OM Backroads: Ep. 111. The origins of the Cleveland Mafia.
Hello Ohio Mysteries Backroads listeners. Before the bombings, power struggles, and notorious crime bosses that would make Cleveland infamous, there was a small but determined network of Italian immigrants building a criminal empire in the shadows. In this episode, we explore the origins of the Cleveland Mafia, tracing its roots from the late 19th and early 20th centuries as immigrant communities established themselves in Northeast Ohio. Discover how early organized crime figures Joe Leonard and Joe Morello leveraged gambling, bootlegging, extortion, and political connections to create the…
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