Reading my book on longtime Cleveland Mafia boss John Scalish
And it said he had to.kick up a certain amount of profits
Monthly to the Genovese Family.

I know the Genovese's represented Cleveland and Pittsburgh
Was it the same % across the board for all Families west of NY
To.kick up?

I thought Scalish had a seat on.the Commission, but I.could
Be wrong. I know Frank Milano was one of the original members
Of the Commision.

Besides Milano, I don't think any other Cleveland boss had a seat on the commission.

What book are you reading?

Its called a Portrait of John Scalish by Frank Monastra. Local Cleveland author.

Never heard of other bosses having to pay regular tribute to the Commission. I feel like that's something that would be well known by now. The closest I can think of his Gerry Angiulo having to cough up some money to Vito Genovese in 1959 but that sounded more like a one off payment.

What is the book like? John Scalish is one seriously underrated mob boss. Over 30 years in charge.

Its ok. I give the guy credit who wrote it because trying to
Get anykind of info on John Scalish is like trying to
Get water out of a desert.
Very very secretive mob boss. Very few pics of him.compared to
Other bosses of that era.
Alot of the book.details how conflicted he was in being
A mob boss. He was a straight up.family man.
No mistress, no.girlfriend. He never went to nightclubs
He spent his leisure time with his family or fishing in Lake Erie
Canada or Mexico.
32 year reign as boss. Not one attempt on his life.
He allowed his guys like Lonardo Milano and Brancato
To earn as much as they could.
He even laid off the policy racket.

Thanks Galassi70. Interesting that he was boss for so long but supposedly not interested in the mob. Angelo Lonardo said he didn't induct anyone for years. He also said that Scalish wasn't interested in getting involved with the casino skimming. Maishe Rockman had to plead with him and finally convince him

Thanks to him the family was almost disbanded after the war with Greene and the Lonardo flipping because he doesnt want to induct people and even wanted to skim the casinos. Who should want to kill him? He did nothing in this 32 years.

When.Were the books closed on making new members? The early 60s?
After Appalachian went down Scalish became even more secretive with dealings.
His relucant to.go.into the skimming of Vegas is new to me.

Scalish's power was evident in the unions and locals. He had a real lucrative
Racket with the vending machines in Cleveland.
He had health issues dating back to the late 30s. I dont think he wanted to
Make any new members cause he had enough stress with his health issues.

The older he got the less chances he wanted to.take on as a mafia chieftan.
Alot of guys like Moceri And Cisternimo wanted to expand in shylocking and sports
Betting and Scalish said no. Brings too much heat from the authorities

Who's Cisternimo? Never heard of him

Who was the best Cleveland boss? If not Jack and not Scalish

Butchie Cisternino.

Scalish is considered the best boss in Cleveland history
But when Al Polizzi gave the keys to Scalish , he took over
A very strong family set up.to prosper for years.

I bet on Licavoli. He resisted to the Genoveses and Outfit attempts to put a stronghold in Cleveland cause the Danny Greene war. Plus he infiltrated the FBI office paying a clerk for say what are the informants in the family. He stabilized the family but his mistake was to say to his friend Frattiano the existence of the clerk.

Licavoli brought on the eventual downfall of the family.
Making.his own cousin underboss was not met with open arms
In.the Cleveland family.

Then his inability to finish off Greene led him.to go outside
The family which led to hiring Ferrito.

Then after the Greene bombing Licavoli was too cheap
To.get a sufficient represenatation for Ferrito so he flipped

Finally Licavoli gave the green light to go.into major narcotics
Dealings and that just led to more reckless killings and more
Guys flipping.

Licavoli just kept on making bad administrative moves and
It caught up.to the family

Licavoli had problem to kill Greene because the politics of Scalish of dont made new blood diminished the family size plus Greene had Nardi and a crew of fearless killers.
For his downfall he was unlucky because
who can believe that Lonardo that was a top mobster from 50 years would flip?
Or that his friend Fratianno was a snitch?
Or that Joe Gallo would recorded speaking at the phone of family rackets?

If Lonardo would keep his mouth shout Carmen Zagaria flipping would made so damages. But was the 1980s and the family was a mess and Licavoli made the best for rebuilt the family.

I think its a myth that Greene/Nardi had fearless killlers.
Leo Moceri got caught being complacent and living off his rep
They rear ended his car and he got out to check damage.
They killed him. Threw him in a trunk. Left the car in a suburb
Of Akron.

Keith Ritson was a lackey of Greene.
I think the Greene crew that did the bombings of Ciasullo
And Calabrese were Hell Angels
Billy Duffy was a nobody. Greene own son was involved
Hardley a killer.
As soon as,Greene died the leftovers joined the Licavoli gang.
So much for loyalty to the Irish cause

Notice none of Nardi Greene crew could face Licavolis
Crew.

Lonardo is intresting.its my own belief he turned also because
He felt Rockman lied in order to have Licavoli take over
Scalish I felt wanted Lonardo to take over the family.
He was 100x more qualified and the Scalish family was,from
Licata too.