| He was fearless and cunning - loved by his neighbors | | | | predicted. "When you live by the bomb, you die by the |
| and hated by his business competitors - the members | | | | bomb." The Irishman was dead.But the Mafia's |
| of the Cleveland Mafia. Fiercely proud of his Irish | | | | celebration was cut short. There was much sloppy |
| heritage, he was a Celtic warrior at heart, obsessed | | | | work, a few observant witnesses (one of whom was |
| with the color green - green car, green jackets, green | | | | a sketch artist!) and extraordinary investigations by |
| ink pens. Through the 1970s, the ruggedly handsome | | | | federal, state and local officials. The aftermath of |
| Danny Greene (that's right, Danny Greene), had been | | | | Greene's assassination brought about a mob murder |
| boldly encroaching on mob territory. Their threats didn't | | | | plot against Cleveland Mayor Dennis Kucinich and |
| worry him."Since I'm Irish Catholic, I've got the best | | | | charges against Mahoning County Sheriff James |
| guardian angel there is. Besides, it's the man upstairs | | | | Traficant for accepting Mafia bribe money. Traficant |
| who pulls the strings." Danny was a proud Catholic. He | | | | was acquitted and is now a United States |
| was also a killer.Danny got his start in racketeering as | | | | Congressman.As a direct result of Danny's murder, |
| president of the local International Association of | | | | Jimmy "Weasel" Fratianno defected and co-authored |
| Longshoremen. He could have been a highly | | | | The Last Mafioso and Vengeance is Mine. His |
| successful businessman, but it wasn't the life for him. | | | | courtroom testimony and that of Angelo Lonardo, |
| After a shocking expose by the Cleveland Plain | | | | called "the highest ranking mobster ever to testify for |
| Dealer, he was ousted from the docks and fined | | | | the government" helped put away mob bosses |
| $10,000 for embezzling union funds. Danny had been | | | | Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno of New York's Genovese |
| forcing longshoremen to unload filthy grain boats and | | | | Mafia family, Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo of the |
| "donate" their paychecks to a union hall "renovation | | | | Luchesse clan and Carmine Persico of the Colombo |
| fund." The hall had already been renovated - painted | | | | family. Federal investigators trace these major mob |
| green when Danny took office.Later Danny worked | | | | convictions right back to the murder of Greene. Danny |
| for as an enforcer for local mobsters including Alex | | | | would have been proud.Rick Porrello is a veteran |
| "Shondor" Birns, well-known Jewish racketeer. After a | | | | police lieutenant whose first book grew out of his |
| dispute over a $60,000 Greene refused to repay, Birns | | | | research into the murder of his grandfather and |
| had a bomb planted in his car. It was the first in a | | | | several uncles, who were Prohibition-era mob leaders. |
| series of botched attempts on the brash Irishman's life. | | | | The result became The Rise and Fall of the Cleveland |
| Danny found the bomb."Luck of the Irish," he would | | | | Mafia - Corn Sugar and Blood (Barricade Books, 1995). |
| often say. "I'll return this to the old bastard who sent it | | | | Rick followed that book with his second book, To Kill |
| to me," Greene promised.Sure enough, a few weeks | | | | the Irishman - the War that Crippled the Mafia (Next |
| later Birns was blown out the roof of his car, in two | | | | Hat Press, 1998), which is the story of notorious mob |
| pieces. It was an excellent hit and Danny was | | | | foe Danny Greene. To Kill the Irishman has been |
| proud.Danny's big mistake was the 1976 murder of | | | | optioned for a motion picture. An accomplished jazz |
| Leo "Lips" Moceri, the respected and feared new | | | | drummer, Rick spend almost three years traveling |
| underboss of the Cleveland Mafia, and the bombing of | | | | internationally with the legendary entertainer Sammy |
| enforcer Eugene "The Animal" Ciasullo. Aging mob | | | | Davis, Jr. Rick recently released SUPERTHIEF - A |
| boss James Licavoli ordered his henchman to "get rid | | | | MASTER BURGLAR, THE MAFIA AND THE |
| of the Irishman," but the inexperienced soldiers had no | | | | BIGGEST BANK HEIST IN U.S. HISTORY, a story than |
| luck. The attempts by the self-proclaimed tough guys | | | | can be seen on Discovery Channel and Court TV |
| were almost comical. Then west coast wise guy | | | | documentaries. Superthief has been optioned for a TV |
| Jimmy 'the Weasel" Fratianno recommended a hired | | | | movie. |
| killer from Erie.In the end, Danny went out the way he | | | | |