=Frank J.|title=Giving the Low-Down on Cleveland Rackets|work=The Plain Dealer|date=August 27, 1933|pages=Plain Dealer Magazine 3, 5}}</ref>{{sfn|May|2014|pages=67-79}}{{Efn|Cleveland crime historian Allan R. May says Benigno was the first head of the Mayfield Road Mob.{{sfn|May|2014|page=67}} But Cleveland public prosecutor Frank J. Merrick said that after Benigno was executed in June 1922, there was no successor as head of the gang,<ref name=merrick /> which makes the case for a distinction between the Benigno Gang and the Mayfield Road Mob.}} Meanwhile, another Italian American gang, the Collinwood Crew, operated around the intersection of St. Clair Avenue, E. 152d Street and Ivanhoe Road in ].{{sfn|McCarthy|2011|pages=109-110}} A less organized criminal organization was the "reservoir gang", a group of criminals engaged in armed robbery, auto theft, ] and other property crimes which established a base at the Baldwin Water Treatment Plant ].{{sfn|May|2014|page=171}}

Following the institution of ] in 1919,<ref>{{cite web|last=Birkhimer|first=Lily|title=The Prohibition Era Begins|website=Ohio Memory|date=June 1, 2012|access-date=August 22, 2018|url=http://www.ohiohistoryhost.org/ohiomemory/archives/641}}</ref> and nationally throughout the United States on January 16, 1920.{{sfn|Anderson|2003|page=96}} many small, organized gangs emerged to illicitly import ] from Canada, diverting alcohol from legitimate purposes (such as medicine and industry) and distilling and distributing home-brewed alcohol.<ref name=kelly2 /> Small ] operations were run by formerly legitimate businessmen like Michelino Le Paglia, August L. Rini and Louis Rosen.<ref name=kelly3>{{cite news|last=Kelly|first=Ralph|title=Murder in Cleveland: The Prohibition Toll. Chapter 3—Rise of the Rum Kings; the 'Bloody Corner|work=The Plain Dealer|date=December 28, 1933|pages=1, 5}}</ref> A number of small bootlegging gangs, run by ]ish residents, began operating in the "Little Hollywood" area of ],<ref name=kelly5>{{cite news|last=Kelly|first=Ralph|title=Murder in Cleveland: The Prohibition Toll. Chapter 5—Death in Ambler Park: A Bootleg Joke|work=The Plain Dealer|date=December 30, 1933|page=7}}</ref> an area bounded by Lexington and Hough Avenues between E. 73rd and E. 79th Streets.<ref>{{cite report|author=Cleveland City Planning Commission|title=Civic Vision 2000 Citywide Plan|location=Cleveland, Ohio|date=1991|page=92|access-date=August 25, 2018|url=http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/cwp/2000/assets/Civic_Vision_2000_RegionII.pdf}}</ref> The ]s, ] and gambling halls of Little Hollywood became the favorite hangouts of small gang leaders throughout Cleveland, many of whom established their offices in the city's tiny ].<ref name=kelly5 /> Larger organizations included an Italian American gang centered on Woodland Avenue and E. 55th Street, and an Italian American gang centered on Woodland and E. 105th Street.{{Efn|These gangs existed prior to Prohibition, but were much smaller, less organized, and focused primarily on small-time crimes like auto theft, burglary, and the occasional raid of goods from unattended ]s in railroad yards.<ref name=kelly2 />}} The Mayfield Road Mob grew larger as it focused more on bootlegging.<ref name=kelly2>{{cite news|last=Kelly|first=Ralph|title=Murder in Cleveland: The Prohibition Toll. Chapter 2-Rosen and Adelson Got Better Publicity|work=The Plain Dealer|date=December 27, 1933|pages=1, 5}}</ref>


===The Lonardo and Porrello brothers=== ===The Lonardo and Porrello brothers===
]
The Cleveland crime family originated in the early 1900s when the four Lonardo brothers (Joe, Frank, John & Dominic) and seven Porrello brothers immigrated to the United States from ], ]. The Lonardo and Porrello brothers first established themselves as legitimate businessmen. The two groups dabbled in various criminal activities including robbery and extortion, before prohibition, but were not yet considered a major organization.<ref>DeVico, p. 142</ref>
The four Lonardo brothers (], Frank, John and Dominic) and seven Porrello brothers (Rosario, Vincenzo, Angelo, Joseph, John, Ottavio and Raymond) were immigrants to the United States from ], ], ]. Initially establishing themselves as legitimate businessmen, the Lonardos and the Porrellos dabbled in various criminal activities including robbery and ] but were not considered a major organization prior to Prohibition.{{sfn|DeVico|2007|page=142}}


At the start of Prohibition, Joseph "Big Joe" Lonardo, the second eldest of the Lonardo brothers, became the first ] of the Cleveland crime family.{{sfn|DeVico|2007|page=142}} His top lieutenant, Joseph Porrello, supervised various criminal operations throughout the early to mid-1920s.<ref name="Lonardo Dead"> Rick Porrello, AmericanMafia.com (April 2006) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060411160445/https://www.americanmafia.com/Feature_Articles_343.html |date=April 11, 2006 }}</ref>
At the start of ], Joseph "Big Joe" Lonardo was the boss of the Cleveland crime family.<ref>DeVico, p. 142</ref> He was the second oldest of the four Lonardo brothers. He and his brothers began by supplying Cleveland's bootleggers with the corn sugar they needed to produce liquor. His top lieutenant was Joseph "Big Joe" Porrello, who supervised various bootlegging and other criminal operations throughout the early to mid-1920s.


===Split factions (1926–1927)=== ===Split factions (1926–1927)===
In 1926, the Porrello brothers (Rosario, Vincenzo, Angelo, Joseph, John, Ottavio, and Raymond) broke away from the Lonardo family and formed their own faction. They established their headquarters on upper Woodland Avenue, around E. 110th St. In 1927, hostilities between the Lonardo and Porrello families escalated as the families competed with the in the both corn sugar business. During Prohibition, corn sugar was the prime ingredient in ]. In 1926, the Porrellos broke away from the Lonardos and formed their own faction, establishing their headquarters on upper Woodland Avenue, around E. 110th Street. In 1927, hostilities between the Lonardos and the Porrellos escalated as the families competed in the manufacture of ], the prime ingredient in bootleg liquor.<ref name="Lonardo Dead"/>


In the summer of 1927, ], boss of the Lonardo faction at the time, left for Sicily, Italy amongst rising tension between the two families. He left his brother John and adviser, ] as acting heads of the Cleveland family. When Lonardo returned, a sitdown was scheduled between the Lonardos and the Porrellos. On October 13, 1927 Joseph Lonardo and his eldest brother John were to meet with Angelo Porrello in a Porrello-owned barber shop. Inside the barbershop, the Lonardo brothers relaxed into playing a game of cards. They were then ambushed by two gunmen and assassinated. This allowed Joseph Porrello to take over as boss of the Cleveland crime family and become the most influential corn sugar baron in the Cleveland area. In the summer of 1927, "Big Joe" Lonardo left Cleveland for Sicily amongst rising tension between the two factions. He left his brother John and his adviser, ], as acting heads of the Cleveland family. When Lonardo returned, a sitdown was scheduled between the Lonardos and the Porrellos. On October 13, 1927, Big Joe and John were to meet with Angelo Porrello in a Porrello-owned barbershop. After the brothers were relaxed into playing a card game, they were ambushed and killed by two Porrello gunmen.<ref name=twobrothers>{{cite news|title=Two Brothers Murdered in Bootleg War|work=The Plain Dealer|date=October 14, 1927|pages=1, 5}}</ref><ref name=hitsnew>{{cite news|title=Hits New Lead in Murder of Two Lonardos|work=The Plain Dealer|date=October 15, 1927|pages=1, 8}}</ref> This allowed Joseph Porrello to take over as boss of the Cleveland family and become the most influential corn sugar baron in ].<ref name="Lonardo Dead"/>


===The Porrellos (1927–1930)=== ===The Porrellos (1927–1930)===
].]] ].]]
Through late 1927 and much of 1928, the remaining Lonardo loyalists, which included members of the Mayfield Road Mob and various Jewish allies within the Cleveland Syndicate, continued to rival the Porrellos for the leadership within the Cleveland underworld. They vied for control of the most lucrative rackets outside of the corn sugar business, which included gambling, the most profitable hustle for crime families of the period after bootlegging.<ref name="Lonardo Dead"/>


To establish dominance, the Porrellos needed backing from the top Mafia bosses in ], as well as other leading Mafia families across the U.S. On December 5, 1928, one of the earliest-known Mafia summits in American history was held at Cleveland's ]. Joseph Porrello, with the help of his top lieutenant Sam Tilocco, hoped to urge the other bosses, which included ] and ] of New York, to declare him the official boss of Cleveland.<ref name="Lonardo Dead"/> However, the meeting turned into a fiasco as some of the well-known attendees were recognized by local law enforcement and arrested along with their associates. The Porrellos arranged for their associates to be bailed out of jail. In spite of the chaos, Joseph Porrello was declared the boss and recognized nationwide as head of the Cleveland family.<ref name="Golden Era"> Frank Kuznik, '']'' (August 1, 1978) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221116183716/https://clevelandmagazine.com/in-the-cle/the-read/articles/the-golden-era-of-the-mob |date=Nobvember 16, 2022 }}</ref>
Through late 1927 and much of 1928, the remaining Lonardo faction loyalists, which included an up-and-coming Mafia group known as the ''Mayfield Road Mob'' (led by Frank Milano) and various Jewish allies within the ''Cleveland Syndicate,'' continued to rival the Porrello family for the leadership within the Cleveland underworld. They vied for control of the most lucrative rackets outside of the corn sugar business, which included gambling, the most profitable hustle for American Mafia crime families after bootlegging.


On June 11, 1929, "Black Sam" Todaro was murdered.{{sfn|Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations|1988|pages=96-97}} By the end of Prohibition, most of the Porrello brothers and their supporters had been killed or had sided with the Mayfield Road Mob. Joseph Porrello himself was ambushed and killed along with an underling at the Venetian Restaurant, owned by Porrello rival ].<ref name="Golden Era"/> Vincenzo "Jim" Porrello succeeded his brother as Cleveland boss, but was shot and killed three weeks later in a grocery store on East 110th Street and Woodland Avenue, in an area considered a Porrello stronghold. Raymond Porrello declared revenge, and on August 15, 1930, an explosion leveled his home. He was not present at the time.
To establish dominance, the Porrello's needed backing from the top Mafia bosses in New York, as well as other leading Mafia families across the United States. On December 5, 1928, a high-level American Mafia meeting was held at the Statler Hotel in Cleveland. Joseph Porrello, with the help of one of his top lieutenants Sam Tilocco, hosted the event in hopes that the top Mafia bosses from across the United States would declare him the official Mafia boss of Cleveland.

The attendees of the Cleveland meeting became participants to one of the first known ] summits in American history.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.writersofwrongs.com/search?q=cleveland|title=The Writers of Wrongs|access-date=2017-06-22}}</ref> Some of the powerful bosses who attended included ] and ] of New York. However, the meeting turned into a fiasco as some of the well-known attendees were recognized by local law enforcement and arrested along with their associates. Meanwhile, Mafiosi continued to arrive from across the country for the Mafia summit.

The Porrello brothers arranged for their associates to be bailed out of jail. In spite of the chaos, Joseph Porrello was declared the boss and recognized nationwide as head of the Cleveland crime family. On June 11, 1929, Porrello family Lieutenant Sam Todaro was murdered. At the end of Prohibition, most of the Porrello brothers and their supporters had been killed or had sided with the Mayfield Road Mob.

On July 5, 1930, Joseph Porrello was invited to a sitdown with Frank Milano at the Milano-owned Venetian Restaurant. Gunfire erupted and boss Joseph Porrello and his underling were killed. Vincenzo "Jim" Porrello succeeded his brother as Cleveland Mafia boss. Three weeks after his brother's murder, Vincenzo was shot in the back of the head and murdered in a grocery store on East 110th Street and Woodland Avenue in an area considered a Porrello stronghold. Raymond Porrello declared revenge, and on August 15, 1930, an explosion leveled Raymond's home. He was not home at the time.


===Mayfield Road Mob (1930–1944)=== ===Mayfield Road Mob (1930–1944)===
], 1930.]] ], 1930.]]
During the early 1930s, Frank Milano and the Mayfield Road Mob gradually replaced the Porrello brothers as the Cleveland area's premier Mafia group, with Milano becoming the official boss of the Cleveland family.<ref name="Golden Era"/> In 1931, Milano joined the ], a network of powerful criminals which included ] and ]. By 1932, Milano had become one of the top Mafia bosses in the country and a charter member of ], the Mafia's governing body.<ref name="Golden Era"/>


On February 25, 1932, Milano finished off the Porrello brothers by having Raymond and Rosario Porrello, along with their bodyguard Dominic Gueli, murdered in a smoke shop on East 110th Street and Woodland Avenue while playing cards.<ref name="Golden Era"/> The remaining Porrellos subsequently backed out of the Cleveland underworld and fled the area.
In the early 1930s, Frank Milano and the "Mayfield Road Mob" of Cleveland's ] had replaced the Porrellos as the Cleveland area's premier Mafia group. The Mafia faction was even mentioned by its old name in the movie "The Godfather" as the Lakeview Road Gang, as Lakeview Cemetery borders Mayfield Road Hill which marks the beginning of Little Italy in Cleveland. This area is also referred to as "Murray Hill" by locals. This Mafia family was formed in the late 1920s and was headed by Frank Milano.


In 1935, Milano fled to Mexico after being ] for ].<ref name="Golden Era"/> Alfred Polizzi, another leading member of the Mayfield Road Mob, seized power and reigned as boss until 1944, when he himself was convicted of tax evasion.<ref name="Golden Era"/>
In 1931, Milano joined the National Crime Syndicate, a network of powerful criminals from around the country, such as Charlie Luciano and Meyer Lansky. Milano was now the official boss of Cleveland crime family. By 1932, Milano had become one of the top American Mafia bosses in the country and a charter ] member.

On February 25, 1932, Milano made sure the Porrello family and their gang were finished for good by having Raymond and Rosario Porrello, along with their bodyguard, Dominic Gueli, murdered in a smoke shop on East 110th Street and Woodland Ave. in their old territory while they were playing cards. After this, the remaining Porrello brothers backed out of the Cleveland underworld and fled the area.

In 1935 Milano fled to Mexico after being indicted for tax evasion. Alfred Polizzi, another leading member of the Mayfield Road mob, seized power and reigned as boss until 1944 when he was convicted of tax evasion.


===Collinwood Crew=== ===Collinwood Crew===
The Collinwood Mob, also known as the Young Turks, was based in Cleveland's South Collinwood Neighborhood, was at times integrated with the Mayfield Road Mob and has a Mafia history as old as that of the Mayfield Road Gang. The most notorious of the Collinwood Crew was the late Alfred "Allie Con" Calabrese. Allie Con was feared and respected in both neighborhoods and known as a stand-up guy, a "true gangster". His crew consisted of Joe "Joey Loose" Lacobacci, the late Butchie Cisternino and others from an area that stretched from the 152nd Street bridge, up Five Points and Ivanhoe Road, down Mandalay across London Road to Wayside and over to Saranac bordering the Collinwood Train Yards. The Collinwood Crew, also known as the Young Turks, was at times integrated with the Mayfield Road Mob. Members of the Collinwood Crew included Alfred "Allie Con" Calabrese, Joe "Joey Loose" Lacobacci, Butchie Cisternino. Their territory stretched from the 152nd Street bridge, up Five Points and Ivanhoe Road, down Mandalay across London Road to Wayside and over to Saranac bordering the Collinwood Train Yards.


===Scalish era (1944–1976)=== ===Scalish era (1944–1976)===
Following Polizzi's ouster in 1944, ] began the longest reign of any Cleveland boss. Under his leadership, the Cleveland family developed ties with important crime figures such as Lansky, ], ] and ], as well as the ] and the ] in New York. Additionally, the family expanded its influence to areas throughout the ], ], ] and ], ].<ref name="demise of a Don"> John Petkovic, '']'' (November 23, 2015) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807194646/https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2015/11/the_cleveland_mafia_the_end_of.html |date=August 7, 2020 }}</ref> The family helped finance the construction of Las Vegas' ] ] in the late 1940s and received a percentage of profits from the resort in exchange for providing protection.{{sfn|Martinelli|2011|page=87}}
] held the longest reign of any Cleveland mob boss. He took control of the family in 1944, and remained the boss for thirty-two years, until his death in 1976. During his time as the crime family's leader, the group developed ties with important crime figures like ], ], ], and ]. The Family also became allies of the extremely powerful ] and ]. Additionally, The Cleveland mob also expanded its influence to areas throughout the Midwest, as well as California, Florida, and Las Vegas.


In the 1950s, the Cleveland family reached its peak in size, with about sixty "]" members, and several times as many associates.<ref name="Notable organized crime figures"/> By the 1970s, however, the family's membership began to decrease after Scalish chose not to induct new members.{{sfn|Martinelli|2011|page=87}} The family's main sources of income during this period came from two primary sources; a partnership with other Midwestern crime families which allowed the organization to profit from the "]" of various Las Vegas casinos, and an arrangement with the ] which entitled the Cleveland family to twenty-five percent of the Pittsburgh family's profits from rackets in ].{{sfn|Martinelli|2011|page=87-88}} The Cleveland, ] and ] families also exerted influence over the multibillion-dollar Central States Pension Fund of the ] (IBT), and in 1974 the three groups backed a $62.75 million Pension Fund loan to buy two Las Vegas casinos.<ref name="3 Mob Families"> George Lardner Jr., '']'' (November 22, 1985) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240324181118/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1985/11/23/3-mob-families-linked-to-teamsters-fund/fffb0a69-9233-4517-8da5-64090281d6a1/ |date=March 24, 2024 }}</ref> Additionally, the Cleveland family collected protection money from casinos in ] and ].{{sfn|Martinelli|2011|page=88}}
In the 1950s, the family reached its peak in size, with about 60 "made" members, and several times as many associates. By the 1970s the family's membership began to decrease because Scalish didn't induct many new members. Scalish died during open heart surgery in 1976 and failed to name a successor beforehand.


===War with Danny Greene and decline (1976–1990s)=== ===War with Danny Greene and decline (1976–1990s)===
]
After the Death of John Scalish, it was decided by the family's members that James "Jack White" Licavoli would take over as boss. Licavoli, worked for the infamous ] in Detroit during the Prohibition before moving to Cleveland, where he gradually rose up the ranks of the city's underworld.
John Scalish died during ] in 1976, without officially naming a successor.<ref name="demise of a Don"/> It was decided afterward by the family's members that James "Jack White" Licavoli would take over as boss.{{sfn|Martinelli|2011|page=88}} During Licavoli's reign, an ] named ] began competing with the Cleveland family for control of the city's rackets.{{sfn|Martinelli|2011|page=89}} Greene partnered with ], a rogue Mafia associate and Teamster, who arranged the murder of Calogero "Leo Lips" Moceri, Licavoli's ].{{sfn|Martinelli|2011|page=89}} Moceri disappeared after attending a ] festival in Little Italy on August 22, 1976; his blood-stained car was found in ] days later, although his remains were never recovered. Moceri was allegedly killed by Keith Ritson, an enforcer for Greene.<ref name="Hit List"> Scott Burnstein, GangsterReport.com (July 17, 2014) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221105091625/https://gangsterreport.com/cleveland-top-5-mob-hits/ |date=November 5, 2022 }}</ref>


During his reign, an Irish gangster named ] began competing with the Mafia for control of union rackets. This resulted in a violent mob war between the Mafia and the Danny Greene gang, during which there were almost 40 car bombings in Cleveland. This time period earned Cleveland the unofficial title of "Bomb City U.S.A.”.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2016/05/the_cleveland_mafia_death_of_a.html|title=The Cleveland Mafia: Death of a don ignites Bomb City, USA (vintage photos)|work=cleveland.com|access-date=2017-06-23|language=en-US}}</ref> Danny was backed by mob associate and teamster John Nardi, who was killed on May 17, 1977, by a car bomb in the parking lot of the Teamster Hall in Cleveland. Moceri's murder resulted in a violent mob war between the Cleveland family and Greene's gang, during which almost forty ]ings took place in the city of Cleveland.<ref>{{cite news|last=Petkovic|first=John|title=The Cleveland Mafia: Death of a don ignites Bomb City, USA|work=The Plain Dealer|date=May 26, 2016|access-date=June 23, 2017|url=http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2016/05/the_cleveland_mafia_death_of_a.html}}</ref> Among the casualties was Nardi, who was killed on May 17, 1977, by a car bomb in the parking lot of the local Teamster Hall.{{sfn|Martinelli|2011|page=89-90}}


Eventually, Licavoli and his crew began attempting to kill Greene. On one occasion, bombs were planted around Greene's home, one in the front and one in the back; the first bomb went off but the second failed, allowing Greene and his young girlfriend to escape.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-05-06 |title=Bomb City U.S.A.: The untold story of Cleveland's mobster dynasty |url=https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/investigations/bomb-city-usa-cleveland-mobster-dynasty/95-ff184a7c-f95e-478b-986b-c4469c69ad9a |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=wkyc.com |language=en-US}}</ref> After several similarly failed hits, it became evident that the Cleveland family needed outside help, which came in the form of ] ].{{sfn|Martinelli|2011|page=89-90}}
After eight failed attempts to kill Greene, it became evident that Licavoli’s outfit needed outside help. In 1977, Danny Greene was murdered after a scheduled a visit to his dentist. After learning of the dentist appointment scheduled by Greene, Licavoli and Lonardo contracted ] to assassinate him. While Greene was in the dentist’s office, a bomb was placed underneath a car adjacent to his. Upon return to his vehicle the bomb was exploded remotely. Greene lay under the ruins of his vehicle for at least an hour before his corpse was removed.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://blog.cleveland.com/pdextra/2011/02/car_bomb_kills_danny_greene.html|title=Car bomb kills Danny Greene|work=cleveland.com|access-date=2017-06-23|language=en-US}}</ref>


On October 6, 1977, while Greene was performing a scheduled visit to his dentist, a car with a radiofrequency bomb placed inside its door was parked next to his. Upon return to his vehicle, the bomb was exploded remotely by Ferritto and Ronald “Ronnie the Crab” Carabbia.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-05-06 |title=Bomb City U.S.A.: The untold story of Cleveland's mobster dynasty |url=https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/investigations/bomb-city-usa-cleveland-mobster-dynasty/95-ff184a7c-f95e-478b-986b-c4469c69ad9a |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=wkyc.com |language=en-US}}</ref> The two men were seen by a woman named Debbie Spoth, who was able to help police identify Ferritto.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-05-06 |title=Bomb City U.S.A.: The untold story of Cleveland's mobster dynasty |url=https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/investigations/bomb-city-usa-cleveland-mobster-dynasty/95-ff184a7c-f95e-478b-986b-c4469c69ad9a |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=wkyc.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Greene's body lay under the ruins of his vehicle for at least an hour before his corpse was removed.<ref>{{cite news|title=Car bomb kills Danny Greene|work=The Plain Dealer|date=October 7, 1977|access-date=June 23, 2017|url=http://blog.cleveland.com/pdextra/2011/02/car_bomb_kills_danny_greene.html}}</ref> Following the assassination, Ferritto heard that the Cleveland family wanted him dead and ], leading to the arrest of Licavoli and other Cleveland mobsters.{{sfn|Martinelli|2011|page=90}}
After Greene’s assassination, Ferritto heard that the Cleveland Crime Family wanted him dead and in response became an FBI informant. The information that he provided led to the arrests of many high ranking mafia members, including John Licavoli himself.


In 1978, the CDP warned then-] ] that the Cleveland family had put out a hit on him because of some of his initiatives were hindering their criminal activities. Police informed Kucinich that a hitman was planning on shooting the mayor while he marched in the ] parade; Kucinich missed the parade as he was hospitalized with a ruptured ].<ref>{{cite web|last=Renner|first=James|title=The Mafia Plot To Kill Dennis Kucinich|work=The Cleveland Free Times|date=July 8, 2007|access-date=June 23, 2017|url=http://www.freetimes.com/stories/15/9/the-mafia-plot-to-kill-dennis-kucinich|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070708205903/http://www.freetimes.com/stories/15/9/the-mafia-plot-to-kill-dennis-kucinich|archive-date=July 8, 2007}}</ref> However, the mayor took note of the threat and began keeping a gun in his home for protection.<ref>{{cite news|last=Dubail|first=Jean|title=Kucinich packed heat after 1978 Mafia death plot|work=The Plain Dealer|date=April 27, 2007|access-date=March 26, 2018|url=http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2007/04/kucinich_packed_heat_after_197.html}}</ref>
Eventually, Licavoli was sent to prison for the murder of Danny Greene in 1982. Angelo Lonardo, the son of Prohibition mob boss Joseph Lonardo, took control of the Cleveland crime family. He led the family until 1984 when he was convicted of running a drug ring and was sentenced to life in prison. He then became an informant, making him the highest-ranking Mafia turncoat up to that time. He informed on powerful Mafiosi from numerous families while in prison, and caused serious damage to the Mafia's infrastructure.


Emboldened by the sudden death of Cleveland '']'' Anthony "Tony Dope" Delsanter in August 1977, Vincent "Two-Gun Jimmy" Prato, the local '']'' from the Pittsburgh family, attempted to establish a ] over gambling and extortion rackets in Youngstown, a territory which had historically been shared between the two families. This resulted in a mob war, consisting of twelve murders, which lasted between 1978 and 1981.<ref name="Flames Of Discontent"> Scott Burnstein, GangsterReportr.com (November 10, 2016) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181102204802/https://gangsterreport.com/the-flames-of-discontent-in-youngstown-cleveland-pittsburgh-mob-war-ii-murder-timeline/ |date=November 2, 2018 }}</ref><ref name="Crimetown USA"> David Grann, '']'' (July 10, 2000) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160127170333/https://newrepublic.com/article/68973/crimetown-usa |date=January 27, 2016 }}</ref><ref name="This Week"> AmericanMafia.com (December 3, 2001) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040511010616/https://www.americanmafia.com/Mob_Report/12-3-01_Mob_Report.html |date=May 11, 2004 }}</ref> The Pittsburgh family emerged victorious after the disappearances of Cleveland capo Charles "Charlie the Crab" Carabbia in December 1980 and his crew's top hitman, Joseph DeRose, Jr., in April 1981.<ref name="Steel City Mafia">'''' Paul N. Hodos (2023) {{ISBN|9781467153751}}</ref> According to testimony from Pittsburgh mobster-turned-government witness Lenny Strollo, Carabbia was lured to a meeting at a Youngstown donut shop and killed on the orders of Prato and his chief underling, Joseph "Little Joey" Naples, in order to give the Pittsburgh family undisputed control over Youngstown. The killing, as per Strollo's testimony, was carried out with the permission of the Cleveland family leadership.<ref> Mike Tobin, '']'' (April 8, 1999) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211161012/https://www.clevescene.com/news/end-of-the-line-1472059 |date=December 11, 2023 }}</ref>
After Lonardo became an informant, the Cleveland crime family's boss was John "Peanuts" Tronolone. Peanuts was a long-time Miami Beach resident who prior to becoming the boss, was a South Florida point man for the New York-based Genovese crime family and other mobsters. He was also closely associated with Meyer Lansky. In 1989 he became the only Mafia boss to have the distinction of being arrested in a hand-to-hand undercover transaction by local law enforcement. He accepted jewelry from Dave Green, an undercover Broward County deputy in exchange for bookmaking and loan-sharking debts. He died before he could start his nine-year state prison sentence.


Eventually, Licavoli was sent to prison for ] charges related to the murder of Greene in 1982.<ref name="demise of a Don"/> Angelo Lonardo, the son of Joseph Lonardo, took control of the Cleveland family until 1984, when he was convicted of running a drug ring and was sentenced to ]. Angelo Lonardo then became an informant, making him the highest-ranking Mafia turncoat up to that time. He informed on powerful ''mafiosi'' from numerous families while in prison and caused serious damage to the Mafia's infrastructure.<ref name="Introduction to Criminology">'''' Frank E. Hagan, and Leah E. Daigle (2018) {{ISBN|9781544339023}}</ref>
In 1978, Cleveland police warned then-mayor ] that local Mafia members had put out a hit on him because of some of his mayoral initiatives were hindering money-making opportunities. Police told Kucinich that a hitman was planning on shooting the mayor while he marched in The Columbus Day Parade in October 1978. Kucinich missed the parade as he was hospitalized with a ruptured ulcer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.freetimes.com/stories/15/9/the-mafia-plot-to-kill-dennis-kucinich|title=The Cleveland Free Times :: Cover :: The Mafia Plot To Kill Dennis Kucinich|date=2007-07-08|access-date=2017-06-23|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070708205903/http://www.freetimes.com/stories/15/9/the-mafia-plot-to-kill-dennis-kucinich|archivedate=2007-07-08|df=}}</ref> However, he took the threat but took note of the threat and began keeping a gun in his home for protection.<ref></ref>


After Lonardo became an informant, John "Peanuts" Tronolone, a long-time ] resident and ] point man for the Genovese family, was named the new boss of the Cleveland family. In 1989, Tronolone became the only Mafia boss to have the distinction of being arrested in a hand-to-hand undercover transaction by local law enforcement when he accepted jewelry from Dave Green, an undercover ] deputy in exchange for ] and loansharking debts. Tronolone died in 1991 before he could start his nine-year state prison sentence.<ref name="Reputed Chief"> '']'' (June 1, 1991) {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20240324011718/https://www.sun-sentinel.com/1991/06/01/john-tronolone-reputed-cleveland-mob-family-chief/ |date=March 24, 2024 }}</ref>
The Cleveland family was ravaged by the FBI and other law enforcers to the point where it was thought to have no living members outside of prison by the early 1990s, making the Family, in any serious criminal capacity, defunct.{{Citation needed|date=February 2014}}

By 1990, the Cleveland family had been so aggressively dismantled by law enforcement agencies that the family had no made members who were not imprisoned and the organization was reported to be virtually defunct.<ref name="Introduction to Criminology"/><ref name="Reputed Chief"/><ref name="Cleveland Mob History"> clevelandcrib.org {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200813232058/https://www.clevelandcrib.org/mob-mafia/ |date=August 13, 2020 }}</ref> In addition to convictions, defections and deaths, the loss of the family's influence over the IBT also significantly weakened their stature.{{sfn|Capeci|2002|page=101}} After Tronolone's death, Anthony "Tony Lib" Liberatore took over the remnants of the Cleveland family until he was imprisoned for racketeering and ] in 1993.<ref name="Cleveland Mob History"/><ref name="Vintage Photos"> '']'' (March 28, 2016) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131000847/https://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/vintage-photos-of-clevelands-most-notorious-mobsters/Slideshow/38343045 |date=January 31, 2023 }}</ref>

=== Current position ===
Following the imprisonment of Liberatore, two ''mafiosi'' who had been inducted into the family by Angelo Lonardo in 1983 – Joseph "Joe Loose" Iacobacci and Russell "R.J." Papalardo – became the leading figures in the Cleveland Mafia.<ref name="Cleveland Mob History"/> Iacobacci, along with Alfred "Allie" Calabrese, was convicted of ] and sentenced to three years in federal prison in 1995, during which time Papalardo served as acting boss of the family.<ref name="Introduction to Criminology"/><ref name="Vintage Photos"/>

In May 1998, Anthony P. Delmonti, an associate of the Cleveland family and the ], ], faction of the ], became a confidential informant for the FBI's Cleveland office and provided the Bureau with information on a Mafia-controlled Rochester-to-Cleveland stolen car ring, a ]-to-Cleveland cocaine ring headed by Cleveland businessman Robert E. Walsh and a $10 million-per-year ] operated by Virgil Ogletree, a former associate of Shondor Birns and ].<ref name="Cleveland Mob History"/><ref name="Rat"> Thomas Francis, '']'' (October 8, 2003) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207094611/https://www.clevescene.com/news/rat-1484103 |date=December 7, 2022 }}</ref><ref name="Secretly worked for the feds"> Joel Rutchick and John Caniglia, AmericanMafia.com (February 24, 2001) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010405100508/https://www.americanmafia.com/News/2-24-01_Delmonti_Worked_For_Feds.html |date=April 5, 2001 }}</ref> Delmonti covertly recorded over 500 audio and videotapes which led to the seizure of $100,000 in illicit gambling money, $250,000 in stolen vehicles and 700 kilograms of cocaine, and over a hundred convictions in Cleveland and Rochester between 2000 and 2002.<ref name="Rat"/><ref name="Mob has ebbed"> Gary Craig, '']'' (April 28, 2004) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240325232958/https://www.newspapers.com/article/democrat-and-chronicle-april-28-2004-mo/6582091/ |date=March 25, 2024 }}</ref><ref name="work is done"> '']'' (October 27, 2005) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240325233620/https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/137190768/ |date=March 25, 2024 }}</ref><ref name="Adventures with a made man"> Michael Heaton, '']'' (June 14, 2016) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211218050223/https://www.cleveland.com/ministerofculture/2016/06/adventures_with_a_mob_made_man.html |date=December 18, 2021 }}</ref>

Despite the imprisonment of Iacobacci in the late 1990s, he and Papalardo were reportedly able to steadily rebuild the organization in the 21st century.<ref name="Cleveland Mob History"/><ref name="Introduction to Criminology"/> Iocobacci inducted new members into the family, forged ties with the Chicago Outfit, the ] and the ] of ], and reportedly oversaw rackets in Cleveland, Youngstown, Pittsburgh and Rochester.<ref name="Joe Loose"> Mike Dickson, AmericanMafiaHistory.com (June 21, 2020) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101011840/https://americanmafiahistory.com/joseph-iacobacci-joe-loose-of-the-cleveland-mob/ |date=November 1, 2020 }}</ref><ref name="Ohio Mourns"> Scott Burnstein, GangsterReport.com (April 17, 2020) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221109141629/https://gangsterreport.com/ohio-mourns-loss-of-don-midwest-mob-chief-joe-loose-dies-in-cleveland/ |date=November 9, 2022 }}</ref> Iocobacci retired in the 2000s after he reportedly relinquished much of his family's territory to the Chicago Outfit.<ref name="Last Of The Mohicans"/> Papalardo succeeded Iacobacci as boss of the Cleveland family upon Iacobacci's retirement.<ref name="Cleveland Mob History"/>{{sfn|Martinelli|2011|page=84}} In 2020, crime reporter Scott Burnstein described the organization as: "These days, the Cleveland crime family is a small group of mostly old-timers, bookies and loansharks".<ref name="Ohio Mourns"/> According to Burnstein, the Cleveland Mafia is an "almost-benign group ... with a limited formal structure."<ref name="Last Of The Mohicans"/>


==Historical leadership== ==Historical leadership==


===Boss (official and acting)=== ===Boss (official and acting)===
*1920–1927 – ] – murdered in 1927. *1920–1927 – ] – murdered in 1927.{{sfn|Martinelli|2011|page=84}}
*1927–1929 – ] – murdered in 1929. *1927–1929 – ] – murdered in 1929.{{sfn|Martinelli|2011|page=84}}
*1929–1930 – ] – murdered in 1930. *1929–1930 – Joseph "Big Joe" Porrello – murdered in 1930.
*1930–1935 – ] – fled in Mexico in 1935, deceased in 1970. *1930–1935 – ] – fled to Mexico in 1935, moved to California in the late 1950s; died of natural causes in 1970.{{sfn|Martinelli|2011|page=84}}
*1935–1945 – ] – arrested in 1944, retired in ] in 1945, deceased in 1975. *1935–1945 – ] – arrested in 1944, retired to ] in 1945, died of natural causes in 1975.{{sfn|Martinelli|2011|page=84}}
**''Acting'' 1944–1945 – ] **''Acting'' 1944–1945 – ] - died of complications during heart surgery in 1976.
*1945–1976 – John "Johnny" Scalish *1945–1976 – John T. "John Scalise" Scalish{{sfn|Martinelli|2011|page=84}}
*1976–1985 – ] – imprisoned in 1981 and deceased in 1985. *1976–1985 – ] – imprisoned in 1981, died of natural causes in 1985.{{sfn|Martinelli|2011|page=84}}
**''Acting'' 1981–1983 – ] – turned informant in October 1983, deceased in 2006. **''Acting'' 1981–1983 – ] – turned informant in October 1983, died of natural causes in 2006.{{sfn|Martinelli|2011|page=84}}
**''Acting'' 1983–1985 – ] **''Acting'' 1983–1985 – ]
*1985–1991 – John "Peanuts" Tronolone *1985–1991 – John "Peanuts" Tronolone – died of natural causes in 1991{{sfn|Martinelli|2011|page=84}}
**''Acting'' 1991–1993 – Anthony "Tony Lib" Liberatore – imprisoned in 1993, deceased in 1998. *1991–1993 – Anthony "Tony Lib" Liberatore – imprisoned in 1993, died of natural causes in 1998.{{sfn|Martinelli|2011|page=84}}<ref name="Vintage Photos"/>
*1993–2005 – Joseph "Joe Loose" Lacobaccisemi-retired in 2005, living in ]. *1993–2004 – Joseph "Joe Loose" Iacobacci – retired, died 2020{{sfn|Martinelli|2011|page=84}}<ref name="Joe Loose"/>
*2005–present – Russell "R.J." Papalardo *2004–present – Russell "R.J." Papalardo{{sfn|Martinelli|2011|page=84}}


===Underboss=== ===Underboss===
*1930–1976 – ] – retired in 1976, deceased in 1978. *1930–1976 – ] – retired in 1976, deceased in 1978.{{sfn|Capeci|2002|page=100}}
*1976 – Calogero "Leo Lips" Moceri – disappeared and murdered in 1976. *1976 – Calogero "Leo Lips" Moceri – disappeared and murdered in 1976.
*1976–1983 – ] – turned informant in October 1983, deceased in 2006. *1976–1983 – Angelo "Big Ange" Lonardo – turned informant in October 1983, deceased in 2006.<ref name="Vintage Photos"/>
*1983–1985 – John "Peanuts" Tronolone – became boss in 1985. *1983–1985 – John "Peanuts" Tronolone – became boss in 1985.
*1985–1993 – Anthony "Tony Lib" Liberatore – imprisoned in 1993, deceased in 1998. *1985–1991 – Anthony "Tony Lib" Liberatore – became boss.
*1993–1995 – Alfred "Allie" Calabrese – imprisoned in 1995. *1991–1995 – Alfred "Allie" Calabrese – imprisoned in 1995.
*1995–2005Russel "RJ" Papalardo – became boss *1995–2004Russell "RJ" Papalardo – became boss


===Consigliere=== ===Consigliere===
*1930–1972 – John DeMarco *1930–1972 – John DeMarco – died in 1972{{sfn|Capeci|2002|page=100}}
*1972–1973 – Frank "Frankie B" Brancato *1972–1973 – Frank "Frankie B" Brancato
*1973–1977 – Anthony "Tony Dope" Delsanter *1973–1977 – Anthony "Tony Dope" Delsanter - died of natural causes in August 1977<ref name="Vintage Photos"/>
*1977–1985 – John "Peanuts" Tronolone – became underboss in 1985. *1977–1983 – John "Peanuts" Tronolone – became underboss in 1983.
*1985–1994 – Louis "Bones" Battista aka "The Bulldog" (deceased) *1983–1993 – Louis "Bones" Battista aka "The Bulldog" (deceased)
*1999–2010 – Raymond "Lefty" LaMarca (deceased 2010) <ref>{{cite web |title=Raymond C. "Papa Duck" LaMarca |url=https://obits.cleveland.com/obituaries/cleveland/obituary.aspx?n=raymond-c-lamarca-papa-duck&pid=146605962&fhid=2379 |access-date=29 November 2020 |ref=November 2010}}</ref>


==Current family soldiers== == Current family members ==
=== Administration ===
* Raymond "Lefty" LaMarca - Active
*'''Boss''' – '''Russell J. "R.J." Papalardo''' – born on July 4, 1941.<ref name="Papalardo"> Rachel Dissell, '']'' (January 31, 2010) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328204120/https://www.cleveland.com/pdextra/2010/01/russell_papalardo.html |date=March 28, 2024 }}</ref> Papalardo was inducted into the family in 1983.<ref name="Early Years Part 1"> Amy A. Kisil, AmericanMafia.com (February 2007) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071123142410/https://www.americanmafia.com/Feature_Articles_377.html |date=November 23, 2007 }}</ref> In 1986, he was convicted for his role in a multimillion-dollar cocaine ring operated by the Cleveland crime family and served four years in federal prison.<ref name="Dimora's neighborhood"> '']'' (December 7, 2008) {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20240328203344/https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2008/12/dimoras_neighborhood_attracts.html |date=March 28, 2024 }}</ref> Papalardo was made acting boss while Joseph "Joe Loose" Iacobacci was imprisoned in the late 1990s and he succeeded Iacobacci as boss of the family in the mid-2000s.<ref name="Introduction to Criminology"/>{{sfn|Martinelli|2011|page=84}}
* Alfred "Al " Morelli - Active


==Former members== == Former family members ==
* '''Alfred "Allie Con" Calabrese''' – former underboss. Calabrese survived an attempted car bombing in September 1976 when an explosive device attached to his vehicle detonated and killed his neighbor when the neighbor tried to move Calabrese's car.<ref name="Moceri dead"> John Dunphy and Douglas Balz, '']'' (December 20, 1977) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328230618/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-akron-beacon-journal/109300188/?locale=en-GB |date=March 28, 2024 }}</ref>
*Milton "Mashie" Rockman – was a Jewish mobster officially affiliated with Cleveland's Mayfield Road Mob. Rockman was the brother-in-law of Cleveland crime family bosses ] and ] and was a top Cleveland crime family associate involved in labor racketeering and the ] casino interests of the Cleveland Mafia. Rockman was recognized as an advisor to Johnny Scalish, Ange Lonardo and James "Blackie" Licavoli during the reign of these Cleveland Mafia leaders.
* '''John Calandra''' – former capo{{sfn|Capeci|2002|page=101}}
*Norman "The Hulk" Dabish now deceased was succeeded by his youngest son Jonathan "J.D" Dabish. Dabish was investigated and recognized by FBI officials for over a half dozen murders from 2006–2009
* '''Ronald "Ronnie the Crab" Carabbia''' – took control of the ] faction for the family following the death of Anthony Delsanter in August 1977.<ref name="Moceri dead"/> Carrabia was an accomplice to ] in the October 6, 1977 car bomb murder of ].<ref name="Last of the Northeast Ohio Gangsters"> Vince Guerrieri, '']'' (December 28, 2021) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328221617/https://clevelandmagazine.com/in-the-cle/news/articles/the-last-of-the-northeast-ohio-gangsters |date=March 28, 2024 }}</ref> In May 1978, he was convicted of aggravated murder for the killing.<ref name="Mobster Released"> (September 24, 2002) {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20240328220859/https://www.cleveland19.com/story/945834/mobster-released-on-parole-despite-objections/ |date=March 28, 2024 }}</ref> Carrabia was paroled from ] on September 24, 2002. He died on December 22, 2021, aged 92.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ronald Carabbia, former mob boss in Valley, dies at 92 |url=https://www.vindy.com/news/local-news/2021/12/ronald-carabbia-former-mob-boss-in-valley-dies-at-92/ |access-date=20 November 2022 |agency=News |publisher=Vindy |date=December 24, 2021}} {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20240328215810/https://www.vindy.com/news/local-news/2021/12/ronald-carabbia-former-mob-boss-in-valley-dies-at-92/ |date=March 28, 2024 }}</ref>
*Ronald "Ron the Crab" Carabbia – he was possibly a soldier. Carabbia is known for murdering Cleveland's Irish mob boss ] alongside ] in 1977, he received a life sentence for his role after Ferritto became a government witness and testified against him. He was released in 2002. It is alleged that he has retired from the mob and living out his older years meanwhile some sources say he has little association with the Cleveland mafia.
* '''Eugene J. "The Animal" Ciasullo''' – former soldier. Ciasullo was raised in ] and became a debt collector, bookmaker and loan shark in the family under John Scalish and James Licavoli.<ref name="Tamed"> Scott Burnstein, GangsterReport.com (August 8, 2016) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403192656/http://gangsterreport.com/historic-cleveland-mafia-enforcer-eugene-the-animal-finally-tamed-by-father-time-dies-at-85/ |date=April 3, 2019 }}</ref> He was believed by the FBI to have been a hitman.<ref name="whelan">{{cite news|last=Whelan|first=Edward P.|title=The Life and Hard Times of Cleveland's Mafia: How Danny Greene's Murder Exploded The Godfather Myth|work=Cleveland Scene|date=February 15, 2011|access-date=August 23, 2018|url=https://clevelandmagazine.com/entertainment/film-tv/articles/the-life-and-hard-times-of-cleveland's-mafia-how-danny-greene's-murder-exploded-the-godfather-myth}} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240324003916/https://clevelandmagazine.com/entertainment/film-tv/articles/the-life-and-hard-times-of-cleveland's-mafia-how-danny-greene's-murder-exploded-the-godfather-myth |date=March 24, 2024 }}</ref> On July 21, 1976, Ciasullo was severely wounded in a bombing at his home in ].<ref name="Bombings, bullets, bodies"> '']'' (December 20, 1977) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240413193254/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-akron-beacon-journal/47571642/?locale=en-GB |date=April 13, 2024 }}</ref> He died of natural causes in August 2016, at the age of 85.<ref name="Tamed"/><ref name="Ciasullo Obituary"> '']'' (August 6, 2016) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240413182153/https://obits.cleveland.com/us/obituaries/cleveland/name/eugene-ciasullo-obituary?id=6905889 |date=April 13, 2024 }}</ref>
* '''Pasquale "Butchie" Cisternino''' – former soldier. Cisternino assembled the bomb which killed ].<ref name="Moceri dead"/> He died in 1990.
* '''Anthony "Tony Dope" Delsanter''' – former ''consigliere'' and leader of the Youngstown faction
* '''William E. "Billy D" DiLeno''' – former soldier. DiLeno was a member of the Eastside faction of the Cleveland family. He was initiated into the family in the early 1990s.<ref name="Last Of The Mohicans"/> DiLeno died of natural causes at the age of 85, on April 6, 2022.<ref name="Dileono obituary"> ''Vitantonio - Previte Funeral Homes'' {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527145852/https://www.vitantonio-previtefuneralhomes.com/obituary/William-Dileno |date=May 27, 2022 }}</ref>
* '''Joseph Gallo''' – former capo{{sfn|Capeci|2002|page=101}}
* '''Joseph "Joe Loose" Iacobacci''' – powerful member of the family, serving as boss from 1993 to 2005. Iacobacci was able to partially rebuild the family, with the help of the ]. He died in April 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|title=JOSEPH IACOBACCI Obituary (2020) - The Plain Dealer|url=https://obits.cleveland.com/amp/obituaries/cleveland/195987077|access-date=2021-01-13|website=obits.cleveland.com|language=en}}</ref>
* '''Calogero "Leo Lips" Moceri''' – former underboss and leader of the family's ] faction.<ref name="Moceri dead"/> In 1952, he was arrested and questioned over the murder of ].<ref name="Moceri dead"/> Moceri disappeared on August 22, 1976; his killing was arranged by ] and carried out by Keith Ritson, an enforcer for ].{{sfn|Martinelli|2011|page=89}}<ref name="Hit List"/>
* '''Milton "Maishe" Rockman'''<ref name="whelan"/> – former associate, Rockman was a ] figure affiliated with the Cleveland crime family.<ref>{{cite news|last=Koziol|first=Ronald|title=Reputed Mob Boss Sentenced|work=Chicago Tribune|date=March 27, 1986|access-date=August 23, 2018|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1986/03/27/reputed-mob-boss-sentenced/}}</ref> Rockman was the brother-in-law of Cleveland crime family bosses John T. Scalish<ref name="whelan" /> and Angelo Lonardo, and was a top Cleveland crime family associate involved in labor racketeering and the Las Vegas casino interests of the Cleveland Mafia.<ref>{{cite news|last=Cardarella|first=Toni|title=Reputed mob figure Milton Rockman, who was held without...|work=United Press International|date=January 28, 1986|access-date=July 16, 2018|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1986/01/23/Reputed-mob-figure-Milton-Rockman-who-was-held-without/5789506840400/}}</ref>
* ''']''' – former capo{{sfn|Capeci|2002|page=101}}

== Government informants and witnesses ==
* '''Anthony P. Delmonti''' – associate involved in narcotics trafficking. He was sentenced to six years' imprisonment in 1987 after being informed on by his cocaine supplier, Carmen Zagaria. Owing $150,000 in restitution and addicted to drugs, Delmonti became a confidential informant for the ] in 1998.<ref name="Rat"/> Following a series of successful prosecutions resulting from Delmonti's cooperation, he went into hiding in ] and died from a heart attack on April 26, 2007, aged 61.<ref name="Cleveland Mob History"/><ref name="Adventures with a made man"/>
* ''']''' – associate and hitman who turned government witness after being implicated in the murder of ] in 1977.<ref name="Last of the Northeast Ohio Gangsters"/>
* ''']''' – acting boss of the family; turned government witness in 1983 after being sentenced to life imprisonment for drug trafficking and racketeering.
* ''']''' – associate. Presser was a ] official and ] president under control of the Cleveland family who became a confidential informant for the FBI in 1972.<ref name="Media Muscle Man"> Greg Stricharchuk, '']'' (October 1, 1980) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240414225028/https://clevelandmagazine.com/in-the-cle/the-read/articles/jackie-presser-media-muscle-man |date=April 14, 2024 }}</ref><ref name="Presser Ties"> Ronald J. Ostrow and Robert L. Jackson, '']'' (May 14, 1986) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240414223413/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-05-14-mn-5397-story.html |date=April 14, 2024 }}</ref><ref name="Mobbed Up"> Bob Sipchan, '']'' (October 22, 1989) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240414225258/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-10-22-bk-737-story.html |date=April 14, 2024 }}</ref>
* '''Carmen "Mr. C" Zagaria''' – soldier and leader of a drug ring who turned government witness after being indicted on several murders.<ref name="Rat"/>

== List of murders committed by the Cleveland crime family ==
{| border="1" class="wikitable"
|-
! Name || Date || Reason
|-
| ] || June 11, 1929 || Cleveland crime family boss Todaro was shot by ] and Dominic Sospirato, the son and nephew, respectively, of ], as revenge for killing the elder Lonardo.<ref name="Lonardo Dead"/><ref name="Hit List"/>
|-
| ] || May 17, 1977 || Cleveland crime family associate Nardi was killed with a car bomb after aligning himself with the ] boss ] in a war against the family.<ref name="Hit List"/>
|-
| ] || October 6, 1977 || Rival gang boss Greene was killed in a car bombing by Ronald Carabbia and ] after starting a mob war against the Cleveland crime family over control of local rackets.<ref name="Hit List"/>
|-
| Charles F. Grisham || December 3, 1978 || ] associate Grisham was killed with a sniper rifle by Joseph DeRose, Jr. in ] after he and James "Peeps" Cononico attempted to take over gambling rackets in ] controlled by Cleveland crime family associate Joseph Perfette.<ref name="Flames Of Discontent"/><ref name="This Week"/><ref name="Steel City Mafia"/><ref name="Organized Crime Report"> Law Enforcement Consulting Committee (1982) </ref>
|-
| James Cononico || January 11, 1979 || Cononico, an associate of Charles "Spider" Grisham, was shot by Joseph DeRose, Jr. in ].<ref name="Flames Of Discontent"/><ref name="Steel City Mafia"/><ref name="Organized Crime Report"/>
|-
| Jack R. Tobin || July 25, 1979 || "Black Jack" Tobin, a bookmaker, nightclub owner and Pittsburgh crime family associate, was killed with a shotgun after engaging in a gunfight with by Joseph DeRose, Jr. in ] during a gang war between the Cleveland and Pittsburgh crime families over racket territory in the ].<ref name="Flames Of Discontent"/><ref name="Steel City Mafia"/><ref name="Organized Crime Report"/>
|-
| John Magda || January 6, 1980 || An enforcer for Jack Tobin, Magda was asphyxiated by Joseph DeRose, Jr. and his body was found in a garbage dump in ].<ref name="Flames Of Discontent"/><ref name="Steel City Mafia"/><ref name="Organized Crime Report"/><ref name="End of an Era"> AmericanMafia.com (December 31, 2001) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030619161807/https://www.americanmafia.com/Mob_Report/12-31-01_Mob_Report.html |date=June 19, 2003 }}</ref>
|-
| Robert J. DeCerbo || February 13, 1980 || DeCerbo was killed with a shotgun by Joseph DeRose, Jr. in ] after switching sides from the Cleveland faction to the Pittsburgh faction during the Mahoning Valley mob war.<ref name="Flames Of Discontent"/><ref name="Steel City Mafia"/>
|-
| David Perrier || January 4, 1981 || Cleveland crime family associate David "Cowboy" Perrier was shot by ] and found dead in a ditch in ] due to suspicions that he was an informant and after he had insulted family boss ].<ref name="Flames Of Discontent"/><ref name="Lonardo">{{Cite web |url=http://www.nevadaobserver.com/Reading%20Room%20Documents/Cleveland%20LCN%20-Statement%20of%20Angelo%20Lonardo%20(1988).htm |title=Hearings on Organized Crime: 25 Years After Valachi |access-date=2008-07-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081005061739/http://www.nevadaobserver.com/Reading%20Room%20Documents/Cleveland%20LCN%20-Statement%20of%20Angelo%20Lonardo%20(1988).htm |archive-date=2008-10-05 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
|}

== See also ==
* ]
* ]


==References== ==References==
;Notes
{{Reflist}}
{{notelist}}
*Porrello, Rick. ''The Rise and Fall of the Cleveland crime family: Corn Sugar and Blood''. Barricade Books, 1995. {{ISBN|1-56980-058-8}}
*Porrello, Rick. ''To Kill the Irishman: The War that Crippled the Mafia''. Novelty, Ohio: Next Hat Press, 2004. {{ISBN|0-9662508-9-3}}
*{{cite book| last = DeVico| first = Peter J.| authorlink = | coauthors = | title = The Mafia Made Easy: The Anatomy and Culture of La Cosa Nostra| publisher = ]| year = 2007| location = Mustang, OK| pages = | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 978-1-60247-254-9}}


;Citations
==External links==
{{reflist|30em}}
*
*


==Bibliography==
{{Cleveland crime family}} {{American Mafia}}
*{{cite book|last=Anderson|first=Raymond G.|chapter=Beer|title=Alcohol and Temperance in Modern History: An International Encyclopedia. Volume 1|location=Santa Barbara, Calif.|publisher=ABC-CLIO|date=2003|isbn=9781576078334|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BuzNzm-x0l8C}}
*{{cite book|last=Bonocore|first=Joseph|title=Raised Italian-American: Stories, Values and Traditions From the Italian Neighborhood|location=New York|publisher=iUniverse|date=2005|isbn=9780595357215|url=https://archive.org/details/raiseditalianame00jose|url-access=registration}}
*{{cite book|last=Capeci|first=Jerry|title=The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Mafia|location=Santa Barbara, Calif.|publisher=Alpha Books|date=2002|isbn=9781592573059|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o64XJkmUPr0C&dq=joseph+iacobacci+prison+drug&pg=PA102}}
*{{cite book|last=DeVico|first=Peter J.|title=The Mafia Made Easy: The Anatomy and Culture of La Cosa Nostra|location=Mustang, Okla.|publisher=Tate Publishing|year=2007|isbn=9781602472549}}
*{{cite book|last1=Griffin|first1=Joe|last2=DeNevi|first2=Don|title=Mob Nemesis: How the FBI Crippled Organized Crime|location=Amherst, N.Y.|publisher=Prometheus Books|date=2002|isbn=9781573929196|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lI7qedvddcYC}}
*{{cite book|last=Martinelli|first=Patricia A.|title=True Crime: The State's Most Notorious Criminal Cases|location=Mechanicsburg, Pa.|publisher=Stackpole Books|date=2011|isbn=9780811744409|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tAeLw74tEAoC}}
*{{cite book|last=May|first=Allan R.|title=The Sly-Fanner Murders: The Birth of the Mayfield Road Mob, Cleveland's Most Notorious Mafia Gang|location=Cleveland|publisher=Con-Allan Press|date=2014|isbn=9780983703747}}
*{{cite book|last=McCarthy|first=Dennis M.P.|title=An Economic History of Organized Crime: A National and Transnational Approach|location=New York|publisher=Routledge|date=2011|isbn=9780415487962|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s2KrAgAAQBAJ}}
*{{cite book|last1=Miller|first1=Carol Poh|last2=Wheeler|first2=Robert A.|title=Cleveland: A Concise History, 1796-1996|location=Bloomington, Ind.|publisher=Indiana University Press|date=1997|isbn=9780253211477|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qJgpDMlCOPEC}}
*{{cite book|last=Mitchell|first=Sandy|title=Cleveland's Little Italy|location=Charleston, S.C.|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|date=2008|isbn=9780738552132|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=laqrFtLh9ucC}}
*{{cite book |author=Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations |title=Organized Crime 25 Years After Valachi: Hearings Before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Governmental Affairs, United States Senate. S. Hrg. 100-906. 100th Cong., 2d sess |series=S. HRG. ;100-906 |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |date=1988 |hdl=2027/mdp.39015028778994}}
*{{cite book|last=Porrello|first=Rick|title=The Rise and Fall of the Cleveland Mafia: Corn, Sugar, and Blood|location=New York|publisher=Barricade Books|date=1995|isbn=9781569800584}}
*{{cite book|last=Porrello|first=Rick|title=To Kill the Irishman: The War that Crippled the Mafia|location=Novelty, Ohio|publisher=Next Hat Press|date=2004|isbn=9780966250893}}

{{Cleveland crime family}}
{{American Mafia}}
{{Organized crime groups in the United States}}

{{authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Cleveland Crime Family}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Cleveland Crime Family}}
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Latest revision as of 12:33, 16 October 2024

Italian-American organized crime group Criminal organization
Cleveland crime family
Foundedc. 1920; 104 years ago (1920)
FounderJoseph "Big Joe" Lonardo
Founding locationCleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Years activec. 1920–present
TerritoryPrimarily Greater Cleveland, with additional territory throughout Ohio, Northern Kentucky, Western Pennsylvania and Western New York, as well as South Florida and Las Vegas, Nevada
EthnicityItalians as "made men" and other ethnicities as associates
Membership (est.)60 made members (1950s)
ActivitiesRacketeering, murder, bombing, drug trafficking, skimming, labor racketeering, extortion, prostitution, illegal gambling, construction, garbage collection, loansharking, bookmaking, bribery, assault
Allies
Rivals
  • Celtic Club
  • and various other gangs in the Cleveland area

The Cleveland crime family, also known as the Scalish crime family or the Cleveland Mafia, is an Italian-American Mafia crime family based in Cleveland, Ohio, and throughout the Greater Cleveland area. The organization formed during the 1900s, and early leadership turned over frequently due to a series of power grabs and assassinations. In 1930, Frank Milano became boss and was able to bring some stability to the Cleveland family. Under the control of the family's longest-serving boss, John T. Scalish, who led the organization from 1945 until his death in 1976, the Cleveland family exerted influence over the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), profiting from labor racketeering and the skimming of revenue from Las Vegas casinos. The family's membership peaked at around sixty "made men" during the 1950s.

When Scalish died unexpectedly during heart surgery without naming a successor in 1976, the Cleveland family fell into turmoil. A violent gang war erupted during the late 1970s when Irish mobster Danny Greene attempted to take over the city's criminal rackets. James T. Licavoli, who became boss of the Cleveland family after Scalish's death, hired hitman Ray Ferritto to kill Greene. After several failed attempts on Greene's life, Ferritto succeeded with a car bomb, ending the mob war. The war drew significant law enforcement attention, however, reducing membership and influence of the family. Much of the family's weakening can be attributed to Jimmy Fratianno, who turned government witness and provided the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) with incriminating information on the organization.

Following a series of convictions, including those of bosses Licavoli, Angelo Lonardo and John Tronolone, the Cleveland family nearly ceased to exist during the 1980s and 1990s. Lonardo became the highest-ranking member of the Mafia to turn government witness when he began cooperating with authorities in 1983. As of the early 2000s, law enforcement agencies believe the family is a smaller group but is attempting to rebuild itself, participating in illegal gambling and loansharking.

History

Early organized crime in Cleveland

Semi-organized Sicilian American- and Italian American-run "Black Hand" extortion rackets first emerged in Cleveland, Ohio, around the year 1900. The Cleveland Division of Police (CDP) soon established an "Italian squad" (also known as the "Black Hand squad") to deal with the problem. After a series of Black Hand-related murders in the city in 1906, the Italian squad largely suppressed this first expression of organized crime in Cleveland.

Loosely organized gangs emerged again in the 1910s. One Italian American gang, known as the Mayfield Road Mob, formed in Cleveland's Little Italy neighborhood about 1913. Elsewhere in Little Italy, notary public Angelo Serra oversaw a gang primarily specializing in auto theft that at one point yielded $500,000 ($14,000,000 in 2023 dollars) a year. At roughly the same time, Dominic Benigno led a gang which monopolized in payroll robberies. Meanwhile, another Italian American gang, the Collinwood Crew, operated around the intersection of St. Clair Avenue, E. 152d Street and Ivanhoe Road in Collinwood. A less organized criminal organization was the "reservoir gang", a group of criminals engaged in armed robbery, auto theft, burglary and other property crimes which established a base at the Baldwin Water Treatment Plant reservoir.

Following the institution of Prohibition in 1919, and nationally throughout the United States on January 16, 1920. many small, organized gangs emerged to illicitly import liquor from Canada, diverting alcohol from legitimate purposes (such as medicine and industry) and distilling and distributing home-brewed alcohol. Small bootlegging operations were run by formerly legitimate businessmen like Michelino Le Paglia, August L. Rini and Louis Rosen. A number of small bootlegging gangs, run by Jewish residents, began operating in the "Little Hollywood" area of Hough, an area bounded by Lexington and Hough Avenues between E. 73rd and E. 79th Streets. The brothels, speakeasies and gambling halls of Little Hollywood became the favorite hangouts of small gang leaders throughout Cleveland, many of whom established their offices in the city's tiny red-light district. Larger organizations included an Italian American gang centered on Woodland Avenue and E. 55th Street, and an Italian American gang centered on Woodland and E. 105th Street. The Mayfield Road Mob grew larger as it focused more on bootlegging.

The Lonardo and Porrello brothers

The Lonardo family plot at Calvary Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio

The four Lonardo brothers (Joseph, Frank, John and Dominic) and seven Porrello brothers (Rosario, Vincenzo, Angelo, Joseph, John, Ottavio and Raymond) were immigrants to the United States from Licata, Sicily, Italy. Initially establishing themselves as legitimate businessmen, the Lonardos and the Porrellos dabbled in various criminal activities including robbery and extortion but were not considered a major organization prior to Prohibition.

At the start of Prohibition, Joseph "Big Joe" Lonardo, the second eldest of the Lonardo brothers, became the first boss of the Cleveland crime family. His top lieutenant, Joseph Porrello, supervised various criminal operations throughout the early to mid-1920s.

Split factions (1926–1927)

In 1926, the Porrellos broke away from the Lonardos and formed their own faction, establishing their headquarters on upper Woodland Avenue, around E. 110th Street. In 1927, hostilities between the Lonardos and the Porrellos escalated as the families competed in the manufacture of corn sugar, the prime ingredient in bootleg liquor.

In the summer of 1927, "Big Joe" Lonardo left Cleveland for Sicily amongst rising tension between the two factions. He left his brother John and his adviser, Salvatore "Black Sam" Todaro, as acting heads of the Cleveland family. When Lonardo returned, a sitdown was scheduled between the Lonardos and the Porrellos. On October 13, 1927, Big Joe and John were to meet with Angelo Porrello in a Porrello-owned barbershop. After the brothers were relaxed into playing a card game, they were ambushed and killed by two Porrello gunmen. This allowed Joseph Porrello to take over as boss of the Cleveland family and become the most influential corn sugar baron in Greater Cleveland.

The Porrellos (1927–1930)

The grave marker for Joseph and Vincenzo Porrello at Calvary Cemetery (Cleveland, Ohio).

Through late 1927 and much of 1928, the remaining Lonardo loyalists, which included members of the Mayfield Road Mob and various Jewish allies within the Cleveland Syndicate, continued to rival the Porrellos for the leadership within the Cleveland underworld. They vied for control of the most lucrative rackets outside of the corn sugar business, which included gambling, the most profitable hustle for crime families of the period after bootlegging.

To establish dominance, the Porrellos needed backing from the top Mafia bosses in New York City, as well as other leading Mafia families across the U.S. On December 5, 1928, one of the earliest-known Mafia summits in American history was held at Cleveland's Statler Hotel. Joseph Porrello, with the help of his top lieutenant Sam Tilocco, hoped to urge the other bosses, which included Joe Profaci and Vincent Mangano of New York, to declare him the official boss of Cleveland. However, the meeting turned into a fiasco as some of the well-known attendees were recognized by local law enforcement and arrested along with their associates. The Porrellos arranged for their associates to be bailed out of jail. In spite of the chaos, Joseph Porrello was declared the boss and recognized nationwide as head of the Cleveland family.

On June 11, 1929, "Black Sam" Todaro was murdered. By the end of Prohibition, most of the Porrello brothers and their supporters had been killed or had sided with the Mayfield Road Mob. Joseph Porrello himself was ambushed and killed along with an underling at the Venetian Restaurant, owned by Porrello rival Frank Milano. Vincenzo "Jim" Porrello succeeded his brother as Cleveland boss, but was shot and killed three weeks later in a grocery store on East 110th Street and Woodland Avenue, in an area considered a Porrello stronghold. Raymond Porrello declared revenge, and on August 15, 1930, an explosion leveled his home. He was not present at the time.

Mayfield Road Mob (1930–1944)

Cleveland's Public Square, 1930.

During the early 1930s, Frank Milano and the Mayfield Road Mob gradually replaced the Porrello brothers as the Cleveland area's premier Mafia group, with Milano becoming the official boss of the Cleveland family. In 1931, Milano joined the National Crime Syndicate, a network of powerful criminals which included Charles "Lucky" Luciano and Meyer Lansky. By 1932, Milano had become one of the top Mafia bosses in the country and a charter member of The Commission, the Mafia's governing body.

On February 25, 1932, Milano finished off the Porrello brothers by having Raymond and Rosario Porrello, along with their bodyguard Dominic Gueli, murdered in a smoke shop on East 110th Street and Woodland Avenue while playing cards. The remaining Porrellos subsequently backed out of the Cleveland underworld and fled the area.

In 1935, Milano fled to Mexico after being indicted for tax evasion. Alfred Polizzi, another leading member of the Mayfield Road Mob, seized power and reigned as boss until 1944, when he himself was convicted of tax evasion.

Collinwood Crew

The Collinwood Crew, also known as the Young Turks, was at times integrated with the Mayfield Road Mob. Members of the Collinwood Crew included Alfred "Allie Con" Calabrese, Joe "Joey Loose" Lacobacci, Butchie Cisternino. Their territory stretched from the 152nd Street bridge, up Five Points and Ivanhoe Road, down Mandalay across London Road to Wayside and over to Saranac bordering the Collinwood Train Yards.

Scalish era (1944–1976)

Following Polizzi's ouster in 1944, John Scalish began the longest reign of any Cleveland boss. Under his leadership, the Cleveland family developed ties with important crime figures such as Lansky, Shondor Birns, Moe Dalitz and Tony Accardo, as well as the Chicago Outfit and the Genovese crime family in New York. Additionally, the family expanded its influence to areas throughout the Midwest, California, Florida and Las Vegas, Nevada. The family helped finance the construction of Las Vegas' Desert Inn casino hotel in the late 1940s and received a percentage of profits from the resort in exchange for providing protection.

In the 1950s, the Cleveland family reached its peak in size, with about sixty "made" members, and several times as many associates. By the 1970s, however, the family's membership began to decrease after Scalish chose not to induct new members. The family's main sources of income during this period came from two primary sources; a partnership with other Midwestern crime families which allowed the organization to profit from the "skim" of various Las Vegas casinos, and an arrangement with the Pittsburgh family which entitled the Cleveland family to twenty-five percent of the Pittsburgh family's profits from rackets in Youngstown. The Cleveland, Kansas City and Milwaukee families also exerted influence over the multibillion-dollar Central States Pension Fund of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), and in 1974 the three groups backed a $62.75 million Pension Fund loan to buy two Las Vegas casinos. Additionally, the Cleveland family collected protection money from casinos in Western Pennsylvania and Northern Kentucky.

War with Danny Greene and decline (1976–1990s)

FBI chart of Cleveland crime family in 1983

John Scalish died during open heart surgery in 1976, without officially naming a successor. It was decided afterward by the family's members that James "Jack White" Licavoli would take over as boss. During Licavoli's reign, an Irish gangster named Danny Greene began competing with the Cleveland family for control of the city's rackets. Greene partnered with John Nardi, a rogue Mafia associate and Teamster, who arranged the murder of Calogero "Leo Lips" Moceri, Licavoli's underboss. Moceri disappeared after attending a Feast of the Assumption festival in Little Italy on August 22, 1976; his blood-stained car was found in Akron days later, although his remains were never recovered. Moceri was allegedly killed by Keith Ritson, an enforcer for Greene.

Moceri's murder resulted in a violent mob war between the Cleveland family and Greene's gang, during which almost forty car bombings took place in the city of Cleveland. Among the casualties was Nardi, who was killed on May 17, 1977, by a car bomb in the parking lot of the local Teamster Hall.

Eventually, Licavoli and his crew began attempting to kill Greene. On one occasion, bombs were planted around Greene's home, one in the front and one in the back; the first bomb went off but the second failed, allowing Greene and his young girlfriend to escape. After several similarly failed hits, it became evident that the Cleveland family needed outside help, which came in the form of hitman Ray Ferritto.

On October 6, 1977, while Greene was performing a scheduled visit to his dentist, a car with a radiofrequency bomb placed inside its door was parked next to his. Upon return to his vehicle, the bomb was exploded remotely by Ferritto and Ronald “Ronnie the Crab” Carabbia. The two men were seen by a woman named Debbie Spoth, who was able to help police identify Ferritto. Greene's body lay under the ruins of his vehicle for at least an hour before his corpse was removed. Following the assassination, Ferritto heard that the Cleveland family wanted him dead and turned state's witness, leading to the arrest of Licavoli and other Cleveland mobsters.

In 1978, the CDP warned then-Mayor Dennis Kucinich that the Cleveland family had put out a hit on him because of some of his initiatives were hindering their criminal activities. Police informed Kucinich that a hitman was planning on shooting the mayor while he marched in the Columbus Day parade; Kucinich missed the parade as he was hospitalized with a ruptured ulcer. However, the mayor took note of the threat and began keeping a gun in his home for protection.

Emboldened by the sudden death of Cleveland consigliere Anthony "Tony Dope" Delsanter in August 1977, Vincent "Two-Gun Jimmy" Prato, the local caporegime from the Pittsburgh family, attempted to establish a monopoly over gambling and extortion rackets in Youngstown, a territory which had historically been shared between the two families. This resulted in a mob war, consisting of twelve murders, which lasted between 1978 and 1981. The Pittsburgh family emerged victorious after the disappearances of Cleveland capo Charles "Charlie the Crab" Carabbia in December 1980 and his crew's top hitman, Joseph DeRose, Jr., in April 1981. According to testimony from Pittsburgh mobster-turned-government witness Lenny Strollo, Carabbia was lured to a meeting at a Youngstown donut shop and killed on the orders of Prato and his chief underling, Joseph "Little Joey" Naples, in order to give the Pittsburgh family undisputed control over Youngstown. The killing, as per Strollo's testimony, was carried out with the permission of the Cleveland family leadership.

Eventually, Licavoli was sent to prison for RICO charges related to the murder of Greene in 1982. Angelo Lonardo, the son of Joseph Lonardo, took control of the Cleveland family until 1984, when he was convicted of running a drug ring and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Angelo Lonardo then became an informant, making him the highest-ranking Mafia turncoat up to that time. He informed on powerful mafiosi from numerous families while in prison and caused serious damage to the Mafia's infrastructure.

After Lonardo became an informant, John "Peanuts" Tronolone, a long-time Miami Beach resident and South Florida point man for the Genovese family, was named the new boss of the Cleveland family. In 1989, Tronolone became the only Mafia boss to have the distinction of being arrested in a hand-to-hand undercover transaction by local law enforcement when he accepted jewelry from Dave Green, an undercover Broward County deputy in exchange for bookmaking and loansharking debts. Tronolone died in 1991 before he could start his nine-year state prison sentence.

By 1990, the Cleveland family had been so aggressively dismantled by law enforcement agencies that the family had no made members who were not imprisoned and the organization was reported to be virtually defunct. In addition to convictions, defections and deaths, the loss of the family's influence over the IBT also significantly weakened their stature. After Tronolone's death, Anthony "Tony Lib" Liberatore took over the remnants of the Cleveland family until he was imprisoned for racketeering and money laundering in 1993.

Current position

Following the imprisonment of Liberatore, two mafiosi who had been inducted into the family by Angelo Lonardo in 1983 – Joseph "Joe Loose" Iacobacci and Russell "R.J." Papalardo – became the leading figures in the Cleveland Mafia. Iacobacci, along with Alfred "Allie" Calabrese, was convicted of bank fraud and sentenced to three years in federal prison in 1995, during which time Papalardo served as acting boss of the family.

In May 1998, Anthony P. Delmonti, an associate of the Cleveland family and the Rochester, New York, faction of the Bonanno crime family, became a confidential informant for the FBI's Cleveland office and provided the Bureau with information on a Mafia-controlled Rochester-to-Cleveland stolen car ring, a Los Angeles-to-Cleveland cocaine ring headed by Cleveland businessman Robert E. Walsh and a $10 million-per-year numbers racket operated by Virgil Ogletree, a former associate of Shondor Birns and Don King. Delmonti covertly recorded over 500 audio and videotapes which led to the seizure of $100,000 in illicit gambling money, $250,000 in stolen vehicles and 700 kilograms of cocaine, and over a hundred convictions in Cleveland and Rochester between 2000 and 2002.

Despite the imprisonment of Iacobacci in the late 1990s, he and Papalardo were reportedly able to steadily rebuild the organization in the 21st century. Iocobacci inducted new members into the family, forged ties with the Chicago Outfit, the Detroit Partnership and the DeCavalcante crime family of New Jersey, and reportedly oversaw rackets in Cleveland, Youngstown, Pittsburgh and Rochester. Iocobacci retired in the 2000s after he reportedly relinquished much of his family's territory to the Chicago Outfit. Papalardo succeeded Iacobacci as boss of the Cleveland family upon Iacobacci's retirement. In 2020, crime reporter Scott Burnstein described the organization as: "These days, the Cleveland crime family is a small group of mostly old-timers, bookies and loansharks". According to Burnstein, the Cleveland Mafia is an "almost-benign group ... with a limited formal structure."

Historical leadership

Boss (official and acting)

  • 1920–1927 – Joseph "Big Joe" Lonardo – murdered in 1927.
  • 1927–1929 – Salvatore "Black Sam" Todaro – murdered in 1929.
  • 1929–1930 – Joseph "Big Joe" Porrello – murdered in 1930.
  • 1930–1935 – Frank Milano – fled to Mexico in 1935, moved to California in the late 1950s; died of natural causes in 1970.
  • 1935–1945 – Alfred "Big Al" Polizzi – arrested in 1944, retired to Florida in 1945, died of natural causes in 1975.
  • 1945–1976 – John T. "John Scalise" Scalish
  • 1976–1985 – James "Jack White" Licavoli – imprisoned in 1981, died of natural causes in 1985.
  • 1985–1991 – John "Peanuts" Tronolone – died of natural causes in 1991
  • 1991–1993 – Anthony "Tony Lib" Liberatore – imprisoned in 1993, died of natural causes in 1998.
  • 1993–2004 – Joseph "Joe Loose" Iacobacci – retired, died 2020
  • 2004–present – Russell "R.J." Papalardo

Underboss

  • 1930–1976 – Anthony Milano – retired in 1976, deceased in 1978.
  • 1976 – Calogero "Leo Lips" Moceri – disappeared and murdered in 1976.
  • 1976–1983 – Angelo "Big Ange" Lonardo – turned informant in October 1983, deceased in 2006.
  • 1983–1985 – John "Peanuts" Tronolone – became boss in 1985.
  • 1985–1991 – Anthony "Tony Lib" Liberatore – became boss.
  • 1991–1995 – Alfred "Allie" Calabrese – imprisoned in 1995.
  • 1995–2004 – Russell "RJ" Papalardo – became boss

Consigliere

  • 1930–1972 – John DeMarco – died in 1972
  • 1972–1973 – Frank "Frankie B" Brancato
  • 1973–1977 – Anthony "Tony Dope" Delsanter - died of natural causes in August 1977
  • 1977–1983 – John "Peanuts" Tronolone – became underboss in 1983.
  • 1983–1993 – Louis "Bones" Battista aka "The Bulldog" (deceased)
  • 1999–2010 – Raymond "Lefty" LaMarca (deceased 2010)

Current family members

Administration

  • BossRussell J. "R.J." Papalardo – born on July 4, 1941. Papalardo was inducted into the family in 1983. In 1986, he was convicted for his role in a multimillion-dollar cocaine ring operated by the Cleveland crime family and served four years in federal prison. Papalardo was made acting boss while Joseph "Joe Loose" Iacobacci was imprisoned in the late 1990s and he succeeded Iacobacci as boss of the family in the mid-2000s.

Former family members

  • Alfred "Allie Con" Calabrese – former underboss. Calabrese survived an attempted car bombing in September 1976 when an explosive device attached to his vehicle detonated and killed his neighbor when the neighbor tried to move Calabrese's car.
  • John Calandra – former capo
  • Ronald "Ronnie the Crab" Carabbia – took control of the Youngstown faction for the family following the death of Anthony Delsanter in August 1977. Carrabia was an accomplice to Ray Ferritto in the October 6, 1977 car bomb murder of Danny Greene. In May 1978, he was convicted of aggravated murder for the killing. Carrabia was paroled from Chillicothe Correctional Institution on September 24, 2002. He died on December 22, 2021, aged 92.
  • Eugene J. "The Animal" Ciasullo – former soldier. Ciasullo was raised in Collinwood and became a debt collector, bookmaker and loan shark in the family under John Scalish and James Licavoli. He was believed by the FBI to have been a hitman. On July 21, 1976, Ciasullo was severely wounded in a bombing at his home in Richmond Heights. He died of natural causes in August 2016, at the age of 85.
  • Pasquale "Butchie" Cisternino – former soldier. Cisternino assembled the bomb which killed Danny Greene. He died in 1990.
  • Anthony "Tony Dope" Delsanter – former consigliere and leader of the Youngstown faction
  • William E. "Billy D" DiLeno – former soldier. DiLeno was a member of the Eastside faction of the Cleveland family. He was initiated into the family in the early 1990s. DiLeno died of natural causes at the age of 85, on April 6, 2022.
  • Joseph Gallo – former capo
  • Joseph "Joe Loose" Iacobacci – powerful member of the family, serving as boss from 1993 to 2005. Iacobacci was able to partially rebuild the family, with the help of the Chicago Outfit. He died in April 2020.
  • Calogero "Leo Lips" Moceri – former underboss and leader of the family's Akron faction. In 1952, he was arrested and questioned over the murder of Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel. Moceri disappeared on August 22, 1976; his killing was arranged by John Nardi and carried out by Keith Ritson, an enforcer for Danny Greene.
  • Milton "Maishe" Rockman – former associate, Rockman was a Jewish-American organized crime figure affiliated with the Cleveland crime family. Rockman was the brother-in-law of Cleveland crime family bosses John T. Scalish and Angelo Lonardo, and was a top Cleveland crime family associate involved in labor racketeering and the Las Vegas casino interests of the Cleveland Mafia.
  • Thomas Sinito – former capo

Government informants and witnesses

  • Anthony P. Delmonti – associate involved in narcotics trafficking. He was sentenced to six years' imprisonment in 1987 after being informed on by his cocaine supplier, Carmen Zagaria. Owing $150,000 in restitution and addicted to drugs, Delmonti became a confidential informant for the FBI in 1998. Following a series of successful prosecutions resulting from Delmonti's cooperation, he went into hiding in Marco Island, Florida and died from a heart attack on April 26, 2007, aged 61.
  • Ray Ferritto – associate and hitman who turned government witness after being implicated in the murder of Danny Greene in 1977.
  • Angelo Lonardo – acting boss of the family; turned government witness in 1983 after being sentenced to life imprisonment for drug trafficking and racketeering.
  • Jackie Presser – associate. Presser was a labor union official and Teamsters president under control of the Cleveland family who became a confidential informant for the FBI in 1972.
  • Carmen "Mr. C" Zagaria – soldier and leader of a drug ring who turned government witness after being indicted on several murders.

List of murders committed by the Cleveland crime family

Name Date Reason
Salvatore Todaro June 11, 1929 Cleveland crime family boss Todaro was shot by Angelo Lonardo and Dominic Sospirato, the son and nephew, respectively, of Joseph Lonardo, as revenge for killing the elder Lonardo.
John Nardi May 17, 1977 Cleveland crime family associate Nardi was killed with a car bomb after aligning himself with the Irish mob boss Danny Greene in a war against the family.
Danny Greene October 6, 1977 Rival gang boss Greene was killed in a car bombing by Ronald Carabbia and Ray Ferritto after starting a mob war against the Cleveland crime family over control of local rackets.
Charles F. Grisham December 3, 1978 Pittsburgh crime family associate Grisham was killed with a sniper rifle by Joseph DeRose, Jr. in Howland Township, Ohio after he and James "Peeps" Cononico attempted to take over gambling rackets in Warren, Ohio controlled by Cleveland crime family associate Joseph Perfette.
James Cononico January 11, 1979 Cononico, an associate of Charles "Spider" Grisham, was shot by Joseph DeRose, Jr. in Youngstown, Ohio.
Jack R. Tobin July 25, 1979 "Black Jack" Tobin, a bookmaker, nightclub owner and Pittsburgh crime family associate, was killed with a shotgun after engaging in a gunfight with by Joseph DeRose, Jr. in Austintown Township, Ohio during a gang war between the Cleveland and Pittsburgh crime families over racket territory in the Mahoning Valley.
John Magda January 6, 1980 An enforcer for Jack Tobin, Magda was asphyxiated by Joseph DeRose, Jr. and his body was found in a garbage dump in Struthers, Ohio.
Robert J. DeCerbo February 13, 1980 DeCerbo was killed with a shotgun by Joseph DeRose, Jr. in Beaver Township, Ohio after switching sides from the Cleveland faction to the Pittsburgh faction during the Mahoning Valley mob war.
David Perrier January 4, 1981 Cleveland crime family associate David "Cowboy" Perrier was shot by Thomas Sinito and found dead in a ditch in Trumbull County, Ohio due to suspicions that he was an informant and after he had insulted family boss James Licavoli.

See also

References

Notes
  1. "Black hand" murders continued into the 1920s.
  2. Now part of Cleveland's Central and Downtown neighborhoods, Big Italy ran along Woodland Avenue from Ontario Street/Orange Avenue in the west to E. 40th Street in the east. Initially Sicilian (with Italians coming after 1910), the Big Italy community formed about 1900. It was home to most of the city's wholesale and retail produce stores, and most residents worked as laborers and tradesmen. It began to decline significantly during the 1930s, and vanished in the 1940s as whites moved out and African Americans moved in.
  3. Cleveland crime historian Allan R. May says Benigno was the first head of the Mayfield Road Mob. But Cleveland public prosecutor Frank J. Merrick said that after Benigno was executed in June 1922, there was no successor as head of the gang, which makes the case for a distinction between the Benigno Gang and the Mayfield Road Mob.
  4. These gangs existed prior to Prohibition, but were much smaller, less organized, and focused primarily on small-time crimes like auto theft, burglary, and the occasional raid of goods from unattended boxcars in railroad yards.
Citations
  1. ^ Notable organized crime figures throughout Cleveland history Evan MacDonald, The Plain Dealer (July 29, 2015) Archived June 3, 2023, at the Wayback Machine
  2. Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs USA Overview p. 13 United States Department of Justice (May 1991) Archived May 26, 2023, at the Wayback Machine
  3. "United States v. Licavoli". Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  4. Porrello, Rick (August 10, 2023). The Rise and Fall of the Cleveland Mafia (1 ed.).
  5. Lonardo told FBI elections were rigged United Press International (May 16, 1986) Archived May 24, 2024, at archive.today
  6. ^ One Of The Last Of The Mohicans In The Ohio Mafia, “Billy D” DiLeno Made His Mark: Cleveland Button Man Moves On To Big Casino In The Sky Scott Burnstein, The Gangster Report (April 13, 2022) Archived April 14, 2022, at the Wayback Machine
  7. May 2014, p. 71.
  8. Kelly, Ralph (December 26, 1933). "Murder in Cleveland: The Prohibition Toll. Chapter 1-The Bodies in the Snow". The Plain Dealer. pp. 1, 9.
  9. Griffin & DeNevi 2002, p. 166.
  10. ^ May 2014, p. 67.
  11. Bonocore 2005, p. 20.
  12. Mitchell 2008, p. 7.
  13. Miller & Wheeler 1997, p. 103.
  14. ^ Merrick, Frank J. (August 27, 1933). "Giving the Low-Down on Cleveland Rackets". The Plain Dealer. pp. Plain Dealer Magazine 3, 5.
  15. May 2014, pp. 67–79.
  16. McCarthy 2011, pp. 109–110.
  17. May 2014, p. 171.
  18. Birkhimer, Lily (June 1, 2012). "The Prohibition Era Begins". Ohio Memory. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  19. Anderson 2003, p. 96.
  20. ^ Kelly, Ralph (December 27, 1933). "Murder in Cleveland: The Prohibition Toll. Chapter 2-Rosen and Adelson Got Better Publicity". The Plain Dealer. pp. 1, 5.
  21. Kelly, Ralph (December 28, 1933). "Murder in Cleveland: The Prohibition Toll. Chapter 3—Rise of the Rum Kings; the 'Bloody Corner". The Plain Dealer. pp. 1, 5.
  22. ^ Kelly, Ralph (December 30, 1933). "Murder in Cleveland: The Prohibition Toll. Chapter 5—Death in Ambler Park: A Bootleg Joke". The Plain Dealer. p. 7.
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  25. ^ Angelo "Big Ange" Lonardo, One-time Highest-Ranking Mobster to Become a Federal Witness, Dead at age 95 Rick Porrello, AmericanMafia.com (April 2006) Archived April 11, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
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  27. "Hits New Lead in Murder of Two Lonardos". The Plain Dealer. October 15, 1927. pp. 1, 8.
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  29. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations 1988, pp. 96–97.
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  31. ^ Martinelli 2011, p. 87.
  32. Martinelli 2011, p. 87-88.
  33. 3 Mob Families Linked to Teamsters Fund George Lardner Jr., The Washington Post (November 22, 1985) Archived March 24, 2024, at the Wayback Machine
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  35. ^ Martinelli 2011, p. 89.
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