The Licavoli's were a tight family and James "Jack White" Licavoli was the "odd" choice as boss and it has been debated that John Scalish actually named him boss on his death bed. John Scalish, the long time head of the Cleveland Crime Family had two sisters, one that was married to Angelo Lonardo (Underboss) and the other one married a powerful Jewish guy named Milton "Maishe" Rockman, known as the Meyer Lansky of Cleveland. Rockman and Lonardo rarely saw eye to eye, although they were brother in laws. Jack White was a lifelong bachelor who lived in a tiny, 1 BR apartment on Murray Hill, Cleveland's Little Italy. Jack White lived with another elderly bachelor and was known to have his first communion money. Licavoli originally refused the nomination as boss, as he was a street guy involved in loansharking, illegal gambling and extortion. He was hardly a "racketeer" and did not completely understand the white collar rackets. The Family was "stunned" when Rockman, who was with Scalish on his death bed, came out and announced that he wanted Licavoli to take over as the new boss. Speculation is that Rockman, who feared Lonardo would diminish his role with the family if he was named boss (which he should have been),wanted Licavoli in so Rockman would be relied upon and be able to keep his high powered position within the family. Rockman knew he could control Licavoli and was always jealous of Lonardo and the respect he garnered with Fat Tony Salerno in New York. After Licavoli was named boss, Big Ange had to approach him to inform him that he should go to New York and introduce himself as the new boss since the Genovese Family and Salerno represented Cleveland on the commission...something Licavoli didn't even know he had to do. Soon after he was named boss, he should have "made" John Nardi, who was Anthony "The Old Man" Milano and Frank Milano's nephew, but Licavoli refused because he didn't like the Milano brothers. Once he passed over Nardi, John joined forces with Danny Greene and wanted to "overthrow" the Italian mafia which sparked an all out war for over a year until they finally got to Danny Greene. Licavoli was indicted on the newly formed RICO statute and became the first boss in the country convicted under RICO...the entire hierarchy of Cleveland was tried and convicted. During this time, they were also at war with the LaRocca Crime Family in Pittsburgh over control of the Youngstown, OH rackets...which Pittsburgh seized control of all of Youngstown/Warren/Canton OH rackets and the Cleveland family limped along for a while and were essentially defunct by the early 1990's.