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Escalating mob wars turned Greater Cleveland into the bombing capital of America in 1976.
The 37 bombings in Cuyahoga County, including 21 in Cleveland, ranked No. 1 in the United States, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
"There's nothing to compare it with now in this country," said Rick Porrello, Lyndhurst police chief and author of "To Kill the Irishman," the basis of the new movie about gangster Danny Greene. "These days, the bombings are done by terrorists in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Middle East."
Car bombs were a preferred weapon of mobsters in the 1970s. You could kill someone fairly cheaply, from a distance (using a remote detonator), and bombs tended to obliterate much of the evidence. Bombs were also set off at homes and businesses.
"A bombing sends a real message. It commands a lot of attention," said Porrello. "Danny Greene was said to have paid Art Sneperger, his main explosives guy, extra if the bombing generated news coverage. Art got paid a bonus if the thing got on television or in the newspapers."
Sneperger made his own headlines. He was killed in Cleveland Heights on Halloween night in 1971 when a bomb he was preparing to plant in a car belonging to Greene's friend-turned-enemy Mike Frato exploded.
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Modern History:
[From "Organized Crime: 25 Years After Valachi," Hearings Before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, 100th Congress, Second Session, US Government Printing Office, Washington: 1988] 539 CHRONOLOGY OF VIOLENCE: CLEVELAND ORGANIZED CRIME 1968 5/21/68 PATRICK CATALANO reported missing - body never found. 6/21/68 PETE DI GRAVIO murdered 1971 10/31/71 ARTHUR SNEPERGER killed by bomb 11/26/71 MICHAEL FRATO shot and killed 1972 1/1/72 POST AND PADDOCK RESTAURANT Autos of SANDY DUBLO, PHIL BONADONNA and JOSEPH BRANCATO damaged by bomb 1973 10/6/73 SALVATORE CARCIONE shot and wounded 10/6/73 ROBERT BOGGESS shot and killed 10/6/73 WILLIAM WHITCOMB shot and killed 540 1975 3/29/75 ALEX "SHONDOR" BIRNS killed by bomb 4/12/75 DANNY GREENE injured by bomb 9/19/75 JOHN CONTE beaten to death 1976 7/22/76 EUGENE CIASULLO injured by bomb 8/20/76 JOSEPH KOVACH shot and killed 8/20/76 JOSEPH ILLILUS shot and killed 8/22/76 LEO MOCERI reported missing 9/10/76 JOHN NARDI shot at (not injured) 9/24/76 FRANK PERCIO killed by bomb placed on auto of ALI CALABRESE 9/26/76 EUGENE CIASULLO home damaged by bomb 10/26/76 LARRY CASSANO shot and killed 541 1977 4/5/77 ENIS CRNIC killed placing bomb on auto of JOHN DEL ZOPPO 5/17/77 JOHN NARDI killed by bomb placed on auto 5/28/77 HENRY GRECCO shot and killed 10/6/77 DANIEL GREENE killed by bomb placed on auto 11/14/77 KEITH RITSON home damaged by bomb 11/17/77 ELMER BRITTAIN shot and killed 1978 1/11/78 POST AND PADDOCK RESTAURANT damaged by bomb 7/3/78 ORVILLE KEITH reported missing 11/16/78 KEITH RITSON reported missing 12/3/78 CHARLES GRISHAM shot and killed 1979 1/11/79 JAMES CONONICO shot and killed 4/8/79 LABORERS AFL-CIO LOCAL 860 damaged by bomb 4/12/79 ROBERT FUREY shot and killed 7/25/79 JOHN TOBIN shot and killed 10/4/79 ASGARD LOUNGE damaged by bomb 542 1980 1/6/80 JOHN MAGDA shot and killed 2/13/80 ROBERT CERBO shot and killed 3/6/80 JOSEPH BONARRIGO shot and killed 5/14/80 JOSEPH DE ROSE. JR. injured by gunfire 6-80 DAVID HARDWICK murdered 6/18/80 WILLIAM BOSTIC murdered 6/27/80 SAM FOSSESCA injured by gunfire 7/5/80 CURTIS CONLEY murdered 8/16/80 WILLIAM BOSTIC body found 10/2/80 DOMINIC SENZARINO shot and killed 12/13/80 CHARLES CARABBIA murdered 1981 1/5/81 DAVID PERRIER shot and killed 1/17/81 JOSEPH GIAIMO murdered 1/23/81 LAWRENCE DEL GRECCO shot and killed 2/24/81 JOSEPH DE ROSE. SR killed when mistaken for his son 4/17/81 JOSEPH DE ROSE. JR. murdered - auto found burnedANGELO LONARDO being duly sworn deposes and says: 1. I am the same Angelo Lonardo who appeared before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (hereinafter 'Committee') on April 15, 1988. 2. This Affidavit is submitted to answer the inquiry made of the Committee concerning a document captioned, "Chronology of Violence: Cleveland Organized Crime." 3. In response to the questions put to me by the Committee, I respond as follows with regard to each of the events seriatim by name and date. A. 5/1/68 PATRICK CATALANO: I believe that Danny Greene and John Nardi were responsible. I did not organize, and was not involved in the same. B. 6/21/68 PETE DI GRAVIO: I have no knowledge concerning this matter. 546 C. 10/31/71 ARTHUR SNEPERGER: I believe Danny Greene was involved with this murder. I did not authorize and did not participate in the same. D. 11/26/71 MICHAEL FRATO: Frato was shot and killed by Danny Green in a gun battle between the two of them. Green was tried and acquitted for this murder. I did not authorize or participate in the same. E. 1/1/72 POST AND PADDOCK RESTAURANT: I believe Danny Greene was responsible for the auto bombings referred to. I did not authorize or participate in the same. Dublo, Bonadonna and Brancato did not work for the family. F. 10/6/73 SALVATORE CARCIONE. ROBERT BOGGESS and WILLIAM WHITCOMB: I have no knowledge of who the shooter was, and I did not authorize or participate in the same. As far as I know, the three named individuals were burglars. G. 3/29/75 ALEX "SHONDOR" BIRNS: I believe he was killed by a bomb placed by either Danny Greene or Keith Ritson. I did not authorize or participate in the same. H. 4/12/75 DANNY GREENE: I have no knowledge who placed the bomb on Greene. I did not authorize or participate in the same. I. 9/19/75 JOHN CONTE: I heard from various individuals that Conte was beaten to death by Danny Greene. I did not authorize or participate in the same. J. 7/22/76 EUGENE CIASULLO: I understand the bomb was placed by Greene or at his orders because Greene was having trouble with him. I did not authorize or participate in the same. 547 K. 8/20/76 JOSEPH KOVACH and JOSEPH ILLILUS: I have no knowledge of who either of the individuals were or who shot and killed them. I did not participate in the same. L. 8/22/76 LEO MOCERI: I believe that Moceri was murdered by Danny Greene and Keith Ritson. This was done because John Nardi was having trouble and headaches from Leo Moceri, who at the time was the underboss of the Cleveland family. Nobody in our family authorized a hit on our underboss or participated in the same. M. 9/10/76 JOHN NARDI: As far as I know, Al Calabrese and Butch Sistenino (SP) shot at Nardi. They were having their own problems with Nardi and Greene. They were not part of the Cleveland. family. We did not authorize or participate in the shooting. N. 9/24/76 FRANK PERCIO: I believe he was killed by a mistake when a bomb placed in Calabrese's car by Danny Greene who was trying to kill Calabrese. We did not authorize or participate in this killing. O. 9/26/76 EUGENE CIASULLO: I understand that Danny Greene had the bomb placed in Ciasullo's home. It was not authorized, nor did we participate in the same. P. 10/26/76 LARRY CASSANO: I have no knowledge of who Cassano was or who shot and killed him. Q. 4/5/77 ENIS CRNIC: I have no knowledge of either Crnic or John Del Zoppo, in whose car it is alleged the bomb was placed. R. 5/15/77 JOHN NARDI: I understand Nardi was killed 549 by a bomb placed in an automobile which was parked next to Nardi's by Curly Montana and Poppalardo.. Nardi's death was authorized by Jack White Licavoli who was .the boss of our family at the time. S. 5/28/77 HENRY GRECCO: I have no knowledge of who Grecco is. I did not authorize or participate in the killing. T. 10/6/77 DANIEL GREENE: Greene was killed when a bomb was placed in an automobile by Ferrito Sistenino and Ronnie Carabbia. Greene's murder was authorized by Jack White U. 11/14/77 KEITH RITSON: Tony Liberatore, later became a member of our family, placed the bomb. believe that Jack White talked to him before it was done. V. 11/17/77 ELMER BRITTAIN: I have no knowledge who Brittain is. W. 1/11/78 POST AND PADDOCK RESTAURANT: I did not authorize or participate in the same. X. 7/3/78 ORVILLE KEITH: I have no knowledge who Orville Keith is. I did not authorize or participate in any matters with him. Y. 11/6/78 KEITH RITSON: Was killed by Carmine Zagaria and Hans Graew. Segaria thought Ritson would finger him as a narcotics trafficker. I did not authorize or participate in the killing, nor did the Cleveland family. Z. 12/3/78 CHARLES GRISHAM: I have no knowledge of Grisham. I did not authorize or participate in any matters relating to him. AA. 1/11/79 JAMES CONONICO: I have no knowledge who Connonico was. I did not authorize or participate in any matters relating to him. BB. 4/8/79 LABORERS AFL-CIO LOCAL 860: I have no knowledge of the matter except that the local was the local controlled by Tony Liberatore. CC. 4/12/79 ROBERT FUREY: I have no knowledge of who Furey was. I did not authorize or participate in the shooting. DD. 7/25/79 JOHN TOBIN: I did not know Tobin. I have no knowledge of him. I did not authorize or participate in the shooting. EE. 10/4/79 ASGARD LOUNGE: I have no knowledge of the bombing. FF. 1/6/80 JOHN MAGDA: I have no knowledge of Magda. GG. 2/13/80 ROBERT DE CERBO: I have no knowledge of De Cerbo. HH. 3/6/80 JOSEPH BONARRIGO: Joe Yacavelli (SP) shot and killed Bonargio with a member of the Hells Angels. I testified concerning this in my written statement, to which the Committee's attention is respectfully directed. II. 5/14/80 JOSEPH DE ROSE. JR: The shooting was by the Youngstown Group who were at that time under the control of Pittsburg. 550 JJ. 6/80 DAVID HARWICK: Was killed by Carmine Zagaria's orders. He was a narcotics dealer. I did not authorize or participate in the same. KK. 6/18/80 WILLIAM BOSTIC: Was murdered by Carmine Zagaria. He was another narcotics trafficker. LL. 6/27/80 SAM FOSSESCA: I have no knowledge of the same. MM. 7/5/80 CURTIS CONLEY: This was a Carmine Zagaria murder. I did not authorize or participate in the same. NN. 8/16/80 WILLIAM BOSTIC: This was a Carmine Zagaria murder. OO. 10/2/80 DOMINIC SENARINO: I have no knowledge. PP. 12/13/80 CHARLES CARABBIA: The Committee's attention is respectfully directed to my prior written submission and testimony before you of April 15, 1988. QQ. 1/5/81 DAVID PERRIER: The Committee's attention is respectfully directed to my prior written submission and. testimony before you of April 15, 1988. RR. 1/17/81 JOSEPH GIAIMO: Was murdered by Zagaria and others. I did not authorize or participate in the same. SS. 1/23/81 LAWRENCE DEL GRECCO: A narcotics user. I have no knowledge of who may have been involved with his death. I think he committed suicide. TT. 2/24/82 JOSEPH DE ROSE. SR.: UU. 4/17/81 JOSEPH DE ROSE. JR.: Joseph DeRose, Jr. was a close friend of Charlie Carabbia, who after Carabbia was 551 killed sought to revenge Carabbia's death against the Youngstown group. Pat Farucci (SP) spoke to me sometime before DeRose Jr's. death and told me a man named 'Skinny Sam", close fried of Joe DeRose, Jr. had told Farucci that I had a contract out on "Skinny Sam". I told him this was totally untrue. Farucci asked me if the contract could be considered lifted if 'Skinny Sam" would kill Joseph DeRose, Jr. Since I knew that both the Pittsburg and Youngstown crowd wanted to get rid of Joseph DeRose, Jr., I told Farucci "yes". Thereafter I learned that whoever was trying to get rid of DeRose, Jr. mistakenly killed Joseph DeRose, Sr., thinking it was DeRose, Jr. Thereafter I heard that DeRose, Jr. was killed. 4. Greene, Nardi, Ritson, McTaggart and Cappolo were all part of a group called the "Greene Gang", who were engaged in gambling and bombings on the west side of Cleveland. They were not part of the Cleveland family, part [sic] no tribute to it, did not act at our request and were no accountable to us. 5. Zagaroa was not a member of the Cleveland family and did not ever receive any permission from us to commit any of the acts which he may have committed. (signed) Angelo Lonardo Sworn to before me this day of August, 1988. Notary Public 5810S |
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