Corn Sugar and Blood and The Rise and Fall of the Cleveland Mafia

Chapter I"Big Ange" and the Death of the Cleveland				Little Italy crime boss Frank Milano had risen
MafiaIn 1983, Angelo Lonardo, 72, one-time Cleveland				to power as leader of his own gang, "The Mayfield
Mafia				Road Mob."
boss, turned government informant. He shocked				Milano's group was made up in part of remnants of
family,				the Lonardo
friends, law enforcement officers and particularly,				gang and was also associated with the powerful
criminal				"Cleveland
associates with his decision which was made after				Syndicate," Morrie Kleinman, Moe Dalitz, Sam Tucker
being				and Louis
sentenced to life plus 103 years for drug and				Rothkopf. The Cleveland Syndicate was responsible
racketeering				for most
convictions. The sentence came after a monumental				of the Canadian booze imported via Lake Erie. In
investigation by local, state and federal agencies had				later years
all				they got into the casino business. One of the their
but wiped out the Cleveland Mafia."Big Ange" as he				largest
was called, was the highest ranking				and most profitable enterprises was construction of
mafioso to defect. He testified in 1985 at the Las				the
Vegas				Desert Inn Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas. Dalitz would
casino "skimming" trials in Kansas City and in 1986 at				become
the				known as the "Godfather of Las Vegas." He would
New York Mafia "ruling commission" trials. Many of				be
the				murdered in 1986 as part of a Mafia war for control
nation's biggest mob leaders were convicted as a				of Las
result of				Vegas.Joe Porrello admired Milano's political
these trials.During his testimony, Lonardo told how at				organization,
age 18, he				the East End Bi-Partisan Political Club and, seeing the
avenged his father's murder by killing the man				value
believed to be				in such influence, wanted to ally himself with the
responsible. He further testified that after that				group.
murder, he				Milano refused. Later, Porrello was reported to have
was responsible for the killings of several of the				affiliated himself with the newly formed 21st District
Porrello				Republican Club. He hoped to organize the Woodland
brothers, business rivals of his father during				Avenue
Prohibition.Chapter IIBirth of the Cleveland MafiaDuring				voters as Milano was doing on Mayfield road.Chapter
the late eighteen hundreds, the four Lonardo				VIIIMore Corn Sugar and BloodBy 1930, Milano had
brothers and seven Porrello brothers were boyhood				grown quite powerful. He had gone
friends and				so far as to demand a piece of the lucrative Porrello
fellow sulphur mine workers in their hometown of				corn
Licata,				sugar business. On July 5th, 1930, Porrello received a
Sicily. They came to America in the early nineteen				phonecall from Milano who had requested a
hundreds				conference at his
and eventually settled in the Woodland district of				Venetian Restaurant on Mayfield Road. Sam Tilocco
Cleveland.				and Joe
They remained close friends. Several of the Porrello				Porrello's brother Raymond urged him not to go.At
and				about 2:00 p.m., Joe Porrello and Sam Tilocco arrived
Lonardo brothers worked together in small				at Milano's restaurant and speakeasy. Porrello,
businesses.Lonardo clan leader "Big Joe" became a				Tilocco, and
successful				Frank Milano sat down in the restaurant and
businessman and community leader in the lower				discussed
Woodland Avenue				business. Several of Milano's henchmen sat nearby.
area. During Prohibition, he became successful as a				The
dealer				atmosphere was tense as Porrello refused to
in corn sugar which was used by bootleggers to				accede to
make corn				Milano's demands.Porrello reached into his pocket for
liquor. "Big Joe" provided stills and raw materials to				his watch to check
the				the time. Two of Milano's men, possibly believing
poor Italian district residents. They would make the				that
booze				Porrello was reaching for his gun opened fire. With
and "Big Joe" would buy it back giving them a				three
commission. He				bullets in his head, Porrello died instantly.
was respected and feared as a "padrone" or				Simultaneously, a third member of Milano's gang fired
godfather. "Big				at
Joe" became the leader of a powerful and vicious				Tilocco who was struck three times but managed to
gang and				stagger out
was known as the corn sugar "baron." Joe Porrello				the door toward his new Cadillac. He fell to the
was one of				ground as
his corporals.Chapter IIIThe First Bloody CornerWith				the gunmen pursued him, finishing him off with
the advent of Prohibition, Cleveland, like other				another six
big cities, experienced a wave of bootleg-related				bullets.Frank Milano and several of his restaurant
murders.				employees
The murders of Louis Rosen, Salvatore Vella, August				were arrested but only charged with being
Rini and				suspicious persons.
several others produced the same suspects, but no				The gunmen were never actually identified. Only one
indictments. These suspects were members of the				witness
Lonardo				was present in the saloon when the shooting
gang. Several of the murders occurred at the corner				started. He was
of				Frank Joiner, a slot machine distributor whose only
E. 25th and Woodland Ave. This intersection became				testimony
known as				was that he "thought" he saw Frank Milano in the
the "bloody corner."By this time, Joe Porrello had left				restaurant
the employ of the				during the murders.Cleveland's aggressive and
Lonardos to start his own sugar wholesaling				outspoken Safety Director
business.				Edwin Barry, frustrated by the continually rising
Porrello and his six brothers pooled their money and				number of
eventually became successful corn sugar dealers				bootleg murders, ordered all known sugar
headquartered				warehouses to be
in the upper Woodland Avenue area around E. 110th				padlocked. He ordered a policeman to be detailed at
Street.With small competitors, sugar dealers and				each one
bootleggers,				to make sure that no sugar was brought in or
mysteriously dying violent deaths, the Lonardos'				removed.Meanwhile, the six Porrello brothers donned
business				black silk
flourished as they gained a near monopoly on the				shirts and ties and buried their most successful
corn sugar				brother.
business. Their main competitors were their old				The showy double gangster funeral was one the
friends the				largest
Porrellos.Raymond Porrello, youngest of his brothers				Cleveland had ever seen. Two bands and
was arrested				thirty-three cars
by undercover federal agents for arranging a sale of				overloaded with flowers led the procession of the
100				slain don
gallons of whiskey at the Porrello-owned barbershop				and his bodyguard. Over two hundred fifty
at E.				automobiles
110th and Woodland. He was sentenced to the				containing family and friends followed. Thousands of
Dayton, Oh.				mourners and curious on-lookers lined the
Workhouse.The Porrello brothers paid the influential				sidewalks.Cleveland's underworld was tense with
"Big Joe"				rumors of imminent
Lonardo $5,000 to get Raymond out of prison. "Big				warfare. Porrello brother Vincente-James spoke
Joe"				openly of
failed in his attempt but never returned the				wiping out everyone responsible for his brother's
$5,000.Meanwhile, Ernest Yorkell and Jack Brownstein,				murder.Three weeks after his brother's murder, Jim
small-				Porrello
time self-proclaimed "tough guys" from Philadelphia				still wore a black shirt as he entered the I & A
arrived				grocery and
in Cleveland. Yorkell and Brownstein were				meat market at E. 110th Street and Woodland. As
shakedown artists,				he picked
and their intended victims were Cleveland				out lamb chops at the meat counter, a Ford touring
bootleggers, who				car, its'
got a chuckle out of how the two felt it necessary				curtains tightly drawn, cruised slowly past the store.
to explain				A
that they were tough. Real tough guys didn't need				couple of shotguns poked out and two thunderous
to tell				blasts of
people that they were tough. After providing				buckshot were fired, one through the front window
Cleveland				of the
gangsters with a laugh, Yorkell and Brownstein were				store and one through the front screen door.The
taken on				amateur gunmen got lucky. Two pellets found the
a "one-way ride."Chapter IVCorn Sugar and Blood"Big				back of Porrello's head and entered his brain. He was
Joe" Lonardo in 1926, now at the height of his				rushed
wealth and power left for Sicily to visit his mother				to the hospital.Chapter IX"I think maybe they'll kill all
and				us Porrellos""I think maybe they'll kill all us Porrellos. I
relatives. He left his closest brother and business				think
partner				maybe they will kill all of us except Rosario. They
John in charge.During "Big Joe's" six-month absence,				can't
he lost much of				kill him - he's in jail." Thus Ottavio Porrello grimly but
his $5,000 a week profits to the Porrellos who took				calmly predicted the probable fate of he and his
advantage				brothers as
of John Lonardo's lack of business skills and the				he waited outside Jim's hospital room.Next to
assistance				Ottavio was a tough looking young man who
of a disgruntled Lonardo employee. "Big Joe"				smoked
returned and				cigarettes and blew the smoke at the hospital's No
business talks between the Porrellos and Lonardos				Smoking
began.				signs. It was said he was a bodyguard, something
They "urged" the Porrellos to return their lost				the
clientele.On Oct. 13th, 1927 "Big Joe" and John				Porrellos never employed enough of. Jim Porrello died
Lonardo went to				at
the Porrello barbershop to play cards and talk				5:55 p.m.Two local petty gangsters were arrested
business with				and charged with
Angelo Porrello as they had been doing for the past				murder. One was discharged by directed verdict and
week. As				the other
the Lonardos entered the rear room of the shop,				was acquitted. Like almost all of Cleveland's bootleg
two gunmen				related murders, the killers never saw justice.About
opened fire. Angelo Porrello ducked under a				this time, it was rumored that the Porrello
table.Cleveland's underworld lost its' first boss as "Big				brothers were marked for extermination. The
Joe"				surviving
went down with three bullets in his head. John				brothers went into hiding. Raymond, known for his
Lonardo was				cocky
shot in the chest and groin but drew his gun and				attitude and hot temper spoke like his brother
managed to				James did of
pursue the attackers through the barbershop. He				seeking revenge. Raymond was smarter though, he
dropped his				took active
gun in the shop but continued chasing the gunmen				measures to protect himself.On August 15th, 1930,
into the				three weeks after James Porrello's
street where one of them turned, and out of				murder, Raymond Porrello's house was leveled in a
bullets, struck				violent
Lonardo in the head several times with the butt of				explosion. He was not home at the time since he
his gun.				had taken
John fell unconscious and bled to death.The Porrello				his family and abandoned his home in anticipation of
brothers were arrested. Angelo was charged				the
with the Lonardo brothers' murders. The charges				attack.Four days later Frank Alessi, a witness to the
were later				murder of
dropped for lack of evidence. Joe Porrello succeeded				"Big Joe" Lonardo's brother Frank, was gunned
the				down. From his
Lonardos as corn sugar "baron" and later appointed				death bed, he identified Frank Brancato as his
himself				assailant.
"capo" of the Cleveland Mafia.Chapter VThe				Brancato was known mainly as a Lonardo supporter
Cleveland MeetingThe trail of bootleg blood continued				and suspect
to flow with				in several murders. Brancato was acquitted of
numerous murders stemming from the				Alessi's
Porrello-Lonardo conflict.Lawrence Lupo, a former				murder.Chapter XIn March of 1931, Rosario Porrello
Lonardo bodyguard was killed				was paroled from
after he let it be known that he wanted to take				Ohio's London Prison Farm where he had served one
over the				year for
Lonardos' corn sugar business.Anthony Caruso, a				carrying a gun in his car.In mid-1931, National Mafia
butcher who saw the Lonardos' killers				"capo di tutti capi" (boss
escape was shot and killed. It was believed that he				of all bosses) Salvatore Maranzano was killed. His
knew the				murder
identities of the gunmen and was going to reveal				set in motion the formation of the first Mafia
them to				National
police.On Dec. 5th, 1928, Joe Porrello and his				Ruling Commission created to stop the numerous
lieutenant and				murders
bodyguard Sam Tilocco hosted the first known				resulting from conflicts between and within Mafia
major meeting of				families
the Mafia at Cleveland's Hotel Statler. Many major				and to promote application of modern business
Mafia				practices to
leaders from Chicago to New York to Florida were				crime.Charles "Lucky" Luciano was the main
invited.				developer of the
The meeting was raided before it actually began.Joe				commission and was named chairman. Also named to
Profaci, leader of a Brooklyn, N.Y. Mafia family was				the
the most well-known of the gangsters arrested.				commission were Al Capone of Chicago, Joe Profaci
Within a few				of
hours, to the astonishment of police and court				Brooklyn and Frank Milano of Cleveland.In Dec. of
officials, Joe				1931, Angelo Lonardo and his cousin Dominic
Porrello gathered thirty family members and friends				Suspirato were released from prison after being
who put				acquitted of
up their houses as collateral for the gangsters'				"Black Sam" Todaro's murder during a second trial.
bonds.				Because
Profaci was bailed out personally by Porrello. A great				he had avenged his father's death and (for the most
controversy over the validity of the bonds				part)
followed.Several theories have been given as to why				gotten away with it, he became a respected
the meeting				member of Frank
was called. First, it was thought that the gangsters,				Milano's Mayfield Road Mob.The thirst for revenge
local				had not been satisfied for
presidents of the Unione Siciliane, an immigrant aid				members of the Lonardo family. It was generally
society				believed
infiltrated by the Mafia, were there to elect a new				that "Black Sam" Todaro instigated and perhaps
national				took part in
president. Their previous president, Frankie Yale had				the murders of "Big Joe" and John Lonardo.
been				However it was
recently killed by order of Chicago's notorious Al				believed by members of the Lonardo family that the
Capone.				remaining
Second, it was believed that the meeting may have				Porrello brothers, particularly the volatile John and
been called				Raymond
to organize the highly lucrative corn sugar industry. It				and eldest brother Rosario still posed a threat
was				because of
also said that the men were there to "confirm" Joe				the murders of Joe and James Porrello.On Feb. 25th,
Porrello				1932 Raymond Porrello, his brother Rosario
as "capo" of Cleveland.Capone, a non-Sicilian was				and their bodyguard Dominic Gulino (known also by
reported to be in Cleveland				several
for the meeting. He left soon after his arrival at the				aliases) were playing cards near E. 110th and
advice of associates who said that the Sicilians did				Woodland
not want				Avenue. The front door burst open and in a hail of
him there.Chapter VIThe Second Bloody CornerAs				bullets
Joe Porrello's power and wealth grew, heirs and close				the Porrello brothers, their bodyguard and a
associates to the Lonardo brothers grew hot for				bystander went
revenge.Angelo Lonardo, "Big Joe's" 18-year-old son				down. The Porrellos died at the scene. Gulino died a
along with				couple
his mother and his cousin, drove to the corner of E.				of hours later. The bystander eventually recovered
110th				from his
and Woodland, the Porrello stronghold. There Angelo				wounds. This shooting was Cleveland's worst Mob hit
sent				ever.Several hours after the murders, Frank
word that his mother wanted to speak to Salvatore				Brancato, with abullet in his stomach, dragged himself
"Black Sam"				into St. John's
Todaro. Todaro, now a Porrello lieutenant, had				Hospital on Cleveland's west side. He claimed he was
worked for				shot in
Angelo's father and was believed to be responsible				a street fight on the west side. A few days later,
for his				tests on
murder. In later years it was believed that he was				the bullet taken from Brancato revealed that it came
actually				from a
one of the gunmen.As Todaro approached to speak				gun found at the Porrello brothers murder scene.
with Mrs. Lonardo whom he				Although
respected, Angelo pulled out a gun and emptied it				never convicted of either of the murders, Brancato
into "Black				was
Sam's stocky frame. Todaro crumpled to the				convicted of perjury for lying to a Grand Jury about
sidewalk and				his
died.Angelo and his cousin disappeared for several				whereabouts during the murder. He served four
months				years after a
reportedly being hid in Chicago courtesy of Lonardo				one to ten year sentence was commuted by
friend Al				Governor Martin L.
Capone. Later it was believed that Angelo spent				Davey.In 1933, Prohibition was repealed. The bootleg
time in				murders
California with his uncle Dominick, fourth Lonardo				mostly stopped as organized crime moved into
brother				other
who fled west when indicted for a payroll robbery				enterprises. Angelo Lonardo continued his crime
murder in				career as a
1921.Eventually Angelo and his cousin were arrested				respected member of the Cleveland family
and				eventually rising
charged with "Black Sam's" murder. For the first time				through the ranks to run the northeast Ohio rackets
in				in 1980.In early 1933, in a sequel to the tragedy of
Cleveland's bootleg murder history justice was				the large
served as both				Porrello family, Rosario's son Angelo, 21, was killed in
young men were convicted and sentenced to life.				a
Justice				fight over a pool game in Buffalo. It was said that
although served would be shortlived as they would				he and
be released				his Uncle John were there trying to muscle in on the
only a year and a half later after winning a new				corn
trial.Chapter VIIRise of the Mayfield Road MobOn				liquor business.******For more - read The Rise and
October 20th, 1929, Frank Lonardo, brother to "Big				Fall of the Cleveland Mafia
Joe" and John was shot to death while playing cards.				Rick Porrello - Barricade BooksA cop in suburban
Two				Cleveland, Rick Porrello, serendipitously began his
theories were given for his death; that it was in				writing career when curiosity about the mysterious
revenge for				murder of his grandfather along with the deaths of
the murder of "Black Sam" Todaro and, that he was				several uncles led to penning his first true crime saga,
killed for				The Rise and Fall of the Cleveland Mafia. Porrello
not paying gambling debts. Mrs. Frank Lonardo, when				went on to write a second book, To Kill the Irishman:
told of				The War That Crippled the Mafia which recounts the
her husband's murder screamed, "I'll get them. I'll get				story of Irish-American racketeer Danny Greene who
them				took on the Cleveland Mafia and was murdered in
myself if I have to kill a whole regiment!"By 1929,				1977.

Deerpark Winery

Corn Sugar and Blood and The Rise and Fall of the Cleveland Mafia

India's Carpool...