Joseph Lonardo
| Joseph Lonardo | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1884 Licata, Sicily, Italy |
| Died | October 13, 1927 (aged 42–43) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
Joseph "Big Joe" Lonardo (1884 - October 13, 1927) was the first ever Crime boss in the Cleveland crime family. Lonardo had help by Joseph Porrello to help his criminal empire in New York. Lonardo sold corn to bootleggers to make corn liquor.
In 1926, Lonardo was at the height of his power. That year he travelled back to his native Sicily to visit his mother. During his six-month absence, he lost much of his $5,000-a-week profits to the Porrellos, who took advantage of his brother John Lonardo's lack of business skills and the assistance of a disgruntled Lonardo employee. When Lonardo came back from his trip, he sought a meeting with the Porrello Brothers to get his $5,000 back.
On October 13, 1927, Joseph and his younger brother, John, entered a barber shop at 10902 Woodland Avenue SE to play cards with Angelo Porrello. As they walked in, two unknown gunmen fired at them. Joseph was shot three times in the chest, and bled to death inside the barber shop. John was hit in the chest, but managed to stagger into the street. by one of the gunmens gun. John managed to get his gun out but was shot in the head and left to die.Salvatore Todaro was believed to be one of the gunmen. It was widely believed that the Porrello Brothers ordered Londaro's assassination.
John and Joseph Lonardo were both buried at Calvary Cemetery in Cleveland.
In 1929, Salvatore Todaro was shot and killed by Joseph Lonardo's wife and son.
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