Was there ever any mafia ties in Kentucky?

[Geekgang666]

Hello everyone, in the midwest you have five dominant families Chicago Outfit, Detroit, Kansas City, Milwaukee, and St Louis out of all of these families did any one of them ever had any interest in Kentucky? Thanks in advance.

[Wiseguy]

Also Cleveland. Six main families in the Midwest.

At least according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

[Hired_Goonz]

I believe the Genovese had some sort of gambling interests there, because that Barone guy who flipped in the early 2000s testified that he killed a guy in KY for Tony Salerno.

[Grouchy Sinatra]

Law enforcement in the region made it difficult for rackets to get started there, for the same reason it was difficult in LA. Protestant, white cops in those days viewed Catholics and Jews as no less minorities than blacks and Latinos. No cops on the take, no rackets.I have read of people from various families in Louisville however.

[Villain]

During the late 60s and early 70s a large number of stolen cars and auto parts were distributed from Chicago to Kentucky. Billy Dauber and one Bobby Brecka worked for Outfit crew boss Jimmy Catuara at the time and they allegedly had some contacts in Louisville and Lexington, such as car dealers and chop shop owners who took care of the stolen merchandise.

Also back in 1949 and 1950, all Kentucky gamblers received gambling information from the Outfits wire service in Chicago and some like James Brink or the Levinsons bros were also closely associated to some Cleveland gangsters, especially in the casinos around Newport and Covington

[Grouchy Sinatra]

Newport, Kentucky, which is right across the river from Cincinnati, had a lot of speakeasies during Prohibition and was also a big gambling town. Had to have been some activity there. I'm sure you could count Pete Rose, too.

[eboli]

Cleveland had interests in Kentucky in illegal gambling casinos established by Moe Dalitz. The Genovese Family managed to do something similar. They operated through Lansky's underling Ed Levinson. Levinson and his brothers moved to Newport in the 30s and were the overseers of this operation until the early 50s. Mike Coppola had some business interests over there too. He was observed attending the Kentucky Derby in Louisville and having meetings with some of his associates as late as the 1960s.

[Villain]

Cleveland had interests in Kentucky in illegal gambling casinos established by Moe Dalitz. The Genovese Family managed to do something similar. They operated through Lansky's underling Ed Levinson. Levinson and his brothers moved to Newport in the 30s and were the overseers of this operation until the early 50s. Mike Coppola had some business interests over there too. He was observed attending the Kentucky Derby in Louisville and having meetings with some of his associates as late as the 1960s.

Never knew that the Levinsons were under Lansky, thanks. It seems that during the old days the Chi mob and the Genovese/Cleveland crowd shared the state of Kentucky, or should i say the Outfit took care of the wire service while the Genovese/Cleveland Mob took care of the local bookies and casinos

[eboli]

Cleveland had interests in Kentucky in illegal gambling casinos established by Moe Dalitz. The Genovese Family managed to do something similar. They operated through Lansky's underling Ed Levinson. Levinson and his brothers moved to Newport in the 30s and were the overseers of this operation until the early 50s. Mike Coppola had some business interests over there too. He was observed attending the Kentucky Derby in Louisville and having meetings with some of his associates as late as the 1960s.

Never knew that the Levinsons were under Lansky, thanks. It seems that during the old days the Chi mob and the Genovese/Cleveland crowd shared the state of Kentucky, or should i say the Outfit took care of the wire service while the Genovese/Cleveland Mob took care of the local bookies and casinos

"Underling" isn't quite the right word for it. Levinson and Lansky had a "long-standing business and social relationship" as the Organized Crime Control Commission put it. Levinson and his brothers were overseeing the operations in Kentucky until 1952 before leaving and relocating to Vegas. These operations might not have been 100% under Genovese control, but the family had a stake in them through Lansky.

[Villain]

Cleveland had interests in Kentucky in illegal gambling casinos established by Moe Dalitz. The Genovese Family managed to do something similar. They operated through Lansky's underling Ed Levinson. Levinson and his brothers moved to Newport in the 30s and were the overseers of this operation until the early 50s. Mike Coppola had some business interests over there too. He was observed attending the Kentucky Derby in Louisville and having meetings with some of his associates as late as the 1960s.

Never knew that the Levinsons were under Lansky, thanks. It seems that during the old days the Chi mob and the Genovese/Cleveland crowd shared the state of Kentucky, or should i say the Outfit took care of the wire service while the Genovese/Cleveland Mob took care of the local bookies and casinos

"Underling" isn't quite the right word for it. Levinson and Lansky had a "long-standing business and social relationship" as the Organized Crime Control Commission put it. Levinson and his brothers were overseeing the operations in Kentucky until 1952 before leaving and relocating to Vegas. These operations might not have been 100% under Genovese control, but the family had a stake in them through Lansky.

Got it. By 1951 they had a lot of problems in Kentucky mostly because of the senate hearings which uncovered their most profitable ops at the time and maybe thats why the Levinsons transferred to Vegas.

Btw whats your opinion on the Genovese-Chicago-Cleveland relationship during the 40s and 50s? Was Cleveland still independent by then or were they represented by one of the two previously mentioned groups?

[Nicholas]

Imagine if there was a crew in Nashville

[eboli]

Got it. By 1951 they had a lot of problems in Kentucky mostly because of the senate hearings which uncovered their most profitable ops at the time and maybe thats why the Levinsons transferred to Vegas.

Btw whats your opinion on the Genovese-Chicago-Cleveland relationship during the 40s and 50s? Was Cleveland still independent by then or were they represented by one of the two previously mentioned groups?

I think Cleveland was mostly a buffer between Chicago and New York, but closer to New York during the 1940s and 1950s. Somewhat independent too. When The Outfit's influence started to dwindle they fell completely under Genovese control. I don't think the family was that strong to begin with. It drew it's influence from it's powerful non-italian associates. There's this story when Al Polizzi became boss he was instructed by The Commission to listen to Moe Dalitz. Polizzi effectively found himself as the junior partner in this new partnership. I don't know if there's any truth to that.

[Bklyn21]

Law enforcement in the region made it difficult for rackets to get started there, for the same reason it was difficult in LA. Protestant, white cops in those days viewed Catholics and Jews as no less minorities than blacks and Latinos. No cops on the take, no rackets.I have read of people from various families in Louisville however.

Your right ! Along with the Hillbilly red neck moonshine mafia , Those bastards hated "EYE TALIANS" LOL....Makes me think of My Cousin Vinny and all his "YUTES" ! Did you say YUTES sir , Yea YUTES !! What's a YUTE ?

[Frank]

Imagine if there was a crew in Nashville

The Deliverance crew bend over and squeel like a pig. Gee you gotta pretty mouth.

[Grouchy Sinatra]

Law enforcement in the region made it difficult for rackets to get started there, for the same reason it was difficult in LA. Protestant, white cops in those days viewed Catholics and Jews as no less minorities than blacks and Latinos. No cops on the take, no rackets.I have read of people from various families in Louisville however.

Your right ! Along with the Hillbilly red neck moonshine mafia , Those bastards hated "EYE TALIANS" LOL....Makes me think of My Cousin Vinny and all his "YUTES" ! Did you say YUTES sir , Yea YUTES !! What's a YUTE ?

In most of the south this was the case but I'd honestly forgotten about Newport and Covington when I posted this. I remember reading about those cities when I did a little research on Pete Rose. That's where some of his bookies dwelled. Cincinnati is right across the river from Kentucky.