Thursday, January 7, 2010

Vol. 3, No. 1: January 2010

Vol. 3, Issue 1, January 2010 Contents

Before anything else, we want to wish you — our readers, contributors and advertisers — a happy, healthy and prosperous new year. As this sixth quarterly issue of Informer rolls off the presses, we are well aware that the journal would not be possible without your enthusiastic participation.

In this issue, we look at the underworld of Cleveland, Ohio. We lead off with an excerpt from Rick Porrello’s book, To Kill the Irishman. It is the story of Irish racketeer Danny Greene’s explosive war against the Cleveland Mafia (preview).

The puzzling 1928 Mafia convention in Cleveland, interrupted by arrests of more than twenty suspicious persons at the landmark Hotel Statler, is the subject of an article by Thomas Hunt and Michael A. Tona. Hunt and Tona argue that a coronation for new United States Mafia boss of bosses Joseph Masseria was the most probable reason for the gathering (preview).

Mafia historian Richard N. Warner adds weight to that 1928 convention hypothesis by noting in his article that much of Joseph Masseria’s family considered Cleveland its hometown (preview).

Bill Feather provides a membership chart of the Cleveland Mafia from the 1930s-50s era (preview). Author Rick Porrello sits for an interview. He discusses his many “hats,” his several true crime books and an upcoming movie based on To Kill the Irishman. The Informer checks into what is known of an enigmatic Cleveland Mafioso known as Dr. Romano (preview).

As usual, we finish up with a look at underworld current events (preview).

Fifty-six pages including cover and advertisements
Published January 7, 2010.

Click here to preview or purchase this issue.

To Kill the Irishman

Vol. 3, Issue 1, January 2010 Contents
Feature article

The subject of a soon-to-be-released motion picture,
Irish racketeer Danny Green single-handedly
took on the Mafia of Cleveland

To Kill the Irishman
By Rick Porrello

"On May 12, 1975, Lieutenant Ed Kovacic, a supervisor with the Cleveland Police Scientific Investigation Unit, was enjoying breakfast when he heard an explosion in the distance."

Seven pages
Six images

Click here to preview or purchase this issue.

Convention was to be Masseria coronation

Vol. 3, Issue 1, January 2010 Contents
Feature article


Police acted to hastily when they broke up
a 1928 assembly of Mafiosi at the Hotel Statler


Cleveland convention was
to be Masseria coronation
By Thomas Hunt
and Michael A. Tona

"Cleveland Patrolman Joseph Frank Osowski was walking his downtown beat at four-thirty Wednesday morning, December 5, 1928, when he spotted several newcomers to the city chatting with a known member of the local underworld."

Twenty pages including sidebar
Four pages of endnotes
Thirty-five images


Click here to preview or purchase this issue.

The Masserias of Cleveland

Vol. 3, Issue 1, January 2010 Contents
Feature article



While "Joe the Boss" made his reputation
on Manhattan's Lower East Side,
Cleveland was very much his hometown

The Masserias of Cleveland
By Richard N. Warner

"Joseph Masseria, known to the underworld and the press as "Joe the Boss," was not only an important figure in New York's early Mob history, but by virtue of having so many relatives there, was also a significant influence in the early years of Cleveland outfit."

Three pages
including notes
Three images


Click here to preview or purchase this issue.

Ask the Informer: Dr. Romano of Cleveland

Vol. 3, Issue 1, January 2010 Contents
Ask the Informer


Question: I see the name of "Dr. Romano" coming up in accounts of the early Cleveland Mafia. Who was Romano? Was he really a doctor?

Click here to preview or purchase this issue.

A Look Back

Vol. 3, Issue 1, January 2010 Contents
A Look Back


100 years ago:

  • A federal jury convicts New York Mafiosi of counterfeiting.
  • Leadership of American Mafia changes.

75 years ago:

  • Lindbergh baby kidnapping case concludes.

50 years ago:

  • Six are tried for robbing a National Guard armory.

Click here to preview or purchase this issue.

In the News

Vol. 3, Issue 1, January 2010 Contents

In the News:
  • Fourth Gotti trial ends with hung jury.
  • New England Mafia under new management.
  • Massachusetts man charged with being Colombo boss.
  • Genovese capodecina sentenced to 16 years.
  • Police round up 22 Gambino, Lucchese suspects.
  • Grand jury indicts alleged member of Bonanno leadership.
  • Gambino capodecina Gregory DePalma dies at 78
Two pages

Click here to preview or purchase this issue.

Cleveland Mafia Membership, 1930s-50s

Vol. 3, Issue 1, January 2010 Contents
Membership Chart


Researcher Bill Feather provides a chart including more than 100 known and suspected members of the Cleveland Crime Family from the 1930s-1950s era. Names, aliases, birth-death-immigration years, birthplaces and underworld ranks are shown.

Five pages

Click here to preview or purchase this issue.

Informer readership figures

Readership of existing Informer issues climbed by another 12.8 percent during the month of December (Dec. 12 through Jan. 6). In that period, special interest was shown in the April 2009 issue - vol. 2, no. 2. That issue focused on the early history of the Chicago Mafia. Its readership jumped 17.2 percent, as it became the second most read Informer issue to date.

Sep 2008 issue - v1n1 - 2641 readers, up 06.1%
Jan 2009 issue - v2n1 - 1923 readers, up 09.0%
Apr 2009 issue - v2n2 - 2019 readers, up 17.2%
-Index v1n1 thru v2n2 - 4119 readers, up 09.6%
Jul 2009 issue - v2n3 - 1668 readers, up 12.8%
Oct 2009 issue - v2n4 - 0889 readers, up 37.2%
-Index v1n1 thru v2n4 - 1557 readers, up 56.0%


Average readership for a (non-index) journal issue:
1,828 readers, up 12.8% from January average.

SITE INDEX

100 Years Ago (2) 1891 (1) 1909 (3) 1928 (3) 1929 (2) 1931 (2) 1932 (1) 1937 (1) 1957 (2) 1964 (1) 2008 (1) 2009 (1) 2009 April issue (1) 2009 January issue (1) 2009 July issue (1) 2009 October issue (2) 2010 January issue (1) 2011 April issue (9) 2011 January issue (7) 2011 July issue (10) 2011 October issue (10) 2012 April issue (9) 2012 January issue (10) 2012 July issue (9) 2012 October Issue (6) 2013 April issue (10) 2013 July issue (8) 2013 October issue (8) 2014 January Issue (7) 2014 May Issue (4) 2014 November issue (8) 2015 June issue (16) 2015 October issue (9) 2016 October Issue (8) 2016 September issue (1) 2017 August issue (11) 2018 November issue (10) 2019 August Issue (22) 2020 October issue (36) 2021 October issue (18) 2022 November issue (30) 2023 October issue (21) 2024 November Issue (11) a look back (9) Accardo (3) ad rates (2) Address Book (1) Addresses (1) adobe (1) advertisers (18) advertising (4) agnello (2) Aiuppa (1) Al Capone and His American Boys (1) Albany (2) aleman (1) alfano (1) Allen (1) alo (1) Altamura (1) Amazon (8) Analysis (1) anarchists (4) anastasia (6) anastasio (2) andolino (1) Angelo Carbone (1) Angelo DiCarlo (1) Angersola (1) angiulo (3) Anna Antonio (2) apalachin (5) apparel (1) April (1) ardizzone (3) ardonia (1) Arrigo (1) articles (32) artis (3) Asbury (4) ask the informer (7) Assassination (1) atlanta federal prison (3) atlantic city (2) audiobook (6) authors (4) avena (1) Baby Face Nelson (2) Back issues (1) Bad Seeds in the Big Apple (1) Baff (2) balsamo (1) Banana War (1) bandits roost (1) bangor maine (2) bank robber (1) bank robbery (2) barbara (1) Barber brothers (2) Barre (2) barrel murder (4) Barricade (1) batista (2) bazzano (5) beck (1) Behind the Murder Curtain (1) Benevento (1) Benld (1) berrien county (2) bettini (1) bilek (3) Bill the Butcher (2) bingham (1) binion (1) Biographies (2) Biography (1) Biondillo (1) Biondo (1) Birmingham (1) Black (1) black hand (6) blade (1) Blasi (2) blog (1) Blurb (2) Bo Weinberg (1) boardwalk empire (1) Bobby Doyle (1) Boccia (3) bolton (1) bombtown (1) Bommarito (1) bonanno (19) Bonomo (2) Book (1) books (55) books. (1) Bootlegging (2) Boss of Bosses (6) boston (9) brady gang (2) Brod (1) Brogno (1) brooklyn (11) brouillette (1) Bruce Sackman (1) bruno (1) buccellato (2) buccola (2) buchalter (3) bufalino (3) buffalo (13) Bugsy Siegel (1) bulger (3) Bureau of Investigation (1) burke (2) bushwick (2) buster from chicago (2) Butch Cassidy (1) Butsey (1) C. Joseph Greaves (1) Cain (1) calabrese (4) calabria (7) Calamia (1) calendar (1) calicchio (1) california (7) Cammarata (1) campagna (1) Campbell (3) campisi (1) canada (4) Capital Punishment (2) Capitano (1) capodecina (1) capone (14) Car-bombs (1) caracappa (1) carbondale (2) carbone (2) carfano (1) Carlino (5) Carlisi (1) carneglia (3) Carollo (1) Carressi (1) Carroll (2) Cascio (2) Cascio Ferro (1) cascioferro (1) casinos (2) Castellammare del Golfo (5) castellammarese war (18) castro (2) Catanzaro (1) Cavallaro (1) cecala (1) Cheese (1) Cheese War (1) chepesiuk (3) chiappetta (2) chicago (27) chicago heights (3) Chicago Outfit (1) Chilanti (1) chinatown (1) Christian Cipollini (2) CIA (1) Ciaramello (1) cina (1) cipolla (1) Cipollini (5) circulation (12) civello (2) Clark (1) classified ads (1) cleveland (14) Cocchiara (1) cocozza (1) cohen (5) Cokey Flo (1) colacurcio (1) Coll (1) colombo (10) Colorado (6) colosimo (2) coluccio (1) columnist (1) columns (44) comito (2) communism (1) congress (1) connecticut (6) connolly (1) Conti (2) contributors (3) Corallo (1) corleone (9) coronavirus (1) corozzo (2) costantino (1) costello (4) counterfeiting (10) COVID-19 (1) crescent city lynchings (1) Crime History (1) crimetown (1) critchley (19) Crooked Brooklyn (1) cuba (6) Cuccia (1) Culotta (1) cumberland house (1) cuntrera (1) Customs (1) Cutrone (1) d'alessandro (1) d'andrea (2) d'aquila (4) d'elia (1) dallas (6) danbury (6) dane (1) danny greene (1) Dara (1) Dark History and Horror Convention (1) dash (4) David Critchley (1) Daytona Beach (1) dead guys in suits (5) dead rabbits (1) deadlines (10) deaths (5) decavalcante (1) deep water (7) Deirdre Marie Capone (2) deitche (4) DeJohn (1) delancey street (1) deleo (1) DelGaudio (1) delivery (2) DeLosa (1) deluna (1) DeMarco (1) DeNiro (1) Denver (2) depalma (1) desimone (2) Detroit (11) devecchio (2) dewey (1) DiCarlo (8) dicola (1) DiDato (1) DiFranchi (1) DiFronzo (1) Digest Format (1) digiorgio (2) digiovanni (1) Dillinger (4) DiLucia (1) dinunzio (3) dioguardi (1) DiPalma (1) discount (5) dispenza (2) display ads (43) distribution (15) Ditte (1) Dixie Davis (1) dmoz (1) Dock Boss (3) Dom DeLuise (1) domingo (1) downey (15) download (1) Doyle (1) dragna (4) drugs (1) dugard (4) Dunn (1) Dusseldorf (1) Dutch Schultz (1) Dutchess County (2) E-book (7) East Harlem (1) eastern state (2) ebook (3) Eddie McGrath (1) Editorial (5) Edmond Valin (3) Electric Chair (2) electronic edition (12) Elia Corti (2) Ellen Poulsen (1) Emmino (3) Engel (1) eppolito (1) EPUB (4) Erra (1) Esperia Film (1) Esperti (1) esposito (4) Ethics (1) evola (1) facebook (2) Falcone (1) family secrets (2) Farah (1) Faranzano (1) Father Cerruti (1) fbi (25) FBN (3) feather (30) features (9) federal bureau of narcotics (1) federal hill (2) ferrara (1) Filasto (1) five points (1) florida (5) Florino (1) Floyd (2) flynn (4) Fond du Lac (2) fontana (1) foxit (1) frank lanza (1) Frank Romeo (1) Frank Zito (1) frankie rio (1) Fratuzzi (2) free (1) Freemasonry (1) Fusco (1) Galleani (2) gambino (7) gambliing (1) gambling (4) gangster (1) Gangster City (1) Gangsters (1) gangsters incorporated (3) gangsters of miami (1) gatto (1) Genealogy (4) genna (1) genovese (12) gentile (32) George Morton Levy (1) Geraci (1) Germany (1) Ghost (1) Giancana (1) Giannola (1) gift (1) giunta (1) Giuseppe Morello (1) Gizzeria (1) Google Play Books (2) Gorilla Convict Publications (1) Gosch (2) gotti (7) Government (1) grand street (1) Grande Cheese (1) Greaves (3) greene (1) Guardalabene (2) gustin (1) H.K. Petschel (1) H.L. Mencken (1) Haggerty (1) hamer (1) Hamilton (1) Hammer (2) hardcover (3) harmon (8) Haseltine (1) Hatrack (1) havana (2) hawkins (1) hayde (1) helmer (5) hennessy (2) Henry Hill (2) henze (4) Hillsville (1) Hillsville PA (3) hoffa (2) holiday (2) Hollywood (1) hoover (10) hortis (3) hotel statler (3) Houk (1) houston (1) howard prison (1) hudson (1) humble (1) hunt (38) iaconi (1) Ignazio Lupo (1) Illinois (2) Impastato (1) in the news (8) index (4) Informant (2) Informants (7) informer (8) innocenti (1) interview (3) introduction (2) ipad (1) Issues to date (2) italian squad (1) Italy (1) Jacob Stoops (1) James Howell (1) Jeffery S. King (6) Jerry Schmetterer (1) Joe the Boss (3) john mcgurk (1) johnny spanish (1) Jones (2) Joseph Petrosino (2) Jungle Inn (1) Just One More Thing (9) Justin Cascio (2) kansas city (5) kaplan (1) karpis (1) KDP (1) Keeler (1) kefauver (2) kennedy (8) Kill-Crazy Gang (1) Kindle (9) King (1) knockbacks (4) knokaround (4) kovacic (1) Krist (1) la cosa nostra (7) Labor Racketeering (1) labriola (1) LaGaipa (1) lansky (3) lanza (3) larocca (2) las vegas (4) LaSala (1) LaTempa (1) latorre (2) law enforcement (1) Leggio (1) Legs Diamond (6) Lennert Van`t Riet (1) leo (1) LePore (1) letters (1) Levy (2) Licavoli (1) limone (1) lindbergh (1) lockwood (2) lolordo (1) lombardo (2) Lombardozzi (2) lonardo (2) Lopresto (2) los angeles (11) louisiana (5) Lower East Side (6) Lucania (9) lucchese (5) luciano (23) Lucky Luciano: Mysterious Tales of a Gangland Legend (4) lucky luciano: the real and the fake gangster (1) lupo (7) Lynching (1) lyon (1) macheca (4) madonia (1) mafia (61) mafia denials (2) Mafia Induction (1) mafia monograph (1) mafia son (1) Mafia Summit (1) Mafia: Inside the Dark Heart (1) Mafia's demise (2) Mafiahistory.us (1) mafiosi (1) magaddino (11) Magazine (1) magcloud (15) magliocco (1) Mahoning Valley (2) Maisano (1) Mallamo (1) mangano (4) manhattan (1) manocchio (1) maranzano (27) marcello (4) Marion OH (1) marlow (1) masseria (10) massullo (1) Matranga (2) mattix (6) mcclellan (4) McGrath (2) McKeever (4) McNeiley (2) membership chart (24) Memorandum Book (1) men of montedoro (2) messina (4) meyer lansky (1) Miami (2) Michael R. McGowan (1) Michael Vecchione (1) michigan (1) milano (1) Milwaukee (7) Minore (1) Minutolo (2) Miracle of Brooklyn (1) Miranda (1) Miriam Davis (1) Missouri (1) mistretta (1) Mob Corner (1) mob tours (1) mock duck (1) Monaco (1) monk eastman (1) montagna (1) montreal (3) moran (4) morelli (3) morello (15) moretti (2) morgenthau (1) morici (1) Movies (1) mr. new orleans (4) mulberry bend (1) murder (6) Murder Incorporated (2) murdered brothers (2) murders (2) murdertown (1) museum of the american gangster (1) Musolino (1) Mussolini (1) Naples (2) Narcotics (2) nardi (1) Naturalization (1) Neil G. Clark (1) Nelson (1) New Castle PA (4) new england (12) new jersey (4) new orleans (8) new york (43) New York City (6) newark (4) Niagara Falls (2) nicolo schiro (1) nicolosi (2) nitti (1) northeastern Pennsylvania (4) novel (1) novels (1) nucky johnson (2) O'Connell (1) O'Connell Machine (1) O'Haire (1) o'malley (1) obituary (1) oct 2010 (8) oddo (1) office (1) ohio (3) oldfield (1) on the rock (1) on the spot (4) onewal.com (1) Ontario (2) open city (1) Organized Crime (1) Origin of Organized Crime in America (2) Oscar Goodman (2) Oswald (3) otway (1) ouseley (2) outfit (3) Palermo (4) palizzolo (2) Palmer (1) palmer raids (2) palumbo (1) Panto (1) Paperback (9) Paretti (1) Park Avenue (2) parke (1) patriarca (2) Patrick Downey (2) paul kelly (1) pdf (4) peduto (2) pennachio (1) Pennsylvania (5) pennsylvania crime commission (1) penology (1) Perri (1) persico (5) Peter Kurten (1) Petrelli (2) petrosino (7) Petschel (3) Petto (1) philadelphia (8) Photograph (3) photographs (2) Picco (1) Piccola (2) Pierce (1) Pieri (3) Pinsky (1) piranio (2) pittsburgh (12) pittston (2) pizza connection (1) Podcast (1) police (1) policy (2) Politics (1) pollaccia (2) pollina (1) porrello (4) post office (1) postal inspection service (2) Postal Inspector (2) Postal Inspectors (1) Poughkeepsie (1) poulsen (5) Prato (1) Pre-Order (3) preorder (2) Press Releases (1) Pretty Boy Floyd (3) price increase (1) Pricing (3) print edition (10) print version (11) profaci (12) Prohibition (21) prostitution (3) Protheroe (1) Provenzano (1) providence (7) Publishing (1) Pueblo (2) purchase (1) Purge (4) purpose (1) quakers (1) Queens (3) Racco (2) racism (3) racketeeers (1) Ralph Pezzullo (1) randazzo (1) rannelli (1) rastelli (1) Ray (1) Raymond Street Jail (3) readership (2) Reavill (1) Red-Nose Mike (1) Regina Pacis (3) Reina (2) Reles (2) Religion (5) restivo (1) rfk (2) rhode island (3) riccobene (1) Richard Warner (4) Richetti (1) rio (1) Rizzotto (2) rizzuto (4) robbery (1) Rochester (1) romano (3) Romeo (3) Romero (1) roosevelt (1) Rosato (1) rosenthal (1) rossetti (1) ruby (3) Ruffino (2) Russo (1) sabella (2) sacco and vanzetti (2) sack murders (1) safari (1) sai wing mock (1) salemi (1) Saltfleet Township (1) Sam Giancana (1) sammartino (1) San Francisco (5) San Giuseppe Jato (1) San Jose (2) San Pedro (1) sanfilippo (1) Santa Rosa (1) Santantonio (2) Santino (2) Santuccio (2) Sberna (1) Scaglia (2) scala (1) scalise (1) Scandifia (2) scarpa (4) Scarpato (1) schedule (2) Schmitt (1) schweihs (1) sciandra (2) scranton (3) scribd (6) seattle (1) second avenue (1) secret service (3) secret societies (1) Sewickley PA (1) shaw (2) sheldon (5) Shenango Valley (2) shillitani (2) sica (1) Sicilian Vespers (1) Siciliano (2) Sicily (8) Siegel (1) Siragusa (1) skelly (1) Smario (1) social clubs (1) Socialists (2) Society of Honor (1) society of the banana (2) sources (1) spatafora (1) Special Issue (6) spero (1) Sporting Goods (1) springfield (4) st. laurent (1) St. Louis (2) St. Petersburg (2) St. Rosalia (2) st. valentine's day massacre (3) Stamp Counterfeiting (2) stamps (1) Stephan Talty (1) stevens (2) Strange (1) Street Gangs (2) Streva (1) Strollo (2) submissions (1) subscription (3) suicide hall (1) superthief (1) sylvester (1) Syracuse (1) T-shirts (1) tampa (4) Tape Bandits (1) Taranto (2) television (1) Tenora (1) terranova (4) Terrorism (1) Testimony (1) texas (3) The Axeman of New Orleans (1) The Black Hand (1) the case against lucky luciano (3) the first vice lord (1) The Gangs of New York (4) The History of Street Gangs (1) the mafia and the machine (1) the man (1) The Members Only Podcast (1) The Milwaukee Mafia (3) The Mob and the City (3) The Writers of Wrongs (1) Thomas Dewey (1) Thomas Hunt (3) timelime (1) timeline (4) todaro (1) Tom & Lucky and George & Cokey Flo (1) tom lee (1) tona (9) tongs (1) top 10 (1) top hoodlum program (1) tornabene (2) Toronto (2) torrio (2) trafficante (4) traina (1) Trapani (2) Travels (1) Troia (2) true crime books (10) true crime websites (6) true-crime books (2) Turner (8) twitter (2) Two Mafias (1) u.s. postage (1) uk (1) Unabomber (1) Uncle Al Capone (4) unione siciliana (1) USPS (1) VA (1) vaccarelli (1) valachi (18) valente (2) valenti (1) Valin (8) van meter (1) Van Tress (1) van`t Reit (11) Vermont (2) vice trial (2) villabate (2) Villano (1) Vita di Capomafia (3) Vitale (1) Voelker (1) vol 1 no 1 (21) vol 2 no 1 (13) vol 2 no 2 (12) vol 2 no 3 (16) vol 2 no 4 (15) vol 3 no 1 (13) vol 3 no 2 (9) vol 3 no 3 (8) Vollero (1) volpe (3) Wappingers Falls (1) warner (26) warner files (16) Warren Commission (3) Warren Ohio (1) Washington D.C. (1) Waterfront (1) Waugh (1) welcome (1) White League (1) White Slave traffic (1) white slavery (1) whyos (1) William Dara (2) Willie the Tile Maker (1) winkeler (2) Wiser Guy (1) worcester (1) world war i (1) Wrongly Executed? (1) yale (4) Yanowsky (1) Yonkers (1) young (1) young al capone (1) Youngstown (24) zagona (1) zanghi (1) zarcone (8) Zito (1)