Akron Ohio + Italian mafia

[FriendofFamily]

I looked up the Mary Ferrell document:

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.htm ... 1&tab=page

Next Page

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.htm ... 2&tab=page

Frankie Favaro was the name that I couldn't remember and it was in 1965 that it happened but talked about in 1966.

[FriendofFamily]

Here is Frankie Favaro Obituary:

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/ohio/o ... id=2303216

I used to know the Hooker that he slept with... Went to School with the Hooker's two younger brothers.

This Hooker was a good source for Certain Italian Guys and Politicians in the Akron Area.

[FriendofFamily]

Frankie Favaro was Close to John Nardi - Here is an Raw article From the Akron Beacon Journal in June 1977.

Sunday, June 19, 1977 .Moceri Nardi see Yar victims n as gang Continued from page A-l on the record, the most attractive explanation. Nardi, however, rejected this idea before his death. Asked whether Cleveland crime was under siege, Nardi said: "That's ridiculous. What's there to fight over?" "What's there to fight over?" one official asked. "Millions of dollars." The official estimated that the numbers racket in Geveland, now under the control of blacks, brings in about $34 million annually. .5 . VV. ' - j Mayfield Road, an unidentified sniper fired several shots at him. Although one of the bullets struck his car, Nardi escaped uninjured. Two weeks later, a plastic explosive was attached to the automobile of Allie Calabrese Jr. The automobile was parked in the driveway of a neighbor's house, and when the neighbor moved the car, he was killed. Two days after that, the home of a second man, Eugene Ciasulo, of Richmond Heights, was bombed. Ciasulo was not in Cleveland at the time, having left to recuperate from severe wounds he received in a bombing at his house three months earlier. Calabrese Jr. and Ciasulo have been identified by Cleveland Magazine as Licavoli lieutenants. After that, the violence subsided, but the false calm was shattered in May when Nardi was killed. Although he reportedly told friends two weeks before his death that he thought he was being fol lowed. Nardi apparently was not suspicious of the late-model Pontiac parked next to his car. There are reports that Nardi believed any attempt on his life would be made by a gunman, not a bomber. Nardi carried a gun, officials said, but he had no alarm system and no remote-control starter on his car. The remote-control Pontiac, stolen in Akron in March and described by one official as a "Trojan Horse," was packed with what officials believe was a high-grade plastic explosive with the force of 15 sticks of dynamite. Piled on top of it were several pounds of nuts and bolts, which served as shrapnel. AS IN the Moceri death, police are receiving no feedback on who engineered the bombing or why. "The aura of fear is there," one official said. "They know what happens to informers." One official said the killings were motivated by a belief that "if you kill the head, the body dies . . . just like a snake." John A. Nardi month following Moceri's disappearance, these events took place: As Nardi was leaving the Italian-American Brotherhood Club on Integrity in family life is a goal of President mentioned prominently as a successor to Nardi as secretary-treasurer of Local 410, seems to buttress this theory. He is Frank Favaro, who is active in union activities in the Akron area. Favaro is the secretary-treasurer of Local 118 of the Hotel, Motel, Restaurant and Bartenders Union in Akron and chairman of the board of trustees which administers the union's pension fund. Favaro is also a business agent for Nardi's union. Local 410. Favaro often holds court at noon at the Downtown Holiday Inn in Akron at a large table around which are seated other local union officials and sometimes area politicians. Government eonnection Two weeks after Nardi's death, a man identified by police as a close associate of Nardi's mysteriously disappeared. Henry "Boom Boom" Greco, 45, was last seen leaving the Italian-American Brotherhood Club on Mayfield Road, where he has worked as a cook, on the afternoon of May 20. On May 31, his abandoned Toyota was found in Twinsburg, with blood on the passenger seat and on the door on the driver's side. Police have recovered a .38-caliber slug from the car, but Greco's body is missing. Cleveland police say the deaths of Greco and Nardi are not related. Nardi, Greco and two Cleveland area men were indicted for fraud after the collapse of the Northern Ohio Bank. One of the other men, Morton Franklin, 50, a Lyndhurst businessman, was indicted with Nardi and three others for conspiring to import large quantities of marijuana. A Miami federal jury found all the defendants innocent in September 1976, a few days after Moceri's car was found. The second man is Dominick Bartone, 63, of Macedonia, who was recently convicted of bank fraud in connection with a $249,000 loan to a Bartone trucking company. Bartone also has been indicted with Franklin and Greco in a federal gun-running case in Miami. Bar-tone was a close associate of Nardi's and he was arrested in the gun-running case while attending a wake for Nardi. Bartone operates American Concrete Builders of Youngstown. At the time of his disappearance, Moceri was listed as an employe of American Concrete Builders. Bartone has claimed he has CIA connections. Moceri has been identified by Newsday, a Long Island, N. Y. newspaper, as an informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The article alleged that he was killed because organized crime leaders learned he was an informant. Nardi, Franklin and the three other men indicted on federal drug charges claimed as a defense in their trial that they had been recruited by former President Richard Nixon as part of his war on drugs. Nixon was subpoened by the defense but was not called to testify. Former White House aide Egil Krogh, who did testify, told reporters he knew nothing about a Nixon war on drugs. Most area law enforcement officials place little stock in theories linking organized crime and the federal government. Most officials do not believe Moceri was an informant. But one Akron official concedes it is possible and that it is also possible that Moceri's "death" was an elaborate coverup, in which Moceri was transported to a secret location and given a new identity in exchange for information perhaps in the Nardi drug trial. This official is convinced Moceri is still alive. A ft . rr 1 v : 1 r v jt - V V 1 h4wS V:if i6f r-;. I 27 - j nAm wl I 'Lips' Moceri Licavoli, however, has reportedly gone into hiding in the Niles-War-ren area, and Greene, one official said, "is in serious trouble." Some officials believe the end of violence and the beginning of organizing could spell trouble for Akron, with Akron coming increasingly under the control of the Cleveland leadership. There are reports that Greene has been seen in the Akron area in recent months. Akron police have not been able to confirm these reports. One local official who is a student of organized crime said there is no powerful organization controlling crime in Akron now or before Moceri's disappearance. There is no payment of tribute by local bookmakers, the official said, a good indication that things are unorganized. The lack of such payments underscores Moceri's status as a loner, the official said. BUT THAT official expressed concern about the future of Summit County after peace returns to Cleveland. The official said the county began to change in 1975, when casino gambling houses opened throughout the county. Well-known and well-connected crime figures from outside the area were seen in local clubs. One local official was braced against a wall by a thug standing guard at the door of one gambling club, a sign that something more than penny-ante poker was being played. That activity ceased, however, after a series of raids and the confiscation of about 90 slot machines throughout the county. Another Akron official said gambling in the county is under Canton's influence, which he believes has expanded since Moceri's disappearance. The official said that when calm returns to Cleveland, the Canton people will make their peace with Cleveland and try to hold onto what power they have in this area. "But there won't be a great push to make Akron wide open," the official said. "Not with the present city and police administrations. I don't feel they can try to crack Akron open." Teamster struggles Because Nardi was not only a reputed crime figure, but also a leader within the Cleveland Teamster union, one theory is that his death may have come at the hands of rival Teamster officials. . But area law enforcement officials place little stock in this theory. The union is already under intense state and federal scrutiny, which began after the disappearance of former Teamster boss James Hoffa almost two years ago. The union has also been investigated because of alleged irregularities in the administration of its $1.4 billion Central States Pension Fund. Officials suggest that the union is anxious to maintain a low profile and to avoid further unfavorable publicity. One man who has been prostitution and narcotics seem to be there for the taking now. The struggle for power began in mid-1976, after the death, during heart surgery, of long-time leader John Scalish, identified by federal authorities as one of a dozen of the most powerful organized crime figures in the United States. BUT ACCORDING to the portrait some law enforcement officials paint of Scalish, he was a reluctant don who held the reins of power loosely. Organized crime, Italian-style, is operated through families, and like the family, it is decidedly undemocratic. It is also like an army, with ' a highly stratified organization of . bosses and under bosses and lieutenants and soldiers. But Scalish ran a loosely organized alliance. "It was like a bowl of spaghetti," one official said. "You couldn't tell where it ended and where it began." Officials say Scalish also failed to exploit all of the traditional sources of income open to him, particularly narcotics and prostitution. Sophisticated prostitution rings have not been operating in Cleveland, according to one official. SIMILARLY, the extensive narcotics traffic which has ravaged many American cities, has been absent from Cleveland. Two reasons have been offered for Scalish's reluctance. "He didn't know what a good thing he had around here," one official said. Scalish has also been described as a puritanical man, with a great distaste for such things as narcotics and prostitution. Most officials believe there are two groups fighting for control of the spoils of Cleveland. Officials say one faction was led by John Nardi and the other faction is headed by James Licavoli. In 1951 congressional hearings, Licavoli was called to testify about criminal activities in Northeast Ohio. A chart of organized crime leaders, prepared for the hearings by the Youngstown police chief, put him near the top of the criminal leadership. Licavoli refused to answer questions about his business activities. "It tends to incriminate myself," he said. OFFICIALS say Moceri, who was Licavoli's cousin, was allied with Licavoli. One of Moceri's many aliases was "Leo Licavoli." .Moceri moved to the Akron area from Detroit, which is today the home of many Licavoli family members. Some have exercised power in Detroit crime circles since the 1920s. Local law enforcement officials offer differing explanations of Moceri's power and authority within organized crime in this area. Some suggest he was tightly allied with Licavoli and was serving as the muscle behind Licavoli's organizing plans. Cleveland officials say Moceri was expanding his activities, such as loan sharking, into the. Cleveland area. There is a second report that Moceri also was expanding his authority in the Akron-Canton area. According to one official, a few days before he disappeared, Moceri attended a meeting with top organized crime figures in the Canton area. THE MEETING was held at a restaurant in the Youngstown area. Its purpose was to explore ways in which the men could expand their influence in narcotics trafficking in Akron, Canton and Youngstown. Moceri's power was exercised "within his own sphere of operations, officials say primarily loan sharking, reportedly some vending machine interests and the bankrolling of cocaine distribution in the Akron area. In the nine months since his disappearance, Akron officials say they have not had one word about how Moceri was killed or where his body may be found. This silence reinforces official belief that Moceri's death was part of a larger power struggle. The street, normally a source of tips and rumors, has been silent. Despite the few clues, there is almost complete agreement among area law enforcement officials based primarily on their personal opinions that Moceri was abducted and killed and that his death was ordered by Nardi. NARDI was a prominent Cleveland-Teamster official, but according to law enforcement officials, he was also one of the most powerful men in organized crime in Cleveland. Nardi's closest ally was reportedly a Cleveland labor consultant named Daniel "Danny" Greene, who was the object of several unsuccessful bombing attempt in the last several years. When Moceri disappeared in late August 1976, the war in Cleveland broke out in earnest.

[Stroccos]

Great stuff I have heard of Favaro before possibliy in realtion to Nardi whacking someon in akron , interesting that Brancato was sent down for the castle beating., and Moceri can gets Demarco to back down on the beating of Nunzie who was busted with Moceri in the early 70's in A bookmaking case.

[JCB1977]

Great stuff

[FriendofFamily]

IMG951174[1].jpg

This is a Picture of Attorney Howard Allison celebrating his Birthday. He was the Attorney for Tony Arnone and Pat Ferruccio along with others. He was a defense witness during the Joey Gallo Tony Arnone Gambling Bust.

Howard Allison ran a Fireworks Business in several locations in Ohio including Cedar Point, Canton and several others. He basically could make all his money that he needed in 6 weeks and could relax the rest of the year. He moved to Las Vegas because of Taxes were lower and died of like Esophageal Cancer if I remember right. He also moved there to relax and Gamble and hit the cheapie Buffets and the Big Coffees.

I remember having dinner with a group of us at The Diamond Grill in Akron, Ohio where you went for Steak on East Market Street. I remember he was having some choking spasms at the dinner table and Howard and I went outside - later in a week or two he was diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer.

[FriendofFamily]

For those who were unaware of the activity of various people involving LCN in the Northeast Ohio Region - with the Joey Gallo Tony Arnone and others Bust. Here is some testimony from law enforcement at a Committee Hearing.

During this period of time, the State of Ohio had an "Engaging in Organized Crime" statute. The statute included gambling as one of the elements of the law. This statute was later declared unconstitutional on the grounds that it was vague and overly broad in its scope. The statute proved to be a valuable tool in the investigation of gambling activities during this period of time.
The following example is what we would classify as "Emerging Organized Crime" and it is taken from the series of investigations alluded to above. Further, this example is cited because of the completeness of the actual skimming records that were seized during raids conducted by us on Sunday, June 11, 1978. I might note that the various gambling schemes I will discuss have been documented and perceived by the Summit County Sheriff's Office as organized criminal enterprises. There is not necessarily documentation that LCN members are d-irectly involved, however, this does not detract from the fact that it is organized crime and must be addressed ·the same as those investigations of LCN activities. Smaller metropolitan areas such as Akron, Canton, Toledo and others have organized crime. An LCN member or associate may not be involved but the criminal activities are organized and can have a devastating effect on the community. It is our opinion that the LCN does not have the patent on how to engage in organized criminal activites.
The particular scheme that is cited here was organized by one Joseph Francis Merlo, a known long-time bookmaker in the Akron-Summit County- area. Merlo organized and set up two Bingo halls--one in Stark County, the other in Summit County. Each Bingo hall operated four nights a week. If they had continued to operate, each Bingo hall would have conducted 210 Bingo sessions in the year 1978., for a total of 420 nights of Bingo.
The investigation focused on an intensive surveillance detail which was intended to trace a cash flow from the Bingo halls to Joseph Francis Merlo. The surveillances revealed that the operators of the two Bingo halls - (associates of Merlo) were delivering cash and records from the Bingo halls to Merla's apartment in Akron, Ohio. The money and records were delivered each Sunday morning between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon. (See surveillance photo exhibits.)

The surveillances further revealed that Sandra Brunton, sister of Joseph Francis Merlo, would then arrive at Merlo's apartment to pick up large zippered· canvas bank bags containing ·cash and records from the Bingo halls which she would then transport to her residence in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio,
On Sunday June 11, 197B, Sandra Brunton's home was searched at the same time that a number of other locations were being searched. Investigators found two suitcases in a bedroom closet on the second floor of the Brunton residence. (See photo exhibits.)
One suitcase contained $128,000.00 in cash. A second suitcase contained a complete set of records for 37 nights of Bingo at each of the two Bingo halls, for a total of 74 nights of Bingo.
Records for each date indicated two distinct cuts from the total proceeds for each night of Bingo. The first cut was always a straight sixteen percent and the second cut was. always slightly less than sixteen percent.
Although we cannot J)recisely document this for the Co11111ittee, we believe that the $128,000.00 found in one of the suitcases represented what was left of the second cut (slightly less than sixteen percent), after recorded expenses were deducted. We also found a small red notebook listing expenses that apparently were paid out of the cash in the suitcase.
Our original intelligence information indicated that an organized crime figure was backing the Bingo gam(ls and was receiving a cut of the proceeds.
However,. based upon the fact that we had traced a cash flow from the Bingo halls to Merlo's apartment and then to the home of Sandra Brunton, a surveillance detail was organized to follow Brunton during the early part of the week in an attempt to determine whether she was delivering any portion of the proceeds from the Bingo halls to another individual or individuals who had not yet been positively identified.
The surveillance detail revealed that Brunton was leaving her home during the morning hours on Monday, carrying grocery bags, brown paper bags, which we believed to contain cash and records from the Bingo halls.
With the exception of learning that Brunton generally traveled in an easterly direction from her residence, each attempt to follow her to her destination failed. She appeared to drive assuming that she was being followed. She zig-zagged through neighborhoods, parked occasionally and observed traffic, then retraced her route for a few blocks. Brunton would sometimes pull into the parking lot of a convenience food store, get out of her vehicle and stand facing the front window of the store. Apparently she did this to view the traffic to her rear through the reflection in the store window.
It proved to be impossible to follow Brunton by vehicle surveillance. However, late in the investigation we hired a private aircraft and pilot and succeeded in following Brunton to an apartment in the Eastern section of the City of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
This was a multiple-unit apartment building with private parking in the basement level garages beneath the apartments. Brunton was obser-v:id pulling into a rear parking lot at the basement level. She apparently had an automatic garage-door opener in that the garage doors opened without her getting out of her vehicle. Before the garage .door closed Brunton was observed getting out of her vehicle carrying two grocery bags and entering an apartment from the garage at the basement level. Brunton left the apartment after a few minutes without the grocery bags and returned to her residence. No one else was observed entering or leaving the apartment on that date.

[FriendofFamily]

During the raids that were conducted on Sunday, June 11, 1978 (just six days later) a search warrant was issued for this apartment.
The investigators found the apartment unfurnished and unoccupied. However, the investigators found two empty large zippered canvas bank bags (of the same type and size observed being taken into and carried out of Merla's apartment). Investigators also found a number of uncashed personal checks payable to the Bingo hall operators by individuals who were subsequently identified as players at the Bingo halls. Investigators also found a rental agreement for the apartment in the name of one Harry Blackford. Blackford is also a known in law enforcement as a long-time bookmaker from the Barberton, Ohio ar􀀠d and a known associate of Merlo. Blackford is also known to have assisted M,.,1,.. :,1 establishing the two Bingo halls. Furthermore, Blackford was one of the individuals photographed delivering money and records to the Merlo apartment each Sunday.
It is apparent that Blackford was only instrumental in the r.ental of the unfurnished and unoccupied apartment described above. We have yet to identify the individual or individuals who could have been picking up cash and records at .. this .. apartment to be delivered to. a silent partner in the Bingo scam.
Bingo records from the Brunton residence show detailed figures for the "sk·imming• of $262,811.56 from the two Bingo games. These records are still in the custody and control • of - the . Common Pleas Court in Summit County. ( See exhibit for computations of these figures.) he net proceeds from these Bingo games, after the deduction of reasonable· expens.es (which does not provide for any kind of compensation for the operators of the Bingo games, Merlo, et al.), were supposed to go to the charitable organizations which held the Bingo licenses and a 501-C-3 letter of exemption from the I.R.S.
The records found in the Brunton residence pertain to 74 nights of Bingo (37 nights of Bingo at each Bingo hall). Dividing the known skim of $262,811.56 by the figure 74 gives an average of $3,551.50 skimmed each night at each Bingo hall.
For the year 1978, there were 210 nights of Bingo scheduled at each Bingo hall for a total of 420 nights of Bingo. Multiplying the average skim of $3,551.50 by the figure 420 amounts to a potential skim of $1,491.630.00 for the year 1978.
The formation of paper corporations or businesses was also used to make money from the Bingo games.
There were two Bingo supply companies and a concession company formed in conjunction with this scheme:
--The City Novelty Company, a Bingo supply company, was alleged to be owned and operated by Harry Blackford with a business address given as 5982 Kungle Road, Clinton, Ohio, which is the address of Blackford's residence. Information during our investigation disclosed that Blackford was actually purchasing the supplies from a Bingo supply company out of State.

--The City Supply Company (a Bingo supply company), .is alleged to be owned -and operated by one Raymond Parks, another· associate of Merlo. The business address for this company was 767 N. Howard Street, Akron, Ohio. The post-raid investigation revealed that this was .the previous address of Raymond and ·cecilia Parks; Investigators found nothing in this apartment except a few discarded Bingo cards in some trash cans in the garage.

Four charitable organizations had obtained Bingo licenses and had entered into an agreement with Merlo, et al., to allow Merlo to use their Bingo licenses to conduct Bingo games. The .charitable organizations were receiving $500.00 to $800.00 per week from Merlo, et al.
Joseph and Nancy Merlo also set up what was known as A.H.A. Concessions Inc. Concessions stands were set up at both of the Bingo halls and proceeds from these concessions also went to Joseph Merlo.
Billings from the two Bingo supply companies, City Novelty and City Supply, made out to the four charitable organizations, totaled an incredible $148,748.80. (See exhibits.) This was also deducted as reasonable expenses from the proceeds generated from the Bingo games. The actual cost of these supplies and services should have been only a fraction of that amount. The Bingo supply companies were set up to charge inflated prices for the supplies and services in order to skim additional money from the Bingo games.
This Bingo scam was typical of other investigations conducted by the Summit County Sheriff's Office.
Moreover, this example is cited for reasons that we would like the Committee to take into consideration.
There is an unending problem with a lack of resources for local law enforcement, in particular, the Summit County Sheriff's Office. At the conclusion of the Merlo, et al. case, a total of $159,000.00 was turned over to the I.R.S. In addition to this, including investigations just concluded in the year 1982, we have turned over several hundred thousand dollars to the I.R.S., including. a number of luxury vehicles seized for tax purposes. We still have in our custody and control nearly $300,000.00, which ultimately will be turned over to I.R. s.
Full and complete cooperation has been extended to the I.R.S. The Sheriff's Department surrendered records from these cases to I.R.S. so that the tax liabilities of individuals caught up in these gambling schemes could be investigated.

e initiate the investigations, use our own money, vehicles and manpower. However, because there is no forfeiture and seizure laws for local law enforcement in gambling cases, the Sheriff's department receives no fruits of the investigation wtiich could be converted into operating resources.

We would like the Subcommittee to explore possible legislation to make provisions for some of that money to be returned to local law enforcement to relieve the financial burdens of conducting these protracted investigations. In addition to the currency seized by the I.R.S., they have also seized, for tax .purposes, several luxury vehicles from some of these cases. One or two of these vehicles, if returned to ·local law enforcement, would make excellent surveillance vehicles and further relieve the financial burdens of local law enforcement. Such lack of resources contributes heavily to the notion that there is a lack of response to organized crime by local law enforcement. There are very few local law enforcement agencies with enough resources and manpower to make any realistic commitment to the investigation of organized crime. Consequently, even major local law enforcement agencies in the northern Ohio area are not making a significant impact on organized crime.
With every major investigation by the Sheriff's Department, there is the constant "gerrymandering" of meager resources and the constant borrowing of men and equipment from other agencies.
The Federal Government. could have a significant impact upon this .problem by returning some of the money ·that has -been confiscated through these gambling .investigations. Figures should be available through the local I.R.S. office in Akron, Ohio, which would. provide the Subcommittee with some idea of the amount of additional money recovered by the I.R.S., -through the process tf tax assessments and liens, which are based. upon the records and information supplied by the Summit County Sheriff's Office. A candid estimate given by one local I.R.S. agent indicates that the total could be well over $2,500,000.00. A small percentage of that amount returned to the Summit County Sheriff's Office could ·relieve some of the financial burdens of conducting these investigations.
To further demonstrate the willingness of local law enforcement to work with- Federal agencies, in particular, with the I.R.S., I would like to cite the following additional example. During the latter months .of the year 1982, the. Summit County Sheriff's
Office Organized Crime Unit conducted an investigation of a wide-spread bookmaking operation which was. centered in the Bunker Ridge Apartment complex .located at 3800 Glenn Eagles Boulevard in Green Township, Summit County, Ohio. Mo.st of the individuals involved were residents of. Stark County, Ohio.

[FriendofFamily]

The .bookmakers occupied two apartments at this complex--Apartment No. 125 and Apartment No. 127. Phone men in Apartment No. 125 were authorized to accept as much as $3,000.00 on a single wager, and phone men in Apartment No. 127 were authorized to accept as much as $5,000.00 on a single wager.
The investigation was conducted jointly with the Stark County Sheriff's Office, the Ohio Attorney General's Office B.C.I. Unit, and Lieutenant John Joyce, Senior Officer of the Vice Unit, First District, Cl eve land Po 11 ce Department. The investigation crossed jurisdictional boundaries into Stark County, Mahoning County, and Cuyahoga County. There was also a constant exchange of intelligence information with both the Akron and the Canton offices of the F.B.I.
Of the 50 plus individuals encountered during this investigation, 28 bookmakers were indicted and prosecuted. Nearly one million dollars in cash, gold coinage, stocks, bonds and luxury vehicles were seized.
Ultimately, the I.R.S. will be the recipient of most of that money. They have already seized, for tax purposes, a 1982 Lincoln Continental 4-door, a 1981 Oldsmobile Coupe, a 1980 Cadillac 4-door, a 1979 Lincoln Continental Coupe, and another 1979 Lincoln Continental Coupe. One 1977 Pontiac Coupe, Grand Prix, was seized by the Summit County Sheriff's Office because it was used to transport illegal drugs. The I.R.S. has already seized nearly $150,000.00 in cash and we still have nearly $300,000.00 in cash that will probably be seized by the I.R.S.
Tax assessment and liens against the 28 individuals indicted and prosecuted will be, by our standards, astronomical.
It seems to me to be a legitimate question for the Subcommittee to explore to determine whether any of the seized money or assets could be returned to local law enforcement on at least a sma11·percentage basis. am aware that private citizens are entitled to a reward from the I.R.S., on a percentage basis, when information supplied by the private citizen results in the collection of taxes.
To my knowledge the Bunker Ridge investigation was the largest bookmaking operation uncovered in this area for quite some time.
The principal and most visible character in this bookmaking scheme was one Martin "Marty" Lockwood. Lockwood was originally from the New Jersey area with a previous arrest and conviction record for bookmaking. This group was alleged to be working with organized crime figures in Las Vegas.

An· examination of ·one of the te·lephone .. index books found in ·Apartment No. 127 at the Bunker Ridge Apartments lists only one name that personally recognize as a known LCN crime figure (a made man), that being Pat Ferrucdo. The list includes Rocco Ferruccio, son of Pat Ferruccio. The list includes Sam Ferruccio, an attorney, nephew of Pat Ferruccio. The list includes a number for Vincent Cercone, an employee of Pat Ferruccio. The list includes a phone number for Liberty Vending in Canton, Ohio--owned by Pat Ferruccio. The list includes phone numbers for other bookmakers, including Tony Arnone, former associate of Leo Moceri. The list includes phone numbers in Las Vegas for the Flamingo Hotel, Tony Testa, Mike Toney, and "Bull" James.

Most of the ·intelligence information received related to problems with gambling in Summit County sounds like a broken record; There is always an alleged LCN connection. Even ff the LCN were not involved, the criminal · enterprise is successful and just as much a nemesis as LCN activities.
· One might wonder why we have not been able, by personal observations, o document allegations that the LCN is involved. This problem can be precisely identified. Some of the allegations have been documented but without any particular significance.

Example: During 1978, at the height of the success of some of the casino-,type ·gambling houses, an allegation was made that .Pat Ferruccio was backing at least one of ·these casinos. Ralph· Brown .Smith of· Barberton, Ohio, a known gambler and bookmaker !1nd alleged long-time associate of Ferruccio, was alleged to be running what was then known as the. Route 14 Club in Northampton Township. Belatedly, we received information that Ralph Brown Smith was meeting with Pat Ferruccio every Monday morning at about 10:30 a.m. at the Akron-Canton Airport and that Smith had been observed discussing figures from a small spiral notebook with Ferruccio.
We did surveil at least one of these meetings between Pat Ferrucio and Ralph Brown Smith at the Akron-Canton Airport on a Monday morning at about 10:30 a.m. They met at one of the ticket counters in the lobby on the first level. The ticket counter was not occupied and there was virtually no pedestrian traffic in the area of the meeting. Smith was observed discussing whatever was recorded in a small spiral notebook but no exchange of .money or documents was observed. Color photographs were taken of the two men outside the lobby as ·they were preparing to ·leave.

[FriendofFamily]

Without hard evidence of the significance of these meetings, the scenario is interesting and valuable only for intelligence purposes. We did manage, through an emergency amendment to the charitable gambling laws in the State of Ohio to close the casino-type gambling rooms. Once the amendment was effective the meetings between Smith and Ferrucio ceased. The emergency amendment to the charitable gambling laws was prompted by our initiative and proved to be the only method available to force the. closing of the clubs.
Prior- to that, casinos were _operating four nights a week, 52 weeks of the year.
There was a provision in the charitable gambling laws for any charitable organization holding a Bingo license and a 501-C-3 letter of exemption from the I.R.S. to conduct Monte Carlo-type gambling sessions four nights a week for any two weeks during the year.
Some enterprising entrepreneur formed what was then known as the Ohio Conference of Churches which consisted of 26 charitable organizations holding Bingo licenses and 501-C-3 letters of exemption from the I.R.S. Each charitable organization was permitted to conduct Monte Carlo-type gambling sessions four nights a week in any two weeks during the year.
The net effect of this scheme was that the operators of the Casino­type gambling rooms (known gamblers, bookmakers and hustlers), could operate four nights a week, 52 weeks of the year.
Tony Arnone is known to·have been associated with the setting up of at least one of these gambling rooms.
It would be difficult to list the reasons for the lack of success in closing and then prosecuting individuals associated with these clubs, except to note that the charitable gambling laws were full of loopholes. Also, we did not have the authority to demand an accountab11 ity for the money generated through these gambling rooms. We spent several months in an attempt to find a weakness in this scheme. Ultimately, the problem was solved by the emergency amendment to the charitable gambling laws.
The Joseph Charles Gallo, et al. gambling case in 1980 is almost self­explanatory and was the easiest to document for LCN connections.
What has been overlooked is the significance of that unsuccessful attempt to establish gambling clubs in Summit County where Gallo, to the best of my knowledge, has no certain political connections and no protection that I know-of. Why was that effort made? The West Side Social Club was a dismal and disastrous failure for Gallo, et al.
While the West Side Social Club was operating, the following known associates of Gallo are known to have either participated in the operation of the club or are known to have participated in meetings at Anthe's Restaurant at 1008 N. Main Street, Akron, Ohio on Tuesdays at about 12:00 noon--Joseph Leanza, Tony Leanza, Tony Liuzzo, Tony Baudo, Phillip Bonadonna, John Brancatto, and Raymond Tri scaro.
John Brancato is alleged to have been related to the late Frank Brancato, identified at one time as the third most powerful man in the Licavoli LCN crime family.
Raymond Triscaro is alleged to _be related to the late Louis "Babe" Triscaro. Louis Triscaro 􀀒ad been identified as a Capo in the Licavoli family
but with residence in Youngstown, Ohio.
Joseph Leanza, Tony Leanza and Tony L iuzzo are known to have assisted in running the West Side Social Club in Sunmit County.
An obscure local resident of Sunmit County, Robert Dugger, with a previous record of arrest for assault, possession of drugs, and subsequently identified as bookmaker, was also known to have assisted in the running of the West Side Social Club.
Each Tuesday Dugger -is known to have met with Tony Arnone either at Anthe's Restaurant or the - parking lot of a Kroger •_s store some di stance from the restaurant. Dugger has .been photographed exiting his vehicle carrying a manila envelope reportedly containing cash and records from the West Side Social Club. Dugger would then turn the envelope over to Tony Arnone. At about 12:00 noon on each Tuesday, Dugger and Arnone would then meet with one of the following combinations of individuals, either in the parking lot of Anthe's Restaurant or at another restaurant in other locations in Summit County--Joseph Leanza and Raymond Tri scaro, Joseph Leanza and Phil l fps Bonadonna, Joseph Leanza and Tony Baudo.

Arnorie- would then give the manila envelope to Joseph Leanza and whoever he might be with on a parttcular _ Tuesday. The pair would then transport the envelope to the S.O.S. (Shopping Our Services) Inc. in Beechwood, Ohio, -and give the envelope or - its contents to - Joseph Gallo. S.O.S. Inc. was owned-.and_ operated by Joseph and Alicia Gallo.

[FriendofFamily]

Tony Arnone is known to have been in the Offices of S.O.S. Inc. with Joseph Ga 11 o on sever a 1 occasions.
S.O.S. Inc., in our otiinion, was nothing more than a front for Gallo and was used daily as a meeting place for Gallo and a small host ·of his associates. Surveillance logs, compiled by members of the Federal Strike Force in Cleveland, Ohio, during this period of time, lists the names of indh1iduals meeting with Gallo in his offices.
The names of all of these individuals, along with quite a number of other associates of Gallo, are recorded in a personal telephone book (pocket Secretary) that was seized from Gallo on Tuesday, December 30, 1980. (See exhibit.)
To my _knowledge, Tony Arnone is the only Akron-Summit County area resident listed in this telephone book. Most of the names are listed along with a te 1 ephone number and no address.
We are persuaded that Joseph Gallo was chosen to take over where Leo Moceri left off. This presents a particular problem for us, precisely because Tony Arnone's name is the only. listing in the Gallo telephone book from the Akron-Summit County area. Missing from the list is a number of names of individuals in the Akron-Summit County area who have been suspected as organized crime figures or, at the very least; known associates of the late Leo Moceri.
Bits and pieces of recent intelligence information may have a bearing on this circumstance. It would appear that if a new LCN organizational structure is to be found in Summit County, many of the 'individuals that we would characterize as the "old guard," will be missing from that structure.
However, statements attributed to Carmen Zagal".ia have indicated that Gallo had chosen one Joseph lcabucci of the Cleveland area to "organize" the Summit County area from Cl eve 1 and. Do we have a problem with organized crime in Summit County? Yes.
A copy of the Gallo telephone book is submitted with this statement.
A copy of a ledger taken from the Gallo residence on Tuesday, December 30, 1980 is also submitted. We believe the ledger details income from criminal activities that Gallo, et al. were involved in.
The examples cited in this statement are chosen because they are do_cumented from personal knowledge.

e would- like to suggest that the Subc011111ittee examine the involvement of - known or suspected organized crime figures . in the emerging business of so­called charitable Bingo games around the country. State legislation authorizing certain schemes ·and games of chance, we believe, has opened the door for organized crime to reap huge volumes of cash from a low risk, quasi­legal activity.
To ·digress momentarily, we will make further reference to the Joseph Francis Merlo Bingo. scam .described earlier in this statement.. Following Merla's conviction on charges .of engaging in organized crime in Summit County and during a period of time· when Merlo was sti 11 on the street pending the outcome of an Appeals process,- Merlo and Harry Blackford are known to have .traveled to ... South Carolina to set up more Bingo games. See exhibits:

1. A series of articles published in the Cleveland press.
2. An article published i_n the Forbes magazine.
3. Two articles published in the Tennessean.

An ·article published in the_ News and Courier (South Carolina).
The series of .. articles- published in the Cleveland P􀁊ess details the involvement of known or suspected -organized -crime figures in what- is known as the Seaway Acceptance Corporation and should -provide leads to the names of individuals. who could be interviewed.
Loca·l ··law·· enforcement, at least - where the Summit County Sheriff's Office is·. concerned, has made an attempt to respond to organized crime, and for the record, I would like to state ·that the limits of that response are governed only by available resources. For that reason, we have a particular interest in the intent of the Subcommittee to explore the response of local law enforcement to organized crime.
In my opinion, with adequate resources, including reasonable legislation, local .law enforcement could muster a significant impact on organized crime.



It continues with supporting and other documentation of their opinions on getting the Committee to Act on behalf of Law Enforcement.

[FriendofFamily]

This is one from Stark County where Canton Ohio is located. The following Pages shows meeting with Pat Ferruccio and Pittsburgh and Reps. from Gambinos at Liberty Vending which was Pat Ferruccio business. But first there are a few pages before it about Northeast Ohio and various LCN Players.

CHIEF DEPUTY SHERI.FF RICARDO E. HAWKINS
STARK COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARlMENT
CANTON, OHIO
SUBMITTED TO THE
U. S. SENATE PERMANENT ·SIJBCOIIIITTEE ON INVESTIGATIONS AT HEARINGS ON
ORGANIZED CRIME PROFILE: GREAT LAKES REGION
JANUARY 26, 1984

My name is Ricardo E. Hawkins. I received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Kent State University, Kent, Ohio. I am currently the Chief Deputy of the Stark County, Ohio, Sheriff's Department. I hav.e been employed by the Sheriff's office since March 1982. In addition to my administrative duties, I direct the activities of our organized crime intelligence unit which was established by Sheriff Robert C. Berens upon his election in January 1981.
From August of 1974 until March 1982, I was employed as a Special Agent with the Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigation Division. My assignments with . IRS included case development activity in the area of organized crime and narcotics trafficking. My duties provided me the opportunity to become familiar with the activities of LCN organized crime figures such as James Licavoli, Cleveland, Ohio, Joseph Gallo, Cleveland, Ohio, and Joseph Naples, Youngstown, Ohio. I conducted investigations of numbers operators, bookmakers, narcotics traffickers, and gathered intelligence relating to the infiltration of organized crime into legitimate business including the coal industry.
Before addressing organized crime and its impact on Stark County, I want to briefly describe Ohio's law enforcement environment; the inter-county efforts of law enforcement agencies in its fight against organized crime; and the operational definition and philosophy of organized crime perceived by the Stark County Sheriff's Office.
Ohio lacks a pure statewide investigative law enforcement agency. Counties, townships, cities, and villages have their own respective law enforcement agencies. Therefore, the law enforcement presence throughout Ohio is extremely fragmented. For instance, there are twenty-four local law enforcement agencies within Stark County. Such fragmentation is typical of each county in Ohio. Furthermore, there is no agency which coordinates the operations of these local law enforcement agencies. Interagency cooperation and conmunication have been dependent upon unofficial personal relationships between law enforcement officials. This type of environment, in my opinion, has contributed greatly to organized crime's ability to flourish throughout Ohio. Without official programs collectively geared toward collecting and disseminating necessary intelligence, local law enforcement has a difficult time dealing with organized criminal activities.
The election ·process has also created difficulties for Ohio's law enforcement efforts. Ohio has a limited institutional capability to pursue investigations of public corruption and organized crime. Ohio's Attorney General, sheriffs, prosecutors and judges are elected officials. The elected Attorney General has an investigative arm which may investigate local cases, but only upon the written request of the executive officer in a local law · enforcement agency. A State Liquor Commission, which is appointed through the political process, regulates Ohio's liquor industry.- Organized crime has had a firm foothold in areas of Ohio such as Steubenville, Canton, Al<ron, Youngstown, Toledo and other townships and cities. Elected officials, many times, receive their political support from persons involved in organized crime activity. This support is received even though the elected officials are not aware of their benefactor's criminal ties. In many cases these organized crime figures are influential .people within their conmunity. Local law enforcement efforts to penetrate organized crime activity in their respective areas can be met with resistance from the same people who supported the elected law enforcement official.
The term "hitting too close to home" is very applicable in Ohio. Organized crime figures have the ability to influence elections through financial contributions and influencing -the electorate. Law enforcement pressure· on ·organized crime figures .can and has resulted in organized crime utilizing its ·influence in the political process to oust those elected officials.
I do - not mean to be interpreted as attacking the democratic elective process, nor am I -implying that all elected officials are corrupt. I am suggesting that too eager or aggressive inquiry into organized crime or public corruption can result in adverse· political. consequences for the incumbent elective law enforcement official.

Oh1o also lacks necessary _laws that are imperative to the effect1ve
battle against organized crim1nal activity. There are no RICO statutes, _no forfeiture statutes for gambling convictions, and there are no wire-tap statutes. All are· measures which are highly effect1ve in the war against . organized crime. Local law enforcement agencies also suffer from the resource standpoint. Budgets rarely approjlr1ate spec1f1c fund1ng for the 1nvestigation and prosecution of organized crime. Agenc1es are continually working on shoestr1ng funds 1n their anti-organized crime operations.

All of the aforementioned factors have played a positive role in organized crime's successful presence throughout Ohio. In some areas such as Canton, Steubenville and Youngstown, gambling, narcotics trafficking, and political corrupt1on have become a way of life and are met with acceptance and apathy from the community.
It is absolutely necessary for an objective third party law enforcement capability to be present in areas of Ohio outside of large urban areas like Cleveland and Cincinnati. A federal law enforcement presence directed toward investigating organ1zed crime in areas other than large metropolitan areas is vital. The federal agencies do not suffer from a lack of resources, the elective process, or loosely coordinated exchanges of 1ntelligence. To date, there is an 1nadequate federal response to organized crime activity in Stark County. Federal law enforcement agencies have conducted investigations of specific criminal acts; however, the presence of an organized federal mechanism such as the federal Strike Force is lacking in most of Ohio. In fact, there is no official liaison between the Stark County Sheriff's Office and the federal Strike Force in Cleveland even though organized crime activity, including LCN activity, is pervasive in this area.
The law enforcement environment in Ohio, as I have ·described it, has limited capabilities in dealing with organized crime. Therefore, it has been necessary for jurisdict1ons to look toward forming official coalitions to improve its organized crime capabilities. For instance, in 1982 the Stark County Sheriff's Office and the Summit County Sheriff's Office pooled their respective resources to investigate a multi-county bookmaking operation. This investigation resulted in the indictment of twenty-eight individuals and the seizure in excess of one million dollars in assets. This was the first inter­county operation in Stark County. Another inter-county effort is presently in operation.

It is within this environment that the Stark County Sheriff's Office has joined in an inter􀀋county effort to identify and investigate those -who engage in organized crime. We have defined organized crime for our operational purposes as a conspiracy engaged in by individuals or groups of individuals for the 11urpose of controlling an illegal activity in order to gain ·economic or political benefit. The conspiracy can involve a hierarchy or structure that utilizes ongoing illegal or legal enterprises to gain its goal. This definition embraces the traditional view of organized crime as well as the new emerging patterns.

The Stark County-Sheriff's Office, in viewing organized crime, places
a priority on the nature and extent of the criminal activity or enterprise. Although· the characteristics· of those who participate in organized crime are .·important, .they · are not a primary consideration. Law enforcement efforts should be directed toward investigating criminal acts not specific ethnic groups, secret societies or. factions. Perpetrators of organized crime cannot be exclusively characterized as belonging to organizations with rigid bureaucratic structures, secret rituals and codes of behavior. We believe
• organized criminal activity can be perpetrated by groups, or individuals, who unite for ·economical or political gain.
Stark County, Ohio has 􀀧 long history of organized crime. In the early 193O's Canton, Ohio, the county seat, was referred to as "Little Chicago" ·.because of·. the number of bombings and deaths as different groups struggled for control. In the early 197O's a Township Police Chief was convicted for his role in protecting an organized bookmaking operation. Local indictments were brought against twenty-eight people in 1982 for their role in a w'ell organized bookmaking operation involving several Northeast Ohio counties. It is interesting to note that this bookmaking operation was engaged in by a contractor, the manager of a well known local tavern, the manager of a travel agency, and a local bookkeeper. Analysis of i terns. seized during the execution of search warrants in these cases disclosed the name of a known organized crime associate, Pasquale Ferruccio. Affidavits filed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in their investigation of the Calla Mar Restaurant, Youngstown, Ohio identify Ferruccio meeting with James Licavoli, known LCN capo,. Cleveland, Ohio, Angelo Lonardo, known LCN member, and Gabriel "Kelly" Mannarino;- capo <if -the Sebastian John LaRocca · family, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on February 5, 1980. This meeting is also reported in the 1983 report published by the Pennsylvania Crime Commission. The August 1983 Organized Crime Digest reports this meeting and continues that on March 12, 1983 there reportedly was a meeting at Liberty Vending, 401 High Street, Canton, Ohio between Ferruccio, Frank Lonardo, brother of Angelo, and two men sent by Paul Costellano, boss of the Carlo Gambino family in New York. The article continues to state that another meeting between the same four men took place at a bar in Cleveland on March 19, 1982.
Ferruccio and his family operate L iber.ty and United Vending at 401 High Street, Canton, Ohio. Reliable information indicates he has a business interest in P&F Bonding, P&R Realty, Macri Realty, and others. Records of the City of Canton, Ohio licensing bureau indicate that Liberty and United Vending have 66 music machines and 169 amusement devices located within the City. The total number of machines distributed in Stark County or throughout Ohio is unknown. Reliable intelligence information indicates that Liberty Vending utilizes vending machines in a lease purchase arrangement to control liquor licenses. In essence, money is secretly fronted to an individual to purchase a liquor permit and premise. The loaned money is to be repaid to the Vending Company from the machines placed at the location usually at a usurious rate. Thus the vending company controls a legitimate _money laundry.
Reliable information indicates that Ferruccio represented the firm of Mills Jennings of Ohio, a gambling device manufacturer, in the negotiation for the placement of gambling devices in the casino owned by Penthouse magazine in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Mills Jennings of Ohio has led the legislative and judiciary battle in the effort to change Ohio gambling laws relating to electronic devices such as Draw BO Poker, Rooks, Castles, and other devices. Reliable intelligence indicates that there exist other individuals within Stark County who function as a group intent upon controlling the illegal activities of the community or who may in fact be directly or indirectly connected to Ferruccio. Many individuals imply they are connected in order to increase their influence or to gain compliance with their plans or objectives. A long history of organized crime with limited or no intervention by local, state, or federal prosecution efforts has created a climate of cynicism concerning the existence of organized crime within the overall community and a naive concern for its conduct or cost to the community.

[JCB1977]

This is one from Stark County where Canton Ohio is located. The following Pages shows meeting with Pat Ferruccio and Pittsburgh and Reps. from Gambinos at Liberty Vending which was Pat Ferruccio business. But first there are a few pages before it about Northeast Ohio and various LCN Players.

CHIEF DEPUTY SHERI.FF RICARDO E. HAWKINS
STARK COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARlMENT
CANTON, OHIO
SUBMITTED TO THE
U. S. SENATE PERMANENT ·SIJBCOIIIITTEE ON INVESTIGATIONS AT HEARINGS ON
ORGANIZED CRIME PROFILE: GREAT LAKES REGION
JANUARY 26, 1984

My name is Ricardo E. Hawkins. I received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Kent State University, Kent, Ohio. I am currently the Chief Deputy of the Stark County, Ohio, Sheriff's Department. I hav.e been employed by the Sheriff's office since March 1982. In addition to my administrative duties, I direct the activities of our organized crime intelligence unit which was established by Sheriff Robert C. Berens upon his election in January 1981.
From August of 1974 until March 1982, I was employed as a Special Agent with the Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigation Division. My assignments with . IRS included case development activity in the area of organized crime and narcotics trafficking. My duties provided me the opportunity to become familiar with the activities of LCN organized crime figures such as James Licavoli, Cleveland, Ohio, Joseph Gallo, Cleveland, Ohio, and Joseph Naples, Youngstown, Ohio. I conducted investigations of numbers operators, bookmakers, narcotics traffickers, and gathered intelligence relating to the infiltration of organized crime into legitimate business including the coal industry.
Before addressing organized crime and its impact on Stark County, I want to briefly describe Ohio's law enforcement environment; the inter-county efforts of law enforcement agencies in its fight against organized crime; and the operational definition and philosophy of organized crime perceived by the Stark County Sheriff's Office.
Ohio lacks a pure statewide investigative law enforcement agency. Counties, townships, cities, and villages have their own respective law enforcement agencies. Therefore, the law enforcement presence throughout Ohio is extremely fragmented. For instance, there are twenty-four local law enforcement agencies within Stark County. Such fragmentation is typical of each county in Ohio. Furthermore, there is no agency which coordinates the operations of these local law enforcement agencies. Interagency cooperation and conmunication have been dependent upon unofficial personal relationships between law enforcement officials. This type of environment, in my opinion, has contributed greatly to organized crime's ability to flourish throughout Ohio. Without official programs collectively geared toward collecting and disseminating necessary intelligence, local law enforcement has a difficult time dealing with organized criminal activities.
The election ·process has also created difficulties for Ohio's law enforcement efforts. Ohio has a limited institutional capability to pursue investigations of public corruption and organized crime. Ohio's Attorney General, sheriffs, prosecutors and judges are elected officials. The elected Attorney General has an investigative arm which may investigate local cases, but only upon the written request of the executive officer in a local law · enforcement agency. A State Liquor Commission, which is appointed through the political process, regulates Ohio's liquor industry.- Organized crime has had a firm foothold in areas of Ohio such as Steubenville, Canton, Al<ron, Youngstown, Toledo and other townships and cities. Elected officials, many times, receive their political support from persons involved in organized crime activity. This support is received even though the elected officials are not aware of their benefactor's criminal ties. In many cases these organized crime figures are influential .people within their conmunity. Local law enforcement efforts to penetrate organized crime activity in their respective areas can be met with resistance from the same people who supported the elected law enforcement official.
The term "hitting too close to home" is very applicable in Ohio. Organized crime figures have the ability to influence elections through financial contributions and influencing -the electorate. Law enforcement pressure· on ·organized crime figures .can and has resulted in organized crime utilizing its ·influence in the political process to oust those elected officials.
I do - not mean to be interpreted as attacking the democratic elective process, nor am I -implying that all elected officials are corrupt. I am suggesting that too eager or aggressive inquiry into organized crime or public corruption can result in adverse· political. consequences for the incumbent elective law enforcement official.

Oh1o also lacks necessary _laws that are imperative to the effect1ve
battle against organized crim1nal activity. There are no RICO statutes, _no forfeiture statutes for gambling convictions, and there are no wire-tap statutes. All are· measures which are highly effect1ve in the war against . organized crime. Local law enforcement agencies also suffer from the resource standpoint. Budgets rarely approjlr1ate spec1f1c fund1ng for the 1nvestigation and prosecution of organized crime. Agenc1es are continually working on shoestr1ng funds 1n their anti-organized crime operations.

All of the aforementioned factors have played a positive role in organized crime's successful presence throughout Ohio. In some areas such as Canton, Steubenville and Youngstown, gambling, narcotics trafficking, and political corrupt1on have become a way of life and are met with acceptance and apathy from the community.
It is absolutely necessary for an objective third party law enforcement capability to be present in areas of Ohio outside of large urban areas like Cleveland and Cincinnati. A federal law enforcement presence directed toward investigating organ1zed crime in areas other than large metropolitan areas is vital. The federal agencies do not suffer from a lack of resources, the elective process, or loosely coordinated exchanges of 1ntelligence. To date, there is an 1nadequate federal response to organized crime activity in Stark County. Federal law enforcement agencies have conducted investigations of specific criminal acts; however, the presence of an organized federal mechanism such as the federal Strike Force is lacking in most of Ohio. In fact, there is no official liaison between the Stark County Sheriff's Office and the federal Strike Force in Cleveland even though organized crime activity, including LCN activity, is pervasive in this area.
The law enforcement environment in Ohio, as I have ·described it, has limited capabilities in dealing with organized crime. Therefore, it has been necessary for jurisdict1ons to look toward forming official coalitions to improve its organized crime capabilities. For instance, in 1982 the Stark County Sheriff's Office and the Summit County Sheriff's Office pooled their respective resources to investigate a multi-county bookmaking operation. This investigation resulted in the indictment of twenty-eight individuals and the seizure in excess of one million dollars in assets. This was the first inter­county operation in Stark County. Another inter-county effort is presently in operation.

It is within this environment that the Stark County Sheriff's Office has joined in an inter􀀋county effort to identify and investigate those -who engage in organized crime. We have defined organized crime for our operational purposes as a conspiracy engaged in by individuals or groups of individuals for the 11urpose of controlling an illegal activity in order to gain ·economic or political benefit. The conspiracy can involve a hierarchy or structure that utilizes ongoing illegal or legal enterprises to gain its goal. This definition embraces the traditional view of organized crime as well as the new emerging patterns.

The Stark County-Sheriff's Office, in viewing organized crime, places
a priority on the nature and extent of the criminal activity or enterprise. Although· the characteristics· of those who participate in organized crime are .·important, .they · are not a primary consideration. Law enforcement efforts should be directed toward investigating criminal acts not specific ethnic groups, secret societies or. factions. Perpetrators of organized crime cannot be exclusively characterized as belonging to organizations with rigid bureaucratic structures, secret rituals and codes of behavior. We believe
• organized criminal activity can be perpetrated by groups, or individuals, who unite for ·economical or political gain.
Stark County, Ohio has 􀀧 long history of organized crime. In the early 193O's Canton, Ohio, the county seat, was referred to as "Little Chicago" ·.because of·. the number of bombings and deaths as different groups struggled for control. In the early 197O's a Township Police Chief was convicted for his role in protecting an organized bookmaking operation. Local indictments were brought against twenty-eight people in 1982 for their role in a w'ell organized bookmaking operation involving several Northeast Ohio counties. It is interesting to note that this bookmaking operation was engaged in by a contractor, the manager of a well known local tavern, the manager of a travel agency, and a local bookkeeper. Analysis of i terns. seized during the execution of search warrants in these cases disclosed the name of a known organized crime associate, Pasquale Ferruccio. Affidavits filed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in their investigation of the Calla Mar Restaurant, Youngstown, Ohio identify Ferruccio meeting with James Licavoli, known LCN capo,. Cleveland, Ohio, Angelo Lonardo, known LCN member, and Gabriel "Kelly" Mannarino;- capo <if -the Sebastian John LaRocca · family, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on February 5, 1980. This meeting is also reported in the 1983 report published by the Pennsylvania Crime Commission. The August 1983 Organized Crime Digest reports this meeting and continues that on March 12, 1983 there reportedly was a meeting at Liberty Vending, 401 High Street, Canton, Ohio between Ferruccio, Frank Lonardo, brother of Angelo, and two men sent by Paul Costellano, boss of the Carlo Gambino family in New York. The article continues to state that another meeting between the same four men took place at a bar in Cleveland on March 19, 1982.
Ferruccio and his family operate L iber.ty and United Vending at 401 High Street, Canton, Ohio. Reliable information indicates he has a business interest in P&F Bonding, P&R Realty, Macri Realty, and others. Records of the City of Canton, Ohio licensing bureau indicate that Liberty and United Vending have 66 music machines and 169 amusement devices located within the City. The total number of machines distributed in Stark County or throughout Ohio is unknown. Reliable intelligence information indicates that Liberty Vending utilizes vending machines in a lease purchase arrangement to control liquor licenses. In essence, money is secretly fronted to an individual to purchase a liquor permit and premise. The loaned money is to be repaid to the Vending Company from the machines placed at the location usually at a usurious rate. Thus the vending company controls a legitimate _money laundry.
Reliable information indicates that Ferruccio represented the firm of Mills Jennings of Ohio, a gambling device manufacturer, in the negotiation for the placement of gambling devices in the casino owned by Penthouse magazine in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Mills Jennings of Ohio has led the legislative and judiciary battle in the effort to change Ohio gambling laws relating to electronic devices such as Draw BO Poker, Rooks, Castles, and other devices. Reliable intelligence indicates that there exist other individuals within Stark County who function as a group intent upon controlling the illegal activities of the community or who may in fact be directly or indirectly connected to Ferruccio. Many individuals imply they are connected in order to increase their influence or to gain compliance with their plans or objectives. A long history of organized crime with limited or no intervention by local, state, or federal prosecution efforts has created a climate of cynicism concerning the existence of organized crime within the overall community and a naive concern for its conduct or cost to the community.

Does it say which members of the Gambino Family?

[FriendofFamily]

Unfortunately no - I thought that was an important fact that he left out of his testimony. But here is a lead that he was referencing the Pennsylvania Crime Commission Report of August 1983. The meeting happened March 12th, 1983. If you can FOIA that Report maybe we can get some detail.

[FriendofFamily]

Tony LaFatch's Office at 2850 West Market Street, Akron, Ohio (Recent Google Photo of Building) - Obviously offices are long gone.
A.P. LaFatch Investments

Bottom Right Window was his office - Window just to the Left of it was his Secretary's Office - Karen Maag.

Center Door you walk in and made an immediate right into her office.

He parked his car parallel to the Building as close as he could and Tony could see his car at all times.

2850 OH-18 - Google Maps.jpg