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155-523: 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

310-591: 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

465-529: 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 ,

620-564: A hatchet . They survived the attack only when Fannie's mother, Frances Damanta, shot and killed Angelo. Fannie claimed that she married Lonardo only after he threatened to kill her if she did not. Their relationship apparently did not last; by the fall of 1927, Fannie was living in St. Louis, Missouri . Constantina Bullone (also known as Concettina Bulone) was Lonardo's mistress. Lonardo met her while in Sicily in 1926 and began an affair with

775-423: 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

930-826: A Porrello-owned barber shop at 10902 Woodland Avenue as a front for the sale of large orders of corn whiskey and, following a sting in early 1927, Raymond Porrello was arrested. He was convicted of various violations of liquor laws and for threatening a law enforcement officer and sentenced to jail. Joseph Porrello allegedly tried to bribe officials to win Raymond's release, and failed. He then asked Lonardo for help. Lonardo agreed to use his political influence, although Porrello had to pay him $ 5,000 ($ 100,000 in 2023 dollars). Lonardo either took no action or failed to win Raymond Porrello's release before he left. John Lonardo served as caretaker of Joseph's businesses while Joseph

1085-574: 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 . Through late 1927 and much of 1928, the remaining Lonardo loyalists, which included members of the Mayfield Road Mob and various Jewish allies within

1240-409: A campaign of intimidation and murder to win control of the majority of bootlegging in northeast Ohio. The barriers to entry into the illegal liquor industry were low, which meant that Lonardo could reduce, but not entirely eliminate, the competition. Lonardo relied on several associates in his effort, including Salvatore "Black Sam" Todaro, his top lieutenant; Frank Milano , one of the top leaders in

1395-434: A common theme of the desire for power, respect, money, and protection. In neighborhoods with high levels of violence, adolescents typically experience pressure to join a street gang for protection from other violent actors (sometimes including police violence and the waging of the war on drugs ), perpetuating a cycle of violence . These desires are very influential in attracting individuals to join gangs, and their influence

1550-721: A cut of its profits to mobsters in other criminal organizations, who then did the actual work of bootlegging or running the gambling operations. The Cleveland Syndicate dominated bootlegging in Cleveland during the early days of Prohibition, but swiftly partnered with the Mayfield Road Mob—which did most (but not all) of the bootlegging for the Syndicate. The Mayfield Road Mob's bootlegging operation moved large amounts of high-quality liquor from Canada into northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania , generating substantial profits for those involved. Beginning in 1924, Lonardo began

1705-539: A feud over territory or vendetta. Gang warfare mostly consists of sanctioned and unsanctioned hits, street fighting, and gun violence. Modern gangs introduced new acts of violence, which may also function as a rite of passage for new gang members. In 2006, 58 percent of L.A.'s murders were gang-related. Reports of gang-related homicides are concentrated mostly in the largest cities in the United States, where there are long-standing and persistent gang problems and

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1860-456: A flashy dresser. He wore expensive tailored suits, closed the cuffs with diamond-studded cufflinks , used a diamond-encrusted tie pin , and wore several diamond rings. About 1925, Lonardo commissioned local architect J. L. Cameron to design a home for him in Cleveland's Buckeye–Shaker neighborhood. The home, located at 13700 Larchmere Blvd., cost $ 70,000 to $ 75,000 ($ 1,220,000 to $ 1,300,000 in 2023 dollars). Lonardo's common-law wife

2015-535: A flat fee of $ 25 ($ 444 in 2023 dollars) per murder. Lonardo used the same tactics to discourage home distillers from selling liquor directly to speakeasies, and to encourage retailers to sell liquor at the highest possible price. When his better corn sugar customers ran into trouble with the law, Lonardo often donated money for attorneys and bail . As law enforcement improved, the Mayfield Road Mob strengthened its organization and promoted gangsters with stronger personalities and more talent to leadership positions within

2170-530: A gang as they expand and recruit new members. Most gangs operate informally with leadership falling to whoever takes control; others have distinct leadership and are highly structured, which resembles more or less a business or corporation. Criminal gangs may function both inside and outside of prison, such as the Nuestra Familia , Mexican Mafia , Folk Nation , and the Brazilian PCC . During

2325-413: A gang member's color by an unaffiliated individual is regarded as grounds for violent retaliation, often by multiple members of the offended gang. Tattoos are also common identifiers, such as an '18' above the eyebrow to identify a member of the 18th Street gang . Tattoos help a gang member gain respect within their group, and mark them as members for life. Tattoos can also represent the level they are in

2480-528: A gang, they instantly gain a feeling of belonging and identity; they are surrounded with individuals whom they can relate to. They have generally grown up in the same area as one another and can bond over similar needs. In some areas, joining a gang is an integrated part of the growing-up process. Gang membership is generally maintained by gangs as a lifetime commitment, reinforced through identification such as tattoos, and ensured through intimidation and coercion. Gang defectors are often subject to retaliation from

2635-419: A greater number of documented gang members—most of whom are identified by law enforcement. Gang-related activity and violence has increased along the U.S. Southwest border region, as US-based gangs act as enforcers for Mexican drug cartels . Despite gangs usually formed in the community , not specifically in schools , gang violence can potentially affect schools in different ways including: Global data on

2790-632: 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,

2945-499: A man, and imprisoned for 22 months in the Ohio State Reformatory . Shortly after his release, he was arrested for (but not charged with) robbery. He was accused of robbery in 1909 but not indicted. He shot and killed a man during an argument in 1916, but a grand jury declined to indict him. Police suspected he was involved in a number of robberies and by 1924 believed he had also committed two murders, but he

3100-589: A meta-analysis of 14 countries in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Central and South America, sub-Saharan Africa and the Pacific also showed that carrying a weapon at school is associated with bullying victimization . Comparison of Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) data on school violence and bullying for countries that are particularly affected by gang violence suggests that

3255-455: A naturalized citizen on August 14, 1914. Lonardo worked in various commission houses at first, then sold fruit for a living, and later opened a confectionery . By the early 1920s, his brothers Frank and John and family friend Salvatore "Black Sam" Todaro were working in the business. Many members of the Porrello family had also emigrated to the U.S. and settled in Cleveland. Among these

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3410-560: A new Italian American gang run by the Porrellos that had formed near the intersection of Woodland Avenue and E. 55th Street. In New York City in the early 1920s, Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria was contending with D'Aquila for control of organized crime. Masseria began backing challenges to D'Aquila-supported crime families across the country, most notably in Cleveland. Much of Masseria's extended family lived in Cleveland and his brother

3565-623: 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

3720-400: A person is validated as a gang member, the person is subject to increased sentences, harsher punishments (such as solitary confinement) and more restrictive parole rules. To validate a person as a gang member, the officials generally must provide evidence of several factors, such as tattoos, photographs, admissions, clothing, etc. The legal requirements for validating a person are much lower than

3875-401: A process of initiation), or have to prove their loyalty and right to belong by committing certain acts, usually theft or violence. Gangs often establish distinctive, characteristic identifiers including graffiti tags colors , hand signals , clothing (for example, the gangsta rap -type hoodies), jewelry, hair styles, fingernails, slogans, signs (such as the noose and the burning cross as

4030-493: A small-time robber and thief specializing in jewelry. Almost nothing was known about how the two met and/or where they had operated, except that they had engaged in blackmail in Buffalo, New York , before moving to Cleveland. After their arrival in Cleveland, Yorkell and Brownstein spent time in local gambling dens, speakeasies, and other places where criminal activity took place. They paid attention to local gossip, learned who

4185-437: 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. The Collinwood Crew, also known as

4340-728: A unique type of gang made up of members who follow the punk rock ideology . Unlike other gangs and criminal groups, punk gangs follow a range of political and philosophical beliefs that can range from alt-right to radical left . Differing ideologies are one of the causes of conflicts between rival punk gangs, compared to other street gangs and criminal groups who wage gang war solely for illegal profit, vendetta, and territory. Most of them can be seen in political and social protests and demonstrations and are sometimes in violent confrontation with law-enforcement. Examples of punk gangs are Fight For Freedom , Friends Stand United , and Straight Edge gangs. Contemporary organized crime has also led to

4495-587: A white gang formed called Chicago Gaylords . Some gang members are motivated by religion, as is the case with the Muslim Patrol and the Epstein-Wolmark gang . Most gang members have identifying characteristics which are unique to their specific clique or gang. The Bloods , for instance, wear red bandanas, the Crips blue, allowing these gangs to "represent" their affiliation. Any disrespect of

4650-689: Is cognate with Old Norse gangr , meaning ' journey ' . While the term often refers specifically to criminal groups, it also has a broader meaning of any close or organized group of people, and may have neutral, positive or negative connotations depending on usage. In discussing the banditry in American history, Barrington Moore, Jr. suggests that gangsterism as a "form of self-help which victimizes others" may appear in societies which lack strong "forces of law and order "; he characterizes European feudalism as "mainly gangsterism that had become society itself and acquired respectability through

4805-472: Is a group or society of associates, friends, or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over territory in a community and engages, either individually or collectively , in illegal , and possibly violent , behavior, with such behavior often constituting a form of organized crime . The word gang derives from the past participle of Old English gan , meaning ' to go ' . It

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4960-538: Is common and considered to be a norm. Women who attend social gatherings and parties with heavy drug and alcohol use are particularly likely to be assaulted. A girl who becomes intoxicated and flirts with men is often seen as "asking for it" and is written off as a "hoe" by men and women. "Hoodrats" and girls associated with rival gangs have lower status at these social events, and are victimized when members view them as fair game and other women rationalize assault against them. Most modern research on gangs has focused on

5115-528: Is important because it plays a part in impelling the terrorist to act and then in defining the targets of their actions." Displaying a gang sign, such as the noose, as a symbolic act can be construed as "a threat to commit violence communicated with the intent to terrorize another, to cause evacuation of a building, or to cause serious public inconvenience, in reckless disregard of the risk of causing such terror or inconvenience … an offense against property or involving danger to another person that may include but

5270-494: Is not limited to recklessly endangering another person, harassment , stalking , ethnic intimidation, and criminal mischief ." The Internet is one of the most significant media used by gangs to communicate in terms of the size of the audience they can reach with minimal effort and reduced risk. Social media provides a forum for recruitment activities, typically provoking rival gangs through derogatory postings, and to glorify their gang and themselves. Researchers and activists in

5425-423: Is one of three concepts that shed light on patterns of organization in oppressed racial, religious and ethnic groups (the other two are Manuel Castells ' theory of "resistance identity" and Derrick Bell 's work on the permanence of racism). Usually, gangs have gained the most control in poorer, urban communities and developing countries in response to unemployment and other services. Social disorganization, and

5580-432: Is particularly strong on at-risk youth. Such individuals are often experiencing low levels of these various factors in their own lives, feeling ostracized from their community and lacking social support. Joining a gang may appear to them to be the only way to obtain status and material success or escape a cycle of poverty through profits from illegal activity. They may feel that "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em". Upon joining

5735-513: Is widely believed to have taken over Lonardo's criminal enterprises, becoming the second boss of the Cleveland crime family. Todaro was murdered in front of Ottavio Porrello's barber shop on June 11, 1929, by Angelo Lonardo (Joseph Lonardo's son) and Dominic Sospirato (Joseph Lonardo's nephew). Joseph Porrello then took over as boss of the Cleveland crime family. Lonardo was nicknamed "Big Joe" because at 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) in height and 300 pounds (140 kg) in weight he

5890-790: The American Motorcyclist Association and do not adhere to its rules. Instead the clubs have their own set of bylaws reflecting the outlaw biker culture. Biker gangs such as the Rebels Motorcycle Club exist in Australia. Prison gangs are formed inside prisons and correctional facilities for mutual protection and entrancement like the Mexican Mafia and United Blood Nation . Prison gangs often have several "affiliates" or "chapters" in different state prison systems that branch out due to

6045-617: The Gulf Cartel and Shower Posse . Street gangs are gangs formed by youths in urban areas, and are known primarily for street fighting and gang warfare. The term "street gang" is commonly used interchangeably with "youth gang", referring to neighborhood or street-based youth groups that meet "gang" criteria. Miller (1992) defines a street gang as "a self-formed association of peers, united by mutual interests, with identifiable leadership and internal organization, who act collectively or as individuals to achieve specific purposes, including

6200-474: The Hells Angels require a candidate, known as a "hang-around", to be observed and mentored by veteran gang members (which can last a year or more) in order to assess their personalities and commitment. The Cosa Nostra requires people wanting to be full members or become made men to take part in a ceremony involving oaths, agreement, and bloodletting to show their loyalty. The Sigue-Sigue Sputnik from

6355-582: The Hells Angels , the Pagans , the Outlaws , and the Bandidos , known as the "Big Four" in the United States. The U.S. Department of Justice defines outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMG) as "organizations whose members use their motorcycle clubs as conduits for criminal enterprises". Some clubs are considered "outlaw" not necessarily because they engage in criminal activity, but because they are not sanctioned by

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6510-551: 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 . John Scalish died during open heart surgery in 1976, without officially naming a successor. It was decided afterward by

6665-677: The Peaky Blinders . In the United States, the history of gangs began on the East Coast in 1783 following the American Revolution . Gangs arose further in the United States by the middle of the nineteenth century and were a concern for city leaders from the time they appeared. The emergence of the gangs was largely attributed to the vast rural population immigration to the urban areas. The first street-gang in

6820-1030: The Wild Bunch . Prohibition would also cause a new boom in the emergence of gangs; Chicago for example had over 1,000 gangs in the 1920s. Outside of the US and the UK, gangs exist in both urban and rural forms, like the French gangs of the Belle Époque like the Apaches and the Bonnot Gang . Many criminal organizations, such as the Italian Cosa Nostra , Japanese yakuza , Russian Bratva , and Chinese triads , have existed for centuries. Gangs, syndicates, and other criminal groups, come in many forms, each with their own specialties and gang culture. One of

6975-762: 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 four Lonardo brothers ( Joseph , Frank, John and Dominic) and seven Porrello brothers (Rosario, Vincenzo, Angelo, Joseph, John, Ottavio and Raymond) were immigrants to

7130-446: The "protection" is usually from the gang itself, or in other criminal activity. Many gangs use fronts to demonstrate influence and gain revenue in a particular area. Gang violence refers mostly to the illegal and non-political acts of violence perpetrated by gangs against civilians , other gangs, law enforcement officers , firefighters , or military personnel . A gang war is a type of small war that occurs when two gangs end up in

7285-649: The 1960s in the USA often adapted nationalist rhetoric. Both majority and minority races in society have established gangs in the name of identity: the Igbo gang Bakassi Boys in Nigeria defend the majority Igbo group violently and through terror, and in the United States, whites who feel threatened by minorities have formed their own gangs, such as the Ku Klux Klan . Responding to an increasing black and Hispanic migration,

7440-600: The 1970s, prison gangs in Cape Town , South Africa began recruiting street gang members from outside and helped increase associations between prison and street gangs. In the US, the prison gang the Aryan Brotherhood is involved in organized crime outside of prison. Different gangs and criminal syndicates have various roles and members. Most are typically divided into: The numerous push factors experienced by at-risk individuals vary situationally, but follow

7595-565: 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." Gang#Gang violence A gang

7750-582: 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

7905-458: The Cleveland crime family. His top lieutenant, Joseph Porrello, supervised various criminal operations throughout the early to mid-1920s. 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

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8060-637: 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 . Semi-organized Sicilian American - and Italian American -run " Black Hand " extortion rackets first emerged in Cleveland , Ohio , around

8215-480: 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

8370-478: The Cleveland mafia was usurped in 1927 by underboss Salvatore "Black Sam" Todaro and the Porrello brothers while Lonardo was out of the country. When Lonardo returned to Cleveland, he attempted to regain control of the Cleveland mafia. His bodyguards were arrested as suspects in the Yorkell and Brownstein murders, leaving Lonardo unprotected. On October 13, 1927, he was murdered in a Porrello barber shop, likely on

8525-408: The Cleveland mafia went through three stages: An initial stage, where rival gangs and families contended with one another for power; a second stage, when these gangs sometimes cooperated and sometimes competed; and a third stage, where a powerful boss dominated all the gangs and families and the mafia acted more like a unitary organization. The Mayfield Road Mob under Lonardo, he concludes, is typical of

8680-646: 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

8835-607: 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,

8990-446: The Lonardos increased significantly. A Porrello subordinate, Mike Chiapetta, began swiftly building a home brewing network loyal to the Porrellos. Just a few weeks after Lonardo's departure, the Porrellos had taken control of more than half of Lonardo's corn sugar and corn whiskey business. Lonardo returned to Cleveland in August 1927, and worked hard to put his business back in order. He correctly surmised that Todaro had conspired with

9145-458: The Mayfield Road Mob and organizing it, turning it into the dominant criminal organization in Cleveland. Prohibition began in Ohio on May 27, 1919, and nationally throughout the United States on January 16, 1920. Once stockpiles of alcohol were consumed, the brewing of beer and distillation of liquor at home increased exponentially in the first few years of Prohibition. By 1920, Lonardo

9300-535: The Mayfield Road Mob within just a few years. Lonardo then began to use intimidation and murder to force other corn sugar dealers and purchasers of home-distilled liquor out of business. Tactics included hijacking other people's liquor shipments, stealing liquor from warehouses rented by other gangs, or tipping off the police about where liquor was stored or how it was being moved. The Mayfield Road Mob killed so many small-time corn sugar merchants, distillers, and bootleggers that police claimed hit men were charging

9455-406: 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,

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9610-535: The Mayfield Road Mob, into a powerful organized crime family. He had the support of the D'Aquila crime family of New York City, and engaged in widespread bribery of local judges, police, and politicians. His criminal organization's reliance on low-quality corn whiskey led to a drop in revenues when consumers began favoring better quality, illegally imported liquor. He began demanding unquestioning loyalty while taking little risk, alienating many bootleggers, home distillers, and organized crime figures. Lonardo's control of

9765-457: The Mayfield Road Mob; and gangsters John Angersola , Charles Colletti , Lawrence Lupo , and Charles Russo . Salvatore "Sam" Tilocco and Porrello also became part of the Lonardo crime family, and Porrello rose to a position of some prominence in the organization. In 1925, with pre-Prohibition stockpiles of alcohol exhausted, corn whiskey —which had been manufactured on a small scale—became

9920-695: The Philippines require gang members to tattoo (or "tatak") the name of the gang or their leader into their body. Triads have a more unique way of initiating associates into full members. Triad ceremonies take place at an altar dedicated to Guan Yu (關羽, GuānYǔ), with incense and an animal sacrifice (usually a chicken, pig or goat). Training and expertise in various forms of illicit activities, including combat, exist variously throughout different gangs. Specific members of American mafia groups, like police infiltrators, double agents, and sometimes also enforcers and hitmen, have had backgrounds in law enforcement or

10075-414: The Porrellos to undermine his business, and ejected him from the Mayfield Road Mob. Lonardo then ordered Lawrence Lupo to kill Todaro, ostensibly for abusing a Jew who worked for the mafia. Nicola Gentile says that Joseph Biondo and Paolino Palmieri members of the Buffalo crime family , tried to convince Lonardo to rescind the death sentence, but he refused. Gentile finally told Lonardo that if Todaro

10230-425: The Porrellos were lifelong friends. Todaro, too, was unhappy with Lonardo's rule. Despite largely managing the Lonardo corn sugar business, he had gained little wealth. After secretly visiting Sicily in April 1926, Lonardo left openly for Sicily in April 1927 for five months to visit his mother. The relationship between Lonardo and the Porrellos worsened while he was away. Law enforcement officials had identified

10385-433: The Porrellos. Lonardo, however, was not eager to start a gang war. He met several times with the Porrellos to discuss what was happening, allegedly seeking a merger of the two gangs and their bootleg operations. In September 1927, Ernest J. Yorkell (about 30 years old) and Jack Brownstein (about 25 years old) came to Cleveland. Yorkell had once been a sideshow strongman , nicknamed "Young Hercules." Brownstein had been

10540-582: 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

10695-410: 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

10850-723: The United States have debated the true impact of US gangs on crime in the United States, with a 2019 episode of the You're Wrong About podcast claiming that the perceived increase in gang violence was in fact an overblown moral panic. There have been repeated complaints of bias around the enforcement of gang-related laws asking why Frats and Gangs are treated differently "They're both blamed for predisposing their members to violent acts, but they’ve sparked radically different public-policy responses." Joseph Lonardo Joseph Lonardo ( Italian pronunciation: [loˈnardo] ; October 20, 1884 – October 13, 1927), also known as " Big Joe ",

11005-460: 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

11160-994: The United States), and she had three children by him. They were living in Cleveland when Concetta left him in 1906 for Lonardo. All sources agree that the Lonardos had five children: Angelo (b. 1911), Antoinette (b. circa 1914), Frank (b. circa 1917), Dominic (b. circa 1921), and Helen (also known as Ella; b. circa 1922). Angelo "Big Ange" Lonardo was later underboss of the Cleveland crime family from 1976 to 1983. Joseph and Concetta Lonardo separated about 1925, and Concetta died on January 24, 1943, in East Cleveland . On September 8, 1925, Lonardo married 29-year-old Fannie (or Fanny) Lanzone in Sandusky, Ohio . They immediately began living together. Fannie had been widowed only 19 days earlier: Her husband, Angelo Lanzone, attacked her and her 15-year-old daughter, Angelina, with

11315-537: The United States, entering the country on February 4, 1901. He settled in New York City 's Little Italy neighborhood, and his three brothers and his sister emigrated to the United States soon thereafter. Lonardo moved to Cleveland, Ohio, in 1905, living on La Grange Avenue in the Hough neighborhood, then at 923 Orange Avenue by 1916, and then a few years later to E. 38th Street in the Central neighborhood. He became

11470-602: The United States, the 40 Thieves , began around the late 1820s in New York City . The gangs in Washington D.C. had control of what is now Federal Triangle , in a region then known as Murder Bay . Organized crime in the United States first came to prominence in the Old West and historians such as Brian J. Robb and Erin H. Turner traced the first organized crime syndicates to the Coschise Cowboy Gang and

11625-499: The United States. Gangs are involved in all areas of street-crime activities like extortion , drug trafficking, both in and outside the prison system, and theft . Gangs also victimize individuals by robbery and kidnapping . Cocaine is the primary drug of distribution by gangs in America, which have used the cities Chicago , Cape Town , and Rio de Janeiro to transport drugs internationally. Brazilian urbanization has driven

11780-602: The Yorkell-Brownstein murders (although both were released in late October). Masseria encouraged Todaro to murder Lonardo and take over the Cleveland crime family in order to embarrass Salvatore D'Aquila. Todaro likely ordered the murder of Lonardo, and most likely arranged the meeting at which Lonardo was killed. Lonardo suspected that his life was in danger. After his return from Sicily, he never entertained at home and rarely ventured out at night. His bodyguards Lupo and Colletti were constantly with him during

11935-571: 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. Following Polizzi's ouster in 1944, John Scalish began

12090-408: The age of 18 years than those who did not. Gang violence is often associated with carrying weapons , including in school. A study of 10-to-19-year-olds in the UK found that 44% of those who reported belonging to a delinquent youth group had committed violence and 13% had carried a knife in the previous 12 months versus 17% and 4% respectively among those who were not in such a group. According to

12245-405: The barber shop without any bodyguards (which was highly unusual) about 8:15 PM and proceeded into the back room, which was used for playing cards. A few minutes later, two men entered the card room from the barber shop. The two men then opened fire. Angelo Porrello, who was in the card room, claims he did not know who the men were and survived only by hiding under the card table. Joseph Lonardo

12400-419: The case of street gangs, most do not train their members in shooting and combat. Although a few would train their youths how to shoot using empty cans and bottles as targets (with some cases using underground shooting ranges ), most gangsters have no formal instructions in firearms usage and safety. The late 90s and early 2000s saw many gang members in the US being sent by judges to the military to “set them on

12555-442: 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

12710-576: 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

12865-989: The conduct of illegal activity and control of a particular territory, facility, or enterprise." Some of the well-known ones are the Black gangs like the Bloods and the Crips , also the Vice Lords and the Gangster Disciples . Other racial gangs also exist like the Trinitario , Sureños , Tiny Rascal Gang , Asian Boyz , Wa Ching , Zoe Pound , The Latin Kings , The Hammerskins , Nazi Lowriders and Blood & Honour . Law enforcement gangs are criminal organizations that form and operate within law enforcement agencies. Members have been accused of significant department abuses of policy and constitutional rights, terrifying

13020-501: 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;

13175-479: The creation of anti-gang groups, vigilante gangs, and autodefensas , who are groups who profess to be fighting against gang influence, but share characteristics and acts similarly to a gang. These include groups like the Los Pepes , Sombra Negra , Friends Stand United , People Against Gangsterism and Drugs , and OG Imba . Many types of gangs make up the general structure of an organized group. Understanding

13330-426: The day as he conducted his business, but Lonardo was deprived of their services after their arrest in the Yorkell-Brownstein murders. In the early evening of October 13, 1927, someone telephoned Lonardo and asked him to come to the barber shop owned by Ottavio Porrello at 10902 Woodland Avenue. The caller was never identified, although it appears to have been someone Lonardo trusted. Joseph and John Lonardo arrived at

13485-417: The deserted gang. Many gangs, including foreign and transnational gangs , hold that the only way to leave the gang is through death. This is sometimes informally called the "morgue rule". Gang membership represents the phenomenon of a chronic group criminal spin ; accordingly, the criminality of members is greater when they belong to the gang than when they are not in the gang—either before or after being in

13640-483: The disintegration of societal institutions such as family, school, and the public safety net, enable groups of peers to form gangs. According to surveys conducted internationally by the World Bank for their World Development Report 2011 , by far the most common reason people suggest as a motive for joining gangs is unemployment. Ethnic solidarity is a common factor in gangs. Black and Hispanic gangs formed during

13795-503: The drug trade to the favelas of Rio. Often, gangs hire "lookouts" to warn members of upcoming law enforcement. The dense environments of favelas in Rio and public housing projects in Chicago have helped gang members hide from police easily. Street gangs take over territory or "turf" in a particular city and are often involved in " providing protection ", often a thin cover for extortion, as

13950-554: The early hours of October 8, 1927, at the intersection of East Blvd. (now Martin Luther King Jr. Drive) and North Park Blvd. in Cleveland Heights , less than 0.5 miles (0.80 km) from Lonardo's home and within view of the homes of a number of millionaires. Lonardo was widely believed to have ordered their deaths. Lonardo bodyguards Lawrence Lupo and Charles Colletti were arrested for suspicion in involvement in

14105-413: The estate while the appeal was heard, and former Cleveland police detective Phil Mooney was appointed a guardian for Lonardo's minor-aged children. The value of the estate dwindled to just $ 149,000 ($ 2,700,000 in 2023 dollars) by spring 1930, largely due to legal fees incurred by Concetta Lonardo as she defended herself against murder charges in the death of Salvatore Todaro and by Angelo Lonardo as he fought

14260-473: The estate, leaving Concetta Lonardo somewhat impoverished. By June 1929, her car had been legally repossessed , and her personal finances were so tight that she had to appeal to Salvatore Todaro for monetary assistance. By March 1930, the probate court had resolved the lawsuit in Concetta Lonardo's favor, although Fannie Lonardo appealed the court's decision. Joseph Metzel was appointed a guardian of

14415-491: 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. Following

14570-409: 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

14725-628: 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

14880-472: The first known boss of the Cleveland crime family. Lonardo was generally regarded as an effective boss. He overcame resistance to his criminal activities by maintaining good relationships with people in Little Italy (the area most affected by his bootlegging), helping to resolve their disputes and donating money to those in need. He was also aware of the precarious position he held. He had several bodyguards, including Charles Colletti and Lawrence Lupo, and he

15035-437: The gang hierarchy; how money derived from criminal activity and ability to provide for the gang also impacts the individual's status within the gang. The structure of gangs varies depending primarily on size, which can range from five or ten to thousands. Many of the larger gangs break up into smaller groups, cliques or sub-sets (these smaller groups can be called "sets" in gang slang.) The cliques typically bring more territory to

15190-486: The gang, being that certain tattoos can mean they are a more accomplished member. The accomplishments can be related to doing a dangerous act that showed your loyalty to the gang. They can be burned on as well as inked. Some gangs make use of more than one identifier, like the Nortenos , who wear red bandanas and have "14", "XIV", "x4", and "Norte" tattoos. Some members of criminal gangs are "jumped in" (by going through

15345-406: The gang. In addition, when together, the gang criminality as a whole is greater than that of its members when they are alone. The gang operates as a whole greater than its parts and influences the behavior of its members in the direction of greater extend and stronger degree of criminality. Some states have a formal process to establish that a person is a member of a gang, called validation . Once

15500-431: The general population, intimidating their colleagues, and retaliating against whistleblowers. Leaders called "shot-callers" control many aspects of local policing, including promotions, scheduling, and enforcement. They operate in the gray areas of law enforcement, perpetuate a culture of silence, and promote a mentality of punisher-style retaliation. Biker gangs are motorcycle clubs who conduct illegal activities like

15655-694: The girls are less likely to be searched by police for such items. Different gangs from around the world have their way of recruiting and introducing new members. Most criminal gangs require an interested candidate to commit a crime to be inducted into a gang. Many street gangs, like the Bloods and MS-13 , have a ritual where they would beat up (also known as "beat-in" or "jump-in") aspiring applicants for several seconds to show their toughness, willingness, and loyalty. Some of these gangs allow women to become members either through being jumped-in or having sex with male members (known as "sexed-in"). Biker gangs like

15810-538: The gunman hit Lonardo between the eyes with the butt of his pistol . John Lonardo fell unconscious, and bled to death on the sidewalk. Police found Joseph Lonardo's will on his body, which led them to suspect that Lonardo knew he was being targeted for death. Joseph and John Lonardo were buried on October 18, 1927. A wake was held at John Lonardo's home at 3269 Warrington Road in Shaker Heights . Several hundred mourners, many from out of town, attended

15965-464: 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

16120-721: The illegal drug trade. These include drug cartels like the Medellin Cartel and other Colombian cartels, Mexican cartels like the Sinaloa Cartel and Los Zetas , and the Primeiro Comando da Capital in Brazil. Other examples are Jamaican Yardies and the various opium barons in the Golden Triangle and Golden Crescent . Many narcos are known for their use of paramilitaries and narcoterrorism like

16275-418: The illegal liquor of choice in northeast Ohio. Corn sugar was key to the manufacture of corn whiskey. Corn whiskey was usually made with cornmeal or unground corn mixed with rye as the mash . Corn sugar could not only be substituted for grain as the mash ingredient but also permitted faster production of the final liquor. Control of the corn sugar industry as well as the distribution of illegal liquor

16430-409: 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

16585-569: The initial stage. The distinctiveness of the Mayfield Road Mob as a crime family is supported by mafioso Nicola Gentile , who called the group predominio dei licatesi (dominance of those from Licata). Lonardo and the Mayfield Road Mob had become so dominant in Cleveland that other mafia families began to take interest in what was happening in the city. Prohibition also encouraged the much more powerful New York City mafia organizations to seek alliances with crime families in other cities to ensure reliable and large supplies of illegal liquor. Among

16740-586: 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

16895-485: The links may be limited. In El Salvador and Guatemala, for example, where gang violence is a serious problem, GSHS data show that the prevalence of bullying, physical fights and physical attacks reported by school students is relatively low, and is similar to prevalence in other countries in Central America where gang violence is less prevalent. Women in gang culture are often in environments where sexual assault

17050-466: 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

17205-658: 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

17360-467: 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

17515-555: The many friends Lonardo made while living briefly in New York City were several who later became important mafioso, including Nicola "Uncle Cola" Gentile (a powerful mafia figure who played a major role in peacekeeping among crime families and helped create The Commission in 1931) and Salvatore "Toto" D'Aquila . D'Aquila, who was rapidly expanding his influence in New York City and was heavily involved in bootlegging, began supporting Lonardo in his efforts to establish himself as

17670-458: The married woman. He convinced her to come to the United States with him, and she agreed. She lived in Cleveland in a lavishly furnished apartment Lonardo rented on her behalf. She was 24 years old in November 1927 when U.S. officials deported her back to Italy. Lonardo deeded most of his property to his heirs several months before his death. The worth of the remainder of Lonardo's estate

17825-459: The media to depict them breaking into the homes of poor immigrants. By 1925, law enforcement recognized that home distilling had become so widespread it was now an industrial concern. The corn sugar industry generated immense wealth for the Lonardos. Lonardo's personal profits from the industry were estimated at $ 5,000 ($ 100,000 in 2023 dollars) a week. He became Cleveland's first "corn sugar baron", and this in turn allowed him to become boss of

17980-401: The mid-1920s many consumers preferred to purchase high-quality liquor illegally imported from Canada. This hurt the market for corn whiskey, reducing criminal profits. Improvements in law enforcement also made many restive with Lonardo's rule. Lonardo demanded a percentage of the profits from the sale of corn whiskey, but appeared to take little risk. As more and more home distillers were jailed,

18135-677: The military. Sicilian mafia and Calabrian Mafia in Southern Italy became notorious for creating "schools" in the countryside to train children as young as eleven in weapons and illegal activities. Giovanni Tinebra, the chief public prosecutor of Caltanissetta , once stated, "Instead of going to school, many boys go into the countryside where there are people who teach them to shoot and turn them into killing machines." Some drug cartels in Colombia and Mexico have established themselves as paramilitaries . The earliest and most famous example

18290-491: The mob. Lonardo and his organization also began the widespread bribery of judges, police, and politicians. The Mayfield Road Mob's influence was not limited to Cleveland. In Akron , a large industrial city 40 miles (64 km) to the south, Frank Bellini and Michael Corcelli controlled the imported illegal liquor and home distilling operations (but not corn sugar sales). The Akron mob owed its allegiance to Lonardo. The political economist Dennis M.P. McCarthy suggests that

18445-964: The most infamous criminal gangs are Mafias , whose activities include racketeering and overseeing illicit agreements. These include the Sicilian Cosa Nostra and the Italian–American Mafia . The Neapolitan Camorra , the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta and the Apulian Sacra Corona Unita are similar Italian organized gangs. Outside of Italy, the Irish Mob , Japanese yakuza , Chinese triads , British firms , and Russian Bratva are also examples. Narcos or drug cartels are slang terms used for criminal groups (mainly Latin Americans ) who primarily deal with

18600-512: The movement or transfer of their members. According to criminal justice professor John Hagedorn , many of the biggest gangs from Chicago originated from prisons. From the St. Charles Illinois Youth Center originated the Conservative Vice Lords and Blackstone Rangers. Although the majority of gang leaders from Chicago are now incarcerated, most of those leaders continue to manage their gangs from within prison. Punk gangs are

18755-571: The notions of chivalry ". The 17th century saw London "terrorized by a series of organized gangs", some of them known as the Mims, Hectors, Bugles, and Dead Boys. These gangs often came into conflict with each other. Members dressed "with colored ribbons to distinguish the different factions." During the Victorian era , criminals and gangs started to form organizations which would collectively become London's criminal underworld. Criminal societies in

18910-485: The number of people willing to brew corn whiskey fell (further reducing income). Some distillers attempted to deceive the mob, selling liquor on the side; many of these individuals were murdered. Some sellers of corn whiskey lied about the amount of whiskey they were selling or the amount of profits they were making, depriving Lonardo and the Mayfield Road Mob of revenue. Many of these people were also killed. More and more distillers and distributors of corn whiskey were joining

19065-566: 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

19220-443: 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

19375-476: The orders of "Black Sam" Todaro. His death sparked Cleveland's Corn Sugar War. Lonardo was born October 20, 1884, in Licata , Sicily , to Angelo and Antonia ( née Verdi) Lonardo. He had three brothers, Dominic, Frank, and John, and a sister. Angelo Porrello operated a sulfur mine near Licata, and the four Lonardo sons worked alongside Porrello's seven sons in the mine. Lonardo emigrated from Italy to

19530-536: The prevalence of these different forms of gang violence in and around schools is limited. Some evidence suggests that gang violence is more common in schools where students are exposed to other forms of community violence and where they fear violence at school. Children who grow up in neighbourhoods with high levels of crime has been identified as a risk factor for youth violence, including gang violence. According to studies, children who knew many adult criminals were more likely to engage in violent behaviour by

19685-990: The requirements for convicting of a crime. Women associated with gangs but who lack membership are typically categorized based on their relation to gang members. A survey of Mexican American gang members and associates defined these categories as girlfriends, hoodrats, good girls, and relatives. Girlfriends are long-term partners of male gang members, and may have children with them. " Hoodrats " are seen as being promiscuous and heavy drug and alcohol users. Gang members may engage in casual sex with these girls, but they are not viewed as potential long-term partners and are severely stigmatized by both men and women in gang culture. "Good girls" are long-term friends of members, often from childhood, and relatives are typically sisters or cousins. These are fluid categories, and women often change status as they move between them. Valdez found that women with ties to gang members are often used to hold illegal weapons and drugs, typically, because members believe

19840-651: The right path”, which only led to these street gangs gaining military training and experience. Many street gangs, most notably African-American gangs like the Folk Nation and Bloods, continue to have a presence in the US Military . The United Nations estimates that gangs make most of their money through the drugs trade , which is thought to be worth $ 352 billion in total. The United States Department of Justice estimates there are approximately 30,000 gangs, with 760,000 members, impacting 2,500 communities across

19995-413: The sole boss in Cleveland. According to Gentile, Lonardo "worshipped" D'Aquila "like a god" and was one of D'Aquila's most avid supporters even though D'Aquila tended to murder any of his associates who grew too rich and powerful. Through his domination of the corn sugar and corn whiskey industries and with the support of the D'Aquila crime family, Todaro, and the Porrello brothers, Lonardo became

20150-468: The structure of gangs is a critical skill to defining the types of strategies that are most effective with dealing with them, from the at-risk youth to the gang leaders. Not all individuals who display the outward signs of gang membership are actually involved in criminal activities. An individual's age, physical structure, ability to fight, willingness to commit violence, and arrest record are often principal factors in determining where an individual stands in

20305-683: The symbols of the Klan), flags secret greetings, slurs , or code words and other group-specific symbols associated with the gang's common beliefs, rituals , and mythologies to define and differentiate themselves from other groups and gangs. As an alternative language, hand-signals, symbols, and slurs in speech, graffiti , print, music, or other mediums communicate specific informational cues used to threaten, disparage, taunt , harass , intimidate , alarm, influence, or exact specific responses including obedience, submission, fear, or terror. One study focused on terrorism and symbols states that "[s]ymbolism

20460-424: The thesis of class struggle following the work of Walter B. Miller and Irving Spergel. In this body of work The Gaylords are cited as the prime example of an American gang that is neither black nor Hispanic. Some researchers have focused on ethnic factors. Frederic Thrasher , who was a pioneer of gang research, identified "demoralization" as a standard characteristic of gangs. John Hagedorn has argued that this

20615-433: The underworld started to develop their own ranks and groups which were sometimes called families , and were often made up of lower-classes and operated on pick-pocketry , prostitution , forgery and counterfeiting , commercial burglary , and money laundering schemes. Unique also were the use of slangs and argots used by Victorian criminal societies to distinguish each other, like those propagated by street gangs like

20770-469: The wake. A procession of about 500 cars followed the hearse to St. Anthony's Catholic Church on E. 13th Street and Carnegie Avenue. John and Joseph Lonardo were both buried in silver caskets at Calvary Cemetery in Cleveland. Lonardo's death ignited what the press called the "Corn Sugar War", a series of power-grabs and retaliatory blood feuds that left another Lonardo and seven Porrellos dead before it ended. Police in 1927 believed Lonardo's death

20925-896: The warehouse, oversaw the bookkeeping, and assisted home brewers in obtaining and setting up stills. Frank Lonardo oversaw the collection of the corn whiskey and its distribution to buyers. Lonardo sold corn sugar sold to home distillers, who in turn sold their corn whiskey to the Mayfield Road Mob. The mob, in turn, sold the alcohol at high prices to local speakeasies . Lonardo offered his corn sugar customers easy credit, which encouraged expansion in home distilling and drove most legitimate corn sugar merchants out of business. The cottage industry system dispersed distillation operations so that no single raid by law enforcement could seriously interrupt production. The cottage industry system also created few opportunities for law enforcement aggrandizement. The vast majority of home distillers used by Lonardo were immigrants, and few law enforcement officers wanted

21080-528: The wealthy criminals were, and then attempted to blackmail these gangsters. They allegedly never asked for much money, and never blackmailed a victim twice. On October 7, 1927, Yorkell and Brownstein told witnesses that they intended to hit up a very wealthy local crime boss for $ 5,000 ($ 100,000 in 2023 dollars). They did not mention the name of their intended victim, but local newspapers and historians widely believe that they wanted to blackmail Lonardo. Yorkell and Brownstein's bullet-riddled bodies were found in

21235-463: 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

21390-419: Was Joseph Porrello , who found work in Lonardo's confectionery business. By at least 1924, Lonardo had also partnered with Todaro in opening a grocery store. Lonardo and his brothers were originally legitimate businessmen, but they soon branched out into extortion and robbery . Lonardo's criminal career began soon after he arrived in Cleveland. He was convicted of aggravated assault in 1906 for stabbing

21545-474: Was Concetta Paragone. She was born in Licata about 1888. Sources differ as to how they became a couple. Some sources say Concetta accompanied Joseph to the United States in 1901. Concetta herself later claimed that she and Lonardo had lived together as man and wife since 1902 (although they never had a civil or religious ceremony). Other sources say that Concetta married a fellow Licatan (either in Sicily or in

21700-597: 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 in 1920, Lonardo became a dealer in corn sugar , an essential ingredient in the manufacture of corn whiskey . Lonardo became a "sugar baron" by driving other legitimate corn sugar merchants out of business, encouraging home distillation, and using intimidation, murder, and theft to eliminate or drive his criminal competitors out of business. Lonardo transformed his gang,

21855-467: 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

22010-440: Was assessed at about $ 2 million ($ 35,100,000 in 2023 dollars) by the probate court . Concetta Lonardo was named administrator of the estate, and Lonardo's will distributed most of his remaining wealth and property to her and his five children. Fannie Lanzone Lonardo sued to overturn the will, claiming that her 1925 civil marriage to Lonardo legally superseded Lonardo's common-law marriage to Concetta. The lawsuit tied up much of

22165-404: 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

22320-412: Was critical to anyone seeking to dominate the illegal liquor industry. Lonardo essentially established a cottage industry in the production of illegal corn whiskey. He and his brothers used their profits from previous criminal activities to invest heavily in corn sugar manufacturing, a completely legal enterprise. They purchased a warehouse located at Woodland Avenue and E. 9th Street. Todaro ran

22475-492: Was in Sicily. John had little temperament for business and lacked good judgment, and a leadership vacuum emerged in the Mayfield Road Mob. As soon as Joseph Lonardo left for Sicily, the Porrellos began offering home distillers corn sugar at $ 2.19 per pound ($ 4.8/kg) ($ 38 in 2023 dollars), much less than the $ 3.50 per pound ($ 7.7/kg) ($ 61 in 2023 dollars) Lonardo charged. Lonardo's influence with local politicians and police evaporated, and law enforcement raids on home brewers loyal to

22630-547: Was involved in the Mayfield Road Mob, so his interest in the city is not surprising. In 1924, Porrello and his six brothers pooled their money and began selling corn sugar as well. By 1926, they had purchased several homes and warehouses at the intersection of Woodland Avenue and E. 110th Street, and become wealthy selling corn sugar to distillers. The Porrellos were the only significant corn sugar suppliers other than Lonardo, who had intimidated or eliminated nearly all other competitors. Lonardo tolerated their operation only because

22785-459: Was killed instantly. Two bullets entered his skull near his left eye, three bullets entered his left shoulder and upper left arm, and two bullets entered his right side. John Lonardo was shot in the left leg and stomach. The two gunmen fled out the front door of the barber shop and onto Woodland Avenue. John Lonardo followed them. One of the gunmen stopped in front of Anthony Caruso's butcher shop at 10906 Woodland. When John Lonardo reached him,

22940-451: Was murdered without good reason, Gentile would leave Cleveland and never return. The seriousness of Gentile's announcement impressed Lonardo, who rescinded the assassination order the next day. Historian Rick Porrello says Todaro was lucky not to have been killed. Todaro allied with the Porrellos, where he became suddenly wealthy. Lonardo was allegedly enraged that Todaro refused to acknowledge that he owed his station in life to Lonardo—not

23095-412: Was never arrested for any of these alleged crimes. About 1913, a loosely organized Italian American gang known as the Mayfield Road Mob formed in Cleveland's Little Italy neighborhood. The protection racket was the core business of the Mayfield Road Mob at first. Lonardo's criminal activities were limited to small-time crimes, but once Prohibition began, he and his brothers began taking over

23250-430: Was only one in a series of five murders recently committed in the city. The name of the conflict is a misnomer, since the struggle for control over Cleveland's corn sugar industry had ended (not begun) with Lonardo's death. Lawrence Lupo attempted to gain control over Mayfield Road Mob and the Lonardo corn sugar and corn whiskey empire after Lonardo's death but was murdered on May 31, 1928. Salvatore "Black Sam" Todaro

23405-465: Was rarely seen in public without at least one of them by his side. Lonardo encountered new problems as boss of the Cleveland crime family. Over time, he came to expect that his word would be obeyed without question and without the need to use force. Many of his competitors, as well as some of his subordinates, felt he was becoming arrogant. Problems with bootlegging also cropped up. The corn whiskey cottage industry system did not emphasize quality, and by

23560-437: 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. 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

23715-602: Was so well-regarded nationally by other organized crime families that Buffalo underboss Angelo Palmeri asked Lonardo to be godfather to his daughter. The start of Prohibition also saw the formation of the Cleveland Syndicate . Formed by Moe Dalitz , Maurice Kleinman, Louis Rothkopf , and Sam Tucker, the Cleveland Syndicate was a group of Jewish mobsters based in Cleveland and Akron who engaged in bootlegging , gambling, and smuggling luxury goods, among other things. The Cleveland Syndicate preferred to give

23870-476: Was taller and heavier than almost all his peers. For much of his adult life, Lonardo suffered from an unidentified disease in his right eye. At one point in the mid-1920s, he traveled to Boston , Massachusetts , to have surgery on the eye, recuperating afterward at a Massachusetts beach resort. The surgery proved ineffective in the long run, and by the end of his life Lonardo was blind in his right eye. Once he achieved wealth, Lonardo became well known for being

24025-607: Was the time when the Medellin Cartel hired Israeli soldier Yair Klein to train militiamen and assassins. Los Zetas became infamous for being founded by US-trained Mexican commandos . Together with Kaibiles from Guatemala , they set up camps to train future sicarios and soldatos. Other Mexican cartels who trained their members include the Jalisco Cartel , who trained their members for three months in ambushes, codes of silence and discipline, inside camps. In

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