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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.
Joseph Lonardo. Joseph Lonardo (Italian pronunciation: [loˈnardo]; October 20, 1884 – October 13, 1927), also known as " Big Joe ", was a Sicilian emigrant to the United States who became the first crime boss of the Cleveland crime family, which he structured from a number of competing organized crime gangs. When national Prohibition began ...
The Lonardo family had immigrated to the United States from Licata in Sicily in the early 20th century and settled in the Woodland district of Cleveland. [1] During the Prohibition era, Lonardo's father and uncles were involved in a gang war with the Porrello brothers over control of sugar distribution to regional bootleggers. [1]
Lonardo moved to Cleveland in 1905, at first engaging in legitimate businesses like selling fruit and operating a confectionery. [4] He also began a criminal career soon after arriving in Cleveland, [7] engaging in extortion and robbery. [8] Many members of the Porrello family also emigrated to the U.S. in 1905 and settled in Cleveland. [4]
It was led by boss Joseph "Big Joe" Lonardo, [35] and both Alfred and Chuck Polizzi sometimes acted as bodyguards for Lonardo and his family. [36] Lonardo was assassinated in June 1927 by Salvatore "Black Sam" Todaro and Joseph "Big Joe" Porrello. [22] Todaro was killed by Lonardo family in June 1929. [37]
Anthony Milano (December 5, 1888 – August 5, 1978) was an American mobster who rose to power working for the Cleveland crime family in the American Mafia. He served as the longtime underboss in the Cleveland crime family from 1930 until his retirement in 1976. He was the godfather of future Cleveland crime family underboss Angelo Lonardo.
Daniel John Patrick Greene (November 14, 1933 – October 6, 1977) was an American mobster in Cleveland, Ohio, whose conflicts with the Cleveland crime family of the Italian-American Mafia ended in Greene's murder in 1977. Greene would build a close working relationship with Shondor Birns, as neither of them could become a "made" man in the ...
While visiting family in Italy, Lonardo lost control of the Cleveland mafia to Salvatore "Black Sam" Todaro and Joseph "Big Joe" Porrello. Lonardo demanded his business back when he returned to the United States, but was murdered by the Porrellos on June 23, 1927. [7] Todaro was killed by the Lonardos on June 11, 1929. [9] Joseph Porello took ...