Pittsburgh Illegal Gambling Bust

[BillyBrizzi]

In that world there's no excuse for cooperating I know, but Ferritto did get fucked ROYALLY by Cleveland imo..

[FriendofHenry]

I agree with you all the way around. Rats are rats but I really don't know about Cleveland like I know Pittsburgh.
However I'll take your word for it as your word is good by me.

[BillyBrizzi]

I agree with you all the way around. Rats are rats but I really don't know about Cleveland like I know Pittsburgh.
However I'll take your word for it as your word is good by me.

To be honest FoH, all I know of the Mob is via this board, books, documents and documentaries..

In this short video Ferritto and LE officers explain how Cleveland double-crossed Ferritto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsPg8jfv5eA

It's from the, imo, best documentary series on the Mob ever: Crime Inc. from Martin Short.

[FriendofHenry]

My only knowledge of the Mob is my personal experiences. However this forum and some of the members, like you, have taught me quite a bit. Thanx!

[BillyBrizzi]

My only knowledge of the Mob is my personal experiences. However this forum and some of the members, like you, have taught me quite a bit. Thanx!

Iron sharpens iron my friend

[JCB1977]

I agree with you all the way around. Rats are rats but I really don't know about Cleveland like I know Pittsburgh.
However I'll take your word for it as your word is good by me.

Ferrito was recruited by James Licavoli through Jimmy "The Weasel" Frattiano, a frequent visitor to the Youngstown area and a close friend "at the time" of Dominic Mallamo and Jimmy Prato. Jimmy used to have dinner at my uncle's house and purchased many of his tailor made suits at my other uncle's store. Joey was also pretty close to Jimmy Frattiano.

When Jack Licavoli met with Ferrito at Mosquito Lake on a boat, he was promised to be made into the Cleveland Family and have his own gambling operation in Warren, OH (essentially taking over the operation of Tony DelSanter). When the Green murder happened, Jack White ignored Ferrito and after he was arrested, refused to pay for the defense lawyers.

[baldo]

Thanks, JCB. In the Danny Greene documentary they said Ferritto was promised a new car but they told him to keep the getaway car LOL. Sounded a bit suspicious.

[JCB1977]

Thanks, JCB. In the Danny Greene documentary they said Ferritto was promised a new car but they told him to keep the getaway car LOL. Sounded a bit suspicious.

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.htm ... e%20Murder

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.htm ... e%20Murder

[JCB1977]

From the 1990 PA Crime Commission Report on OC

Northwestem Pennsylvania/Erie

• Raymond Ferritto, 61, 724 Brown
Avenue, Erie.
• Phillip Torrelli, 58, 2908 Broadlawn
Drive, Erie.

Ferritto, a former Mafia hitman and LCN associate, and Frank "Bolo" Dovishaw, a longtime area bookmaker, were partners in a bookmaking operation during the early 1980s. After Dovishaw was murdered in January 1983, Ferritto assumed control of the operation and combined it with the gambling business of Phillip Torrelli, a well-known gambling figure from Erie. The Ferritto/Torrelli operation then became one of the largest in Erie. During a three-day period of surveillance, the operation accepted in excess of $106,000 in bets from as far away as Pittsburgh and Jamestown, NY. Ferritto/Torrelli have used as layoff Manuel "Mike the Greek" Xenakis of Coraopolis, an associate of Pittsburgh LCN member Thomas Ciancutti. Since 1957, Ferritto's extensive criminal record includes arrests for gambling, burglary, transportation of explosives, aggravated murder, aggravated arson, and criminal contempt of court. In 1977, Ferritto participated in the bombing death of Danny Greene, a Cleveland area gambler competing with the Cleveland LCN. In that case, as well as in a recent 1987 case involving gambling charges, Ferritto received reduced sentences in exchange for guilty pleas and for testimony against LCN associates.

[JCB1977]

Has anybody ever heard of Abraham Minker, rackets czar from Reading, PA?

[Pogo The Clown]

Good documents. Shows just how decimated Clevleand was by the mid 70s. It was just a handful of old guys with a handful of younger guys trying to get made. They were more like a crew than a family. No wonder Greene and Nardi felt confident in ignoring them and trying to take the rackets. It also explains why they were so inept in killing them.


Pogo

[FriendofHenry]

My only knowledge of the Mob is my personal experiences. However this forum and some of the members, like you, have taught me quite a bit. Thanx!

Iron sharpens iron my friend

So true

[Angelo Santino]

Good documents. Shows just how decimated Clevleand was by the mid 70s. It was just a handful of old guys with a handful of younger guys trying to get made. They were more like a crew than a family. No wonder Greene and Nardi felt confident in ignoring them and trying to take the rackets. It also explains why they were so inept in killing them.


Pogo

Here's a rough and abandoned draft of Cleveland for this era, kinda a sequel to the earlier one I made for the 60's. Lonardo's brother is up for debate, beyond that, that should be every made guy left. The so-called street crews were associate crews mobbed up, east side and west side and it became a headache. But from what I gather, these mobbed up crews/gangs played a major part in Cleveland's history, even during it's height when there appears to have been less than 30 made guys in the entire city. This was not a New York set up with DeMeo-esque hit squads, which is why non-Ohioans find this family to be uninteresting. Greene and Nardi go back in the Family's history and were very much a part of it. Nardi I believe was a relative of the Milanos, which would come with inherited cred.

https://i.imgur.com/TRuZ76n.gif

[baldo]

Any more information on this Doctor Romano who was allegedly the head of the Cleveland mafia that was killed by Lonardo? Can't seem to find any info on him. Is it really possible he was the boss?

[JCB1977]

Good documents. Shows just how decimated Clevleand was by the mid 70s. It was just a handful of old guys with a handful of younger guys trying to get made. They were more like a crew than a family. No wonder Greene and Nardi felt confident in ignoring them and trying to take the rackets. It also explains why they were so inept in killing them.


Pogo

True. However, they were once one of the most powerful families in the country from the 1920's-1960's.