A former mob boss who helped Youngstown earn the name "Crimetown U.S.A" has died at age 90. Strollo said he had his brother pay Campbell police chief Charles Xenakis $500 a month for three years and claimed that Campbell Law Director Mike Rich fixed numerous cases for him. Before the four drove away to collect their shares of the $35,000 hit fee and celebrate their success over a lunch of chicken and pizza, one of the men reached through the shattered window and pulled the gold ring with diamonds that spelled "EB" from Biondillo's finger. BOARDMAN Some 20 years ago, Lenine "Lenny" Strollo was expected to end up the last mob boss to go down in Cleveland's federal court. Located roughly halfway between Pittsburgh and Cleveland, Youngstown and its organized crime rackets were traditionally divided between the Mafia families in those two cities. My Kind of Crime Town Prosecutors say that when it was closed in 1987, the All-American Club was the largest illegal casino in the country, generating $20 million a year for the Pittsburgh mob through card and dice games and video poker. Strollo, using a cane, walked slowly into Judge O'Malley's court wearing a gray sweat shirt and navy blue sweat pants. The moment Biondillo was trapped, they pulled down their ski masks, brandished shotguns, and rushed his car. Riddle, 2001-Ohio-3484.] Documentary All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Under questioning from Morford, Strollo described his induction ceremony, which Strollo said was attended by alleged Pittsburgh crime boss Michael Genovese, among others. The cat-and-mouse stalking continued intermittently until Christmas Eve 1996, when Riddle and his thugs finally got to Gains. Learn more about merges. Its marble pillars and ornate gold, green, and maroon fixtures give the building an air of nobility. Gains left there at about 1 a.m. and stopped to buy cigarettes and cat food before he went home. Dee was also the cherished aunt of many nieces and nephews as well as a great aunt and great-great aunt of many more. Lawyers, FBI agents, federal marshals, reporters, and family members dutifully filed into Judge Kathleen O'Malley's first-floor courtroom. Three hours later, following stiff federal sentencing guidelines that left her with little choice, O'Malley sentenced the trio to life in prison. Strollo also fingered Riddle and Turnage, black street thugs Strollo had used to recruit drug dealers to gamble in the various card and dice games controlled by the Youngstown mob. Although he was facing a prison sentence, he refused to give up Strollo. Prosecutors accused the Strollo brothers and Mandel, a former assistant U.S. attorney and University Heights law director, of skimming hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Conneaut fireworks company Mandel owned. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. He then called the two FBI agents who were assigned to the organized crime division in the Youngstown office, Larry Lynch and Craig Morford, and offered his services. The bullet entered and exited Gains's arm, then entered his side and went through his back, exiting near the spine. Why not thumb his nose at the feds one last time? But that was seventeen years ago, when mob killers and hoodlums at least feigned having some class and panache. Judge O'Malley, meanwhile, permitted Melissa Biondillo Rich of Boardman to give a victim-impact statement. Gains was a true victim, the judge said. We've had a feudal government, divided up by mob nobility.". "Who are the high rollers? O'Malley read the verdicts unemotionally. With good behavior, the former mob boss could be out in late 2008. Just like that, the federal investigation had expanded from illegal gambling to racketeering and public corruption. Everyone in Strollos gang, including some well-known characters like Frankie Lentine, got in the act. Cleveland's second mob war had begun. . Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Finally, on February 16, 68-year-old Lenny Strollo struck a deal with federal prosecutors that could have him out of jail in as little as twelve years. Thus, when Armstrong came out of prison he went to work for Strollo and his brother, Danny, at A1 Vending. Arrangements have been entrusted to the professional care of the Rossi & Santucci Funeral Home, 4221 Market St., Boardman (new location). 2023 Strollo Architects LLC. By episode 11, Congressman Traficant hopes to free a man facing convictions of being a Nazi war criminal. By Gangsters Inc. Exclusive GREAT NEWS! The email does not appear to be a valid email address. When Strollo heard Biondillo might have him killed, he decided to strike first. By the time Strollo was finished, the consensus was that Altshuler, Riddle, and Turnage had about as much chance of being acquitted as Biondillo did of surviving the shotgun slugs and pellets that were pumped into his body: None. 2023 Rossi & Santucci Funeral Home. Mayfield Heights resident James Teresi pleaded guilty to running an illegal gambling business. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Carabbia's killing came with consequences, though. By the time Strollo took control of Youngstown, those gambling mill workers didn't exist anymore--at least not in the numbers that allowed the All-American Club to make millions. "There was no outrage. Strollo helped fix the case because he believed Turnage to be one of Altschuler's main guys, i.e. "I kept questioning why. That's why I did it," says attorney Jay Milano, who defended Riddle. Many viewed Licavoli as a weak leader whose control made the Cleveland mob vulnerable to challengers. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. After court, Synenberg said it was a fair sentence under the circumstances and Morford's remarks were "on point" about the help Strollo gave the government. 1,379,043,021 total records available. "Jeff was very realistic from beginning to end.". She also loved her Golden Girls sisters trips to many casinos and enjoyed spending family time with everyone.Dee leaves to cherish her memories, her beloved sisters, Jennie Dundee and Vilma Cramer; as well as her loving brother and sister-in-law, Lenny (Antoinette) Strollo. His appearance hasn't changed much after slightly more than six years behind bars -- his hair is still dark with only tinges of gray at the temples, but he has developed a slight paunch. According to Harris's testimony, Riddle asked Batcho if Gains was dead. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. On this day in 1991 Joey Naples, a capo in the Pittsburgh Crime Family (Youngstown, Ohio faction) was killed in a contracted mob hit at the age of 59. Strollo needn't have worried. If Youngstown is one of the most depressing places in America, Murdock Street is one of the most depressing stretches in Youngstown. "I'll Never Give You Up" To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Edina M. "Dee" Strollo. Funeral Home website by. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Altshuler went to Riddle, who recruited drug dealers Mo Man Harris and Mark Batcho. Failed to report flower. Friends say Danny was terrified of prison and had grown to resent his younger brother, whom Danny felt wasn't paying him enough for his role as liaison with the police. We know that Lenine is single at this point. His Euclid-based Miray Fund Raising Inc., prosecutors say, was actually a front for Strollo, Garono, and Altshuler to skim money from casino nights sponsored by nonprofit groups. Further information withheld at the owner's request. Editors Dante Strollo, the brother of Youngstown, Ohio, mob boss Lenny Strollo - photo above, died on Tuesday. He fared less well in tax court, though. In the past, Lenine has also been known as Lenny Strollo. The state charges included the attempted murder of Gains. He became a government witness in 1997 . The indictments included two Clevelanders. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Add to your scrapbook. The last Mafia boss in Ohio came out of hiding Tuesday, long enough to be sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison for killing a rival, gunning down a prosecutor and corrupting a region's political system. But his monopoly of the corn sugar business was threatened when the Porrello brothers moved here from Sicily. She vividly remembers the first time she traveled to Youngstown with Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Morford, who pointed out the different areas controlled by the Mafia. He's still in Washington, the ultimate outsider, railing on the House floor about the need to put tanks on the Mexican border to keep out illegal immigrants and the need to increase tariffs to keep out foreign steel. Some businesses display "Team Lordstown!" Fifty years ago this month, Mahoning Valley Mafia boss Lenny Strollo and two of his associates, Vince Serman and Bobby Armstrong, were arrested by U.S secret service agents and charged with possessing and passing counterfeit $10 bills. The funeral home handling. Weekly payouts! With Naples dead, Strollo, by then living in a halfway house on Market Street in Youngstown, was his logical successor. "The mob thought they had lightning in a bottle with the drug dealers," says Milano. On the second count, for the attempted murder of Gains--guilty. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. That changed in the early 1980s, when a war left the Cleveland mob decimated and Pittsburgh dominant. Since then, he has participated in countless interviews with FBI agents and federal prosecutors, and testified at trials. "While you feel victimized, you are not a true victim within the meaning of the law," the judge told Rich. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. On August 9, 1982, Traficant was indicted for accepting bribes and filing a false income tax return. The narrow two-story homes all sorely need fresh coats of paint. to view this obituary, sign the guest book and send condolences to the Strollo family.- See more at: http://www.vindy.com/news/tributes/#sthash.TAL3ieam.dpuf, U.S., Cemetery and Funeral Home Collection, 1847-Current, Ohio, U.S., Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Cleveland Taco Week returns on Monday, April 10th. Chicago African-American Strollo had his own gambling operations, most notably the All-American Club in Campbell, a run-down suburb east of Youngstown where every flagpole seems to have a Greek or Italian flag hanging underneath its American counterpart. "It was a total upset," Strollo said. Podcasts Failed to delete memorial. February 24, 2013 at 12:00a.m. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. It's the kind of place one might expect Gregory Peck to walk out of as Atticus Finch, a man as graceful and dignified as the surroundings. "These people would go to work, drink their beer, go gamble, and never be involved with the police.". My last thought was, How's my mother going to handle this? EDINA M. 'DEE' STROLLOCANFIELD - There will be a Mass of Christian Burial held on Monday, Jan. 30, 2017, at 11 a.m. at St. Charles Borromeo Church, 7345 Westview Drive in Boardman, with Father Philip Rogers officiating for Edina M. Dee Strollo, 87, who passed away peacefully Thursday morning, Jan. 26, 2017, with her loving family by her side.Dee will always be remembered and loved by her family and friends for her generosity and kindness. Lenny Strollo was having problems of his own in 1996. Lenny was born April 21, 1931 in Youngstown, the son of the late. They've basically been running Mahoning County as a criminal enterprise, because it suited a lot of people," says James Callen, president of the Citizens League of Greater Youngstown, which screens political candidates and speaks out about organized crime. Everything, from murder charges to alleged robberies to simple DUIs, was watered down or thrown out. With rumors circulating that Gains would hire FBI agent Bob Kroner--who had investigated the Traficant case in the 1980s and was responsible for busting the All-American Club--as a criminal investigator, discussions turned to ways to "eliminate Paul Gains." T The Criminal Underworld Compilation Youngstown, Ohio Mafia Strollo, both hands clasped on his cane, showed no emotion as he sat and listened to Rich's remarks, sometimes glancing her way. My phone is bad, and I know it." A. Of the 46 people indicted from a four-year FBI probe of organized crime and corruption in the Mahoning Valley, 42 people took plea bargains, including Lenine "Lenny" Strollo, a made man in the Pittsburgh Mafia who ran the Youngstown rackets. "Well, it was a get-together of other members, and you took a, you took an oath, and it was drawing blood from your finger and burning a religious card and taking an oath of silence.". Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 93 (Thursday, July 11, 2002)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E1236-E1237] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov "Bernie the Jew," as his mob associates called the 68-year-old Altshuler, looked bored as he entered the courtroom, resigned to the fact that his lifetime of crime would end in prison. The funeral home hand Burial will take place at Calvary Cemetery, Youngstown. "It didn't bother me at first, because I thought I had some inroads with him because I had two people talking to him.". The inner-city drug dealers. Armstrong, who over the years has been in touch with this writer, spent 25 months behind bars; Strollo and Serman got six years apiece, but they stayed out on appeal for a time. "I don't think about it too much," he says, slapping his hand on his desk with a sense of finality. He said it had been that way for more than 50 years, with more than 50 mob-related murders, long before Strollo. Password * Remember Me . South Education. Scroll to read more Cleveland News articles. It's a story that still plays well in the movies. Next Detroit Street . When his stepson was charged with a DUI, Strollo said he took care of Judge Martin Emrich by having landscaping work done at his house. They considered killing him at a BW-3, but decided the restaurant was too crowded. "This was the last Mafia case. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Mandel was a former U.S. attorney within the Justice Department. Strollo was a member of the Pittsburgh branch of La Cosa Nostra. The only ones who didn't cop a plea, he noted bitterly, were "two shines and a Jew.". On the final count of gambling--guilty. "There was a tremendous amount of hard work that went into this case, but also some luck," says Morford, a forty-year-old who looks younger. Though his brother was a captain in the Pittsburgh crime family, running the crew and leading all . Dee was also the cherished aunt of many nieces and nephews; as well as a great-aunt and great-great aunt of many more.Besides her parents, Dee was preceded in death by a sister, Alice Palermo; and two brothers Dante and Dominic Strollo.Family and friends may pay their respects on Monday, Jan. 30, 2017, from 10 until 10:55 a.m. at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Boardman.Burial will take place at Calvary Cemetery in Youngstown.Arrangements have been entrusted to the professional care of the Rossi & Santucci Funeral Home, 4221 Market St. in Boardman (new location).In lieu of flowers and to honor Dees life, the family requests material donations be made to Hospice of the Valley, 5190 Market St., Boardman, OH 44512.Dees family wants to thank the dedicated staff of Sunrise Assisted Living in Poland, as well as the caring angels and staff at Hospice of the Valley for their love and dedication throughout these last months.Family and friends may visit www.rossisantuccifh.com. Lenine Strollo 7000 Leffingwell Rd Canfield, OH 44406 Age 91 (Born Apr 1931) Background Check - Available . Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Lenine "Lenny" Strollo, 90, of Youngstown, was called home on Wednesday, May 19, 2021. "It was worth it. The $65-an-hour fee the government paid Milano to represent Riddle is well below his regular rate, but he accepted the work because he wanted to be part of this trial. Policy dropped the former University of Pittsburgh football star as a client, so Traficant--who changed his name early in life from Traficante--acted as his own attorney. Drag images here or select from your computer for Edina M. Dee Strollo memorial. The Saturday Evening Post memorably summarized the situation with a March 1963 story called "Crime Town U.S.A.," in which John Kobler wrote: "Youngstown has had 75 bombings, 11 killings in a decade, and no one seems to care." Youngstown was once among the biggest steel cities along with Cleveland and Pittsburg. His groundbreaking 1983 testimony established the existence of a national Mafia network and is still cited in mob-related cases. . Read More. The ambush flashed into Cleveland's first mob war, which left four Lonardos and seven Porrellos dead. I didn't know I had done anything that would anger anyone so much." There was a time when the industrial corridor stretching from Cleveland through Youngstown to Pittsburgh produced more steel than most European nations. Video [6] In 2021, the boss Thomas "Sonny" Ciancutti died, he was also the last known made . Lenny Strollo, the former mobster once credited by the FBI with operating America's biggest illegal casino, has died at age 90. Armstrong said he was supposed to rob the 13th Frame bar on the West Side, but things went wrong. Occupation. "And was he ultimately murdered?" What Gains didn't know was that Riddle, Harris, and Batcho were staking out his house. The government was able to build its case by convincing lower-echelon criminals to roll over on their superiors. After I was released I was on parole for 10 months. It had all the hallmarks of the mob stories in movie theaters: colorful gangsters with nicknames like "Lemons" and "The Crab." Armstrong served a total of 10 years, and it was during his time behind bars that he decided to get even with the Strollos and Prato. The judge said, however, that given the nature of the government's allegations, Rich's father had participated in organized crime activity, too. And, inevitably, turncoats who cut deals for themselves and created a domino effect that ended with Dante Strollo testifying against his kid brother--who, in turn, agreed to tell the government mob secrets "whenever, wherever, to whomever, and in whatever form" federal prosecutors demanded. 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