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Joseph Porrello
Born(1888-08-15)August 15, 1888
Licata, Agrigento, Italy
DiedJuly 5, 1930(1930-07-05) (aged 41)
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Resting placeCalvary Cemetery, Cleveland
NationalityItalian
OccupationSugar merchant
Years active1920–1927
TitleBoss
Term1929-1930
PredecessorSalvatore Todaro
SuccessorFrank Milano
AllegianceCleveland crime family

Joseph Porrello (August 15, 1888 — July 5, 1930) was a Sicilian emigrant to the United States who became the third crime boss of the Cleveland crime family after the death of Salvatore "Black Sam" Todaro. He was a family friend and close associate of Joseph Lonardo, Cleveland's first mafia boss. With his brothers, he challenged Lonardo for control of the local corn sugar business, an essential ingredient in the manufacture of corn whiskey during national Prohibition. Porrello was boss for just over a year. His death brought an end to Cleveland's Corn Sugar War, and stabilized the crime family under new boss Frank Milano.

Early life

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He was born Giuseppe Porrello[a] on August 15, 1888,[b] to Angelo and Francis (née Tardino) Porrello in Licata, Sicily.[1] He was the middle of seven sons: Vincenzo, Rosario, Raimondo (known as Raymond), Angelo, Ottavio, and Giovanni (known as John).[1][c] Angelo Porrello operated a sulfur mine near Licata,[2][3] and all seven sons worked in the mine. The Lonardo family, too, was from Licata, and the four Lonardo boys worked alongside the Porrellos.[3]

Joseph Lonardo emigrated to the United States, entering the country on February 4, 1901. Porrello emigrated to the United States as well, arriving on June 4, 1906. He settled in Cleveland, where he initially found work in Lonardo's confectionery business.[4]


with backing of Todaro and the Porrello family, Lonardo became head of the cleveland rime family. [5]

About 1913, a somewhat loosely organized Italian American gang known as the Mayfield Road Mob formed in Cleveland's Little Italy neighborhood.[6] The protection racket was the core business of the Mayfield Road Mob at first.[7]


where he became a fruit and vegetable merchant. He became a naturalized citizen on December 14, 1922.

On October 13, Lonardo received a phone call asking him to play cards with the Porrellos at Angelo Porrello's barbershop [8]

Angelo booked on murder charges, bail set at $20,000 Joseph, Rosario, James, Ottavio and John were booked on suspicious person charges, bail set at $5,000\ Raimond was in Dayton Workhouse at the time Toadro and the Porrellos won the busines of Lonardo's old clients [9]


Lonardo was close with D'quil and the Magaddino crime family of buffalo Porrellos bakced Vincenzo "Big Jim" and Salvatore "Sam" Callea, and Porrellos backed by Masseria of NYC Calleas beban establishing distilleries and spaeakeaises in Buffalo and Niagara falls in defiance of Magaddino [10]


By december 1928, Todaro and the Porrellos, allies of Masseria, had come to power i nCleveland [11]


assassination of Masseria on April 15, 1931, [12] led to flareup of Lonardo-Porreello war O)n May 9, Mike LoBosco and Joe Cosenza were outside LoBosco's butcher shop in at 14707 Kinsman Rd when men in a car shot at them. both were wounded but survivied. oth were known bootleggers, and LoBosco was a consevative mafioso with strong connections to D'Auila . LoBosco was the "alky can king" locally for his monopoly on five gallon tin cans. [13] LoBosco died on May 18. The shotgun used in the killing was found and traced to a Youngstown store. Owner Frank Alessi had sold a dozen firearms to Joseph Porrello [14]


Porrello's rise created irritation and nervousness among mafioso Porrello combined with Todaro to seize control trobule was brewing in recent weeks: Three Porreellos arrested on concealed weapons and liquor charges, and Leo Iasar (corn sugar king of Akron) was told told to get out of the buiness or be killed. He feared the Porrellos last week, "muscle" CHarles Velotti slain just a block from where Porrello died Bootleg Sugar Baron Is Killed The Indianapolis Star (Indianapolis, Indiana) 06 Jul 1930, Sun Page 2


Raymond and Rosario slain at Joe Todaro's cigar shop dominic magnino staggered outside and died on the sidwalk fruit merchant joseph damonti shot in the head and critically wounded all four were playing cards. three men entered, watched the game a short while, then opened fire magnino and damonti apparently innocent bystanders critically wounded Frank Brancato showed up at the hospitl four hours later Three Killed By Cleveland Gang Gunman Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wisconsin) 26 Feb 1932, Fri Page 15


December 5, 1938, Cleveland police arrested 23 men at the Statler Hotel in Cleveland [15] police had stumbling onto a mafia convention [16] police believed it was being held to discuss the corn sugar war in cleveland, not aware that the corn sugar war had ended with Lonardo's death a year earlier [16] Nab 27 Gunmen Mobilized for Cleveland War Chicago Daily Tribune December 6, 1928 page 15 also arrested was Sam Tilocco, a former Mayfield Road Mob member who broke away to join the Porrellos he was now a bodybuard and top aide to Joseph Porrello Joseph Porrello had his personal attorney, Martin McCormack, represent the suspects. McCormack said tha guns were of no legal consequence, and none of the men had broken the law the city Safety Directo ignored him evidence mounted that the police ahd moved too quickly before all the conventioneers were gathered and before their business in town could be assessed [17] two were released, one held without bail bail for the remaining 20 was set at $10,000 each even before the ail hearing, the Porrellos had raised $400,000 in bial in the form of homes and business property all 20 released on suspicious person charges [18] gnag roundup questioned by city manager cleveland press december 7, 1928\p 1


Porrello family influence in cleveland ended with nurders of Raymond and Rosario Porrellos had gone into hiding, but reached a truce with the Mayfield Road Mob in early 1932 Rosario and Raymond came out of hiding, but were regularly seen with bodybuard Dominic "Mangino" Gueli. [19] At 3:30 Pm on February 25, Raymond and Rosario and Gueli entered Joe Todaro's tobacco shop on Woodland Avenue [20] 11103 Woodland, two doors from the Porrello barbership where Joe Lonardo died, and across the street from where Sam Todaro died, and diagonally acrsoss the street from the grocery store where James Porrello died in 1930. Joe Todaro denied any relation to Salvatore Todaro. [21] men sat in the front room playing cards, as they did nearly every afternoon Todaro was behind the counter serving soda to Damonti. at 3:50 PM, three gunmen entered and fire. Todaro sought savety behind the counter Raymond died from bullet in the back of th ehead Rosario rose, and died from three bullets in the head Gueli had two gunshots to his temple, but staggered to the center of the roombefore collapsing Policew found Joe Damanti 30 yards from the shop, shot in the abdonmen Gueli died two hours after the shooting police found three handguns -- two empty and still warm, one unfired -- on the shop floor at 8 PM, Frank Brancato shows up at the hospital complaining of stomach pain; he'd been shot police believed he ws one of the killers of the Porrellos Brancato a lonardo associate; questioned in several recent murders, and tired and acquitted for killing Frank Alessi in 1930 [19] Aug 25, 1932, Callea brothers assassinted [22] Calleas had invested in a large ilegal distilling operation in East Cleveland owned by a gang led by the Porrellos and their cousin, Angelo Tardino When the feds shut down the still, the Porrellos asked the Calleas for money, and were turned down [23] Vincenzo Callea had on him a receipt for 300 lbs of yeast, listing the name and address of John Porrello in Jamestown, NY [24] John Porrello taken into custody as a suspect in the Callea murders but released for lack of evidence [25] authorities convinced Calleas died after they tried to force local liquor sellers to buy only from them this caused a breakdown in the distilling partnerships the Calleas had with others [26] John admitted he knew the Calleas for 12 years police discovered the Calleas had called the Porrello home in Cleveland in the last month Joe Loanrdo was godfather to Salvatore Calleas's daughter, Carfmela Slavagore had long had a frienship withe Porrellos in Cleveland [27]


Personal life

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On April 23, 1916, Joseph married Mary Rudolfo,[d] a 14-year-old Italian immigrant who entered the United States on June 43, 1906.[e] He was 27 years old, and she was 14. The couple had seven children. These included sons Angelo J. (born August 10, 1917; died September 1, 1959), Joseph V. (born December 14, 1921; died December 20, 1976), and Arthur (born May 31, 1927; died December 31, 1997), and daughters Frances J. (born December 7, 1919; died January 25, 2008), Grace G. (born November 20, 1923; died August 9, 2009), and Caroline J. (born May 11, 1925). A seventh child, also named Grace, was born July 14, 1920, but died as an infant on January 2, 1922.

References

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Notes
  1. ^ Sources also spell the family name as "Porrelo" and "Porello".
  2. ^ This is the day and year used on Porrello's 1919 naturalization petition, naturalization oath, and naturalization card. 1888 is also the date on his grave. However, Porrello self-reported his age on his 1916 marriage license to be 26, indicating he was born in 1889 or 1890. He self-reported his age as 39 to the 1930 census, indicating he was born in 1890 or 1891. The death certificate contains conflicting information. On this document, his wife listed his birth date at July 15, 1890. She also reported his age as 40, although the date she provided indicates he was only 39.
  3. ^ The Porrellos had an eighth son, also named Ottavio, who was born on March 21, 1879. He died on April 2, 1890, and the Porrellos named their next child Ottavio as well.[1]
  4. ^ Her last name is also spelled Rudolph.
  5. ^ Mary's date of entry into the United States is listed on Joseph's naturalization petition, naturalization oath, and naturalization card as June 3, 1906. Her day and year of birth is listed on Joseph's naturalization oath as March 13, 1902. On the couple's marriage license, Mary listed her age as 16, indicating she was born in 1899 or 1900. Mary self-reported her age as 38 to the 1940 census, indicating she was born in 1901 or 1902.
Citations
  1. ^ a b c Hunt & Tona 2013, p. 379, fn. 20.
  2. ^ Direzione Generale Dell'Agricoltura (1902). Rivista del Servizio Minerario nel 1901. Rome: Tipgrafia Nazionale Di G. Robert E C. p. 16.
  3. ^ a b Porrello 1995, pp. 2–3.
  4. ^ Porrello 1995, p. 3.
  5. ^ Hunt & Tona 2013, p. 183.
  6. ^ Griffin & DeNevi 2002, p. 166.
  7. ^ McCarthy 2011, p. 110.
  8. ^ Hunt & Tona 2013, p. 196.
  9. ^ Hunt & Tona 2013, p. 197.
  10. ^ Hunt & Tona 2013, p. 198.
  11. ^ Hunt & Tona 2013, p. 231.
  12. ^ Hunt & Tona 2013, p. 265.
  13. ^ Hunt & Tona 2013, p. 266.
  14. ^ Hunt & Tona 2013, pp. 267–268.
  15. ^ Hunt & Tona 2013, p. 222.
  16. ^ a b Hunt & Tona 2013, p. 223.
  17. ^ Hunt & Tona 2013, p. 226.
  18. ^ Hunt & Tona 2013, p. 227.
  19. ^ a b Hunt & Tona 2013, p. 296.
  20. ^ Hunt & Tona 2013, pp. 296–297.
  21. ^ Hunt & Tona 2013, p. 431, fn. 66.
  22. ^ Hunt & Tona 2013, p. 309.
  23. ^ Hunt & Tona 2013, p. 311.
  24. ^ Hunt & Tona 2013, p. 310.
  25. ^ Hunt & Tona 2013, pp. 311–312.
  26. ^ Hunt & Tona 2013, pp. 310, 311.
  27. ^ Hunt & Tona 2013, p. 312.

Bibliography

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Category:1888 births]] Category:1930 deaths]] Category:1930 murders in the United States]] Category:American mobsters of Sicilian descent]] Category:Cleveland crime family]] Category:Murdered American mobsters of Sicilian descent]] Category:People murdered in Ohio]] Category:Deaths by firearm in Ohio]] Category:Italian emigrants to the United States]] Category:Burials in Calvary Cemetery (Cleveland, Ohio)]] Category:1920s in Cleveland]]

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