Cleveland crime family

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The Cleveland crime family family is a crime syndicate that is part of the phenomenon known as the Mafia or Cosa Nostra. It has been active in the Cleveland Area and throughout the country since the beginning of the twentieth century.

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[edit] History of the Cleveland Crime Family

The arrival of the Porrellos, Fazios and the Lonardos Cleveland crime family originated with the Porrello and Lonardo crime families. The Porrello and Lonardo families migrated to the United States from Licata, Sicily in the late 1800s and the Porrello and Lonardo brothers first established themselves as legitimate businessmen. The two groups dabbled in various criminal activities, such as robbery and extortion, before prohibition, but were not yet considered major organizations.

[edit] Prohibition

At the start of Prohibition, Joseph Lonardo, known as "Big Joe" was the first Boss of the Cleveland crime family, the official head of the Cleveland mafia. He was the second oldest of four Lonardo brothers who's family began supplying Cleveland's bootleggers with the corn sugar they needed to produce liquor, in fact he and his brothers had gained majority control over the racket in the state of Ohio by the early 1920's. Another mafia family which had settled in Cleveland, the Porello family, were also involved in the corn sugar business and worked for the Lonardos during the earliest years of Prohibition, but soon became influential members of the Cleveland crime mafia. In 1926, the Porello family broke off from the Lonardo group and formed their own faction within the Cleveland mafia, a competing crime group that began to rival that of the Lonardo family in the corn sugar business and for mafia influence within Ohio as the Porello like the Lonardos had various allies and their own group of supporters within the Cleveland mafia and in New York, the American mafia's recognized powerbase. In 1927 hostilities between the Lonardo and Porello families were escalating as the Porello family began to oppose the Lonardo family for leadership within the Cleveland mafia. On the afternoon of October 13, 1927 a peace meeting was scheduled between the Lonardo and Porello family leaders. Joe Lonardo and his eldest brother John were the first of the two groups to arrive at the meeting site, a Porello owned barber shop. Joe and John Lonardo, along with a couple of known associates relaxed and played a game of cards while waiting patiently for the Porello representatives to arrive. Within minutes of arriving and letting their guard down the Lonardos were surprised by two gunmen and assassinated. Many suspected that the Porellos were responsible for the murders as they immediately took over the Cleveland crime family leadership, but no one was ever convicted for the crime.

After the deaths of two of the Lonardo brothers, the Porrellos became the most influential corn sugar barons in the Cleveland area, but their time as Cleveland's top mob family was brief. Over the next three years a continuing feud with the remaining Lonardo family members and their supporters had it's effects throughout the Cleveland mafia. From the beginning the Porello family and it's head, Joe Porello, also known as "Big Joe" took power in Cleveland they experienced rivalry and opposition from a fast rising mafia faction within the Cleveland mafia which were once Lonardo supporters. With increased police scrutiny and a decline in business, the Porellos continued to lose power and influence throughout the late 1920s and into the 1930's. At the end of Prohibition, most of the Porello brothers and their supporters had been killed or had sided with the Mayfield Road Mob. Thus, the power in Cleveland organized crime began to shift.

[edit] Mayfield Road Mob

The Mayfield Road Mob was a Mafia gang based in Cleveland's Little Italy. This Mafia faction was even mentioned by it's 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 1920's and was headed by Frank Milano. In the early 1930s, Milano and his gang replaced the Porrellos as the Cleveland area's premier Mafia group. In 1931, Milano joined the National Crime Syndicate with many powerful criminals around the country, such as Charlie Luciano and Meyer Lansky. Milano was now the official boss of Cleveland's Cosa Nostra family. In 1935, however, 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. The following boss was John Scalish (Scalise).

[edit] Collinwood Crew aka The Young Turks

The Collinwood Mob, 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 gangsters - gangster. His crew consisted of Joe "Loose" Icobacci, the late Butchie Cisternino and others from the streets 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.

[edit] Scalish Era

John Scalish was, by far, the longest reigning Cleveland mob boss. He took control of the family in 1944, and would remain 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 Moe Dalitz, Meyer Lansky, and Tony Accardo. They became allies of the extremely powerful Chicago Outfit and Genovese crime family. The Cleveland mob also expanded its influence to areas throughout the Midwest, as well as California, Florida, and Las Vegas.

In the 1950s, the family would reach its peak in size, with about 60 "made" members, and several times as many associates. By the 1970's, however, 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.

[edit] Decline of the Cleveland crime family

After the Death of John Scalish, it was decided by the family's members that Jack "Jack White" Licavoli would take over as boss. Licavoli had worked for the infamous Purple Gang in Detroit during Prohibition, and then moved to Cleveland, where he gradually rose up the ranks of the city's underworld.

During his reign, an Irish gangster named Danny Greene began competing with the Mafia for control of union rackets. This resulted in a violent mob war between the Mafia and Danny Greene gang (Danny was backed by mob associate and teamster John Nardi), during which there were almost 40 car bombings in Cleveland. Nardi was killed on May 17, 1977 by a car bomb in the parking lot of the Teamster Hall in Cleveland. After eight failed attempts to kill Greene, they realised they needed outside help. When they learned Greene planned to visit his dentist, Licavoli and Lonardo contracted Ray Ferritto to assassinate him in 1977.

When Greene was inside the building, Ferritto and Ronald "The Crab" Carabbia planted a box bomb inside a bomb car, and while Greene was inside the dentist, they parked the car next to Green's. When Greene came out and went to open his door, Caribbia set off the bomb, killing Greene instantly. Ferritto later heard that the Cleveland crime family wanted him dead, so he flipped and made a deal with the authorities.

In the aftermath of the conflict, many Cleveland Mafiosi, including the boss, Licavoli, were convicted of a variety of crimes. After Licavoli was sent to prison for the murder of Danny Greene in 1982, Angelo Lonardo, the son of Prohibition mob boss John 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.

After Lonardo became an informant, the Cleveland crime 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. It was declared inactive by the FBI and was even labeled extinct by some law enforcers. However, Russel Papalardo is rumored to currently be running the day to day activities of the Cleveland crime family and rebuilding the organization. It is currently thought by many locals that the Cleveland Mafia has grown to over 30 made members consisting mostly of Murray Hill and Collinwood neighborhood alumni.

[edit] Bosses of the Cleveland crime family

  • 1919–1927 — Joseph "Big Joe" Lonardo (1884–1927)
  • 1927–1930 — Joseph "Big Joe" Porello (1889–1930)
  • 1930–1935 — Frank "Don Ciccio" Milano ( –1970)
  • 1935—1936 — Giuseppe "Joe the Doctor" Romano (1877–1936)
  • 1936–1945 — Alfred "Al the Owl" Polizzi (1903–1994)
  • 1946–1976 — John "Johnny" Scalish (1912–1976)
  • 1976–1985 — James "Jack White/Blackie" Licavoli (1904–1985)
  • 1985–1991 — John "Peanuts" Tronolone (1910–1991)
  • 1991–1993 — Anthony "Tony Lib" Liberatore ( –1998) 1 (highest ranking crime family member on the streets at the time, imprisoned)
  • 1993–2006 — Joseph "Joe Loose" Iacobacci (?–present) - allegedly went into semi-retirement and may still hold the official title of sitting boss "?" )
  • 2006–Present — Russel "R.J." Papalardo (–) (active and on the streets, considered by law enforcement to be running the day to day activities)

[edit] Acting Bosses

  • 1927 — Salvatore "Black Sam" Todaro (d.-1929) (named acting head of the crime family while boss Joe Lonardo was in Sicily)
  • 1944–1945 — John "Johnny" Scalish (1912–1976) (named acting head of the crime family during Polizzi's imprisonment)
  • 1981–1983 — Angelo "Big Ange" Lonardo (1911–2006) (named "interm boss" by commission, defected in October of 1983)
  • 1983–1985 — John "Peanuts" Tronolone (1910–1991) (named "interm boss" by commission, ascended to the leadership)
  • 2005–Present — Russel "R.J." Papalardo ( – ) (may be the acting or front boss for the true sitting boss, Iaccobaci "?" )

[edit] Underbosses

  • 1919–1927 – John Lonardo ( –1927) (murdered along with brother Joe by the Porello family.)
  • 1927–1930 — Raymond Porello ( –1932) (deposed by the new Milano regime, murdered 1932.)
  • 1930–1976 — Anthony "the Old Man" Milano ( –1978) (Tony Milano was a top Cleveland mafia power throughout his criminal career. His family has an immense amount of underworld power and influence in Cleveland and on the west coast, particularly in Los Angeles where Tony's son's Peter and Carmen would become mafia powers themselves and one day lead the Los Angeles crime family. As the Scalish regime came to power in 1946 Tony Milano began spending more time in Los Angeles where his family had an underworld faction operating while his brother and former Cleveland mafia boss Frank Milano was based out of Mexico and held power on the west coast. He began to take on more of an advisory role, while other influential crime family members based in Cleveland such as Frank Brancato served as acting underbosses for Scalish. "The Old Man" still held considerable power and influence in Cleveland and apparently never relinquished the title of underboss unti he retired in 1976 and died two years later at the age of 90.)
  • 1956–1972 — Frank "Frankie B." Brancato ( –1973) - Acting Underboss (he became acting underboss for the Scalish regime by the mid 1950's. Throughout the 1950's and 60's Brancato derived much of his illegal earnings from gambling and loansharking, but by the mid 1960's he was making a move to become a power within the garbage hauling industry. He was allegedly promoted to consigliere in 1972 and died a year later of natural causes in 1973.)
  • 1973–1976 — - With the death of Brancato in 1973 it is not positively know just who replaced him as underboss. With his brother Frank having died in 1970 and his sons, Peter and Carmen becoming powers in the Los Angeles crime family, Tony Milano came back to in Cleveland to live in semi-retirement and watch over what remaining interests he maintained in there. There have been rumors that Milano served as underboss in the last years of the Scalish regime and that once the new Licavoli regime came to power in 1976 new boss James Licavoli asked Milano to step down and retire so that Leo Morceri could be promoted. Milano gladly retired and died two years later in 1978 at the age of 90. Other's believe that unofficially James Licavoli and Ange Lonardo actively ran the day to day operations of the Cleveland crime family as acting underbosses during the last years of the Scalish regime until Licavoli came to power.
  • 1976 — Calogero "Leo Lips" Moceri ( –1976) (what is known for sure is that Morceri was promoted as part of the new Licavoli regime and named underboss in 1976. His reign was shirt lived as he soon disappeared during Cleveland's underworld war and was presumed murdered.)
  • 1976–1983 — Angelo "Big Ange" Lonardo (1911–2006) (a longtime Cleveland mafia power Lonardo was promoted to underboss after Morceri disappeared. He was promoted to acting boss in 1981 when Licavoli was indicted and jailed, but still held the official underboss title when he was imprisoned in January of 1983 and defected October 1983.)
  • 1983–1985 — John "Peanuts" Tronolone (1910–1991) (had been consigliere when he was promoted to underboss in 1983, then he ascened to the leadership when Licavoli died in prison in 1985.)
  • 1985–1991 — Anthony "Tony Lib" Liberatore ( –1998) (promoted to the # spot when Tronolone was promoted first to underboss. Liberatore found himself the highest ranking crime family member left on the streets in 1991 and he was supposedly promoted once more, apparently he was seen as the boss according to some. Convicted in 1993 and sentenced to 8 years, he died while in prison in 1998.)
  • 1991–1993 — Joseph "Joe Loose" Iacobacci, Jr. ( – ) (another crime family member who found himself on the streets in the early 1990's and was seen as underboss to Liberatore. Iacobacci apparently took over the crime family in 1993.)
  • 1993–1995 — Alfred "Allie" Calabrese ( –1999) - Acting Underboss (close associate of Iacobacci who assumed the role of acting underboss. He was imprisoned in 1995 on a 3 year sentence and alter convicted of a parole violation, he died in prison of a stoke in august of 1999)
  • 1995–Present — Russel "R.J." Papalardo (–) (He apparently served as underboss for the Iacobacci regime from the mid 1990's up to the present day, but has allegedly been promoted in the last couple of years and is running the day to day activities of the crime family and may be boss ?)

[edit] Consigliere

  • 1919–1927 — Salvatore Black Sam" Todaro (Todaro was the #3 man in the Lonardo regime and the top financial advisor for the crime family. Knowing the financial in and outs of the crime family Todaro was promoted to acting head in early 1927 when boss Joe Lonardo left for Sicily. Todaro used this time to plan his betrayal of Lonardo, which landed him the #2 spot or underboss position in the new Porello regime in late 1927, but he was later murdered in 1929 by Lonardo family members.)
  • 1927–1930 — Rosario Porello (?-?) (eldest Porello brother Rosario held the title of advisor to his younger brother and boss Joe. When the Porello regime came to power Rosario allegedly held the #2 position in the crime family and lost it once his brother Joe was murdered and their faction was removed from power in 1930.)
  •  ? - ?
  • 1944–1972 — John DeMarco (–1972) (a longtime crime family member who rose through the ranks in the 1920's, 30's and 40's. Recognized boss of the "Licatese faction", he served as top advisor for the Scalish regime. He died of natural causes on October 25, 1972.)
  •  ? - ? - Rumor has it that Frankie B. Brancato never held the official title of underboss and after DeMarco died in 1972 Brancato was named official consigliere the final year of his life as he died in 1973.
  • 1976–1977 — Anthony "Tony Dope" Delsanter ( –1977) (boss of the Warren, Ohio rackets, he was promoted to the #3 spot in the new Licavoli regime, but died a year later of natural causes in August if 1977.)
  • 1977–1983 — John "Peanuts" Tronolone (1910–1991) (a longtime member of the crime family who was eventually based in Miami, Florida and was promoted to the 33 spot in the Licavoli regime after the death of Delsanter. He found himself being promoted in the mid 1980's and making his way to the leadership.)
  •  ? - ? - present consigliere
  • 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 John "Johnny" Scalish and Angelo "Big Ange" Lonardo and was a top Cleveland crime family associate involved in labor racketeering and the Las Vegas casino interests of the Cleveland mafia. Rockman was recognized as an advisor to Johnny Scalish, Ange Lonardo and James "Blackie" Licavoli during he reign of these Cleveland mafia leaders.

[edit] References

  • 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

[edit] External links