Event Recap - Discussion with Dan Moldea, June 8, 2023

Noted author and expert on organized crime Dan Moldea met with the Club on June 8.

Moldea, who grew up in Akron, began investigating crime and corruption as a graduate student at Kent State in 1974. Eight months after he began his investigations of the Teamsters and the Mafia for a small weekly newspaper—including an eight-part series about the union pension fund—Jimmy Hoffa disappeared on July 30, 1975. Forty-eight years later, Moldea—who described himself as Ahab searching for the white whale—is still looking for Hoffa.

He said that Cleveland was like the Wild West for a time during the 1890s-1920s immigration phase and Prohibition. Then, as the city grew, so did the Mafia. “Its heyday was in the 1950s and ‘60s,” Moldea declared. “It was very influential nationally.

Because of influential mob associate Moe Dalitz, Cleveland was instrumental in the development and success of Las Vegas. Dalitz arranged the financing of the Desert Inn and other hotel/casinos with the help of Hoffa and the Teamsters pension fund. “Dalitz’s memory is still cherished in Las Vegas,” Moldea said. “He’s regarded as kind of the George Washington of Las Vegas.” 

The leader of the Cleveland Mafia beginning in the 1940s was John Scalish, who, according to Moldea, “was a kind of bon-vivant and natty dresser. But he did not bring younger men into the organization such that by the mid-1970s, all the leaders were themselves past 60. When Scalish died during heart surgery in 1976, none of the three senior Mafia men wanted the top job.”

But John Nardi—persona non grata among Mafioso while working in Cleveland with Irish gangster Danny Greene—did.

When Nardi was told he would not be selected to succeed Scalish as the boss of the local crime family, Nardi and Green attempted to take control of the Mafia’s territory. Violence resulted. Three prominent racketeers were murdered by 1977, including Nardi and Greene.

However, the killing of Greene was handled in such a sloppy manner that federal prosecutors managed to flip one of Greene’s killers, which led to the prosecution and total downfall of the entire hierarchy of the Cleveland Mafia.

“The Cleveland mob never really recovered from that,” Moldea said, adding that the 2011 movie, Kill the Irishman, depicted the Cleveland mayhem. Moldea praised the work of Rick Porrello, the author of the book upon which that motion picture was based.

Moldea reaffirmed statements he made in his 1978 book, The Hoffa Wars, that Jimmy Hoffa, New Orleans Mafia boss Carlos Marcello, and Tampa Mafia boss Santo Trafficante engineered the assassination of President John Kennedy in 1963, the reason being to stop Attorney General Robert Kennedy’s relentless assault against the Mafia.

Moldea also had strong words about legalized sports gambling: “It’s a disaster for both America and for sports,” he said. “The legalization of gambling always leads to the proliferation of illegal gambling and organized crime activities. Instead of paying the high commissions in legal gambling operations and then taxes to local, state, and federal jurisdictions, more sophisticated bettors will turn to illegal operations in which bookmakers only make bettors put up eleven dollars to win ten—and only take a ten-percent vigorish on the losing bets booked. Plus, the illegals will extend credit. After drug trafficking, the Mafia’s top money-making activity is gambling on NFL games.”

Moldea added that “organized crime has now become very sophisticated. It’s gone online, high- tech, and offshore. These guys are no longer fourth-grade dropouts. The top leadership is well- educated. They are not like the old Mafia.”

In response to a question from one of our members, Dan offered the following links to stories about organized crime in Cleveland: two about the Tong Wars among Chinese in the 1920s and one about crime hangouts on and near Short Vincent Avenue downtown.

You can learn more about Dan Moldea, his books, and his views at his website, www.moldea.com

Event Recap - Discussion with Bob DiBiasio, March 22, 2023

The Club met with Cleveland Guardians Senior VP for Public Affairs Bob DiBiasio on March 22.

DiBiasio had only recently returned from Guardians Spring Training in Arizona. He caught up the Club on recent lineup adjustments, including Will Brennan as a fourth outfielder. “Last year we had a young team and still won more than 90 games,” he said. “And our farm team system is very good.”

Accordingly, DiBiasio is optimistic for the season and for the future of the Guardians. In our recent past,” he said, “we came within a few pitches of winning a World Series. We can get into a World Series again and win.”

“One of our advantages,” he said, “is Terry Francona,” who, according to DiBiasio, should be a Hall of Fame Manager. “His leadership style is remarkable, for one, because he is genuine and authentic. There is nothing fake about him; he is excellent with the players and the whole organization. In addition, he emphasizes dedication to the team and not to the glory of individuals. He understands that the Guardians is a collection of players from different backgrounds and cultures. Each can express rather than suppress his culture.”

Asked how the new rule changes put in place for 2023 (larger bases, no infield shift, time limits for pitchers and batters) will affect the Guardians, DiBiasio said the changes should help rather than hurt a ball club like the Guardians. “Our club does not emphasize home runs, but rather connecting with pitches and getting on base. The slightly shorter distance between first and second and second and third will help us. With respect to limits on infield positioning, it’s a rule that has been in the minor leagues already. So the young players are used to it, and that will be to our advantage also.” DiBiasio also said that he was pleased with the pace of play that he witnessed during Spring Training.

Asked about “analytics” that have impacted baseball, he noted that he had had script approval of the Cleveland portion of the 2011 movie Moneyball. “There are some good things statistical analysis has brought to the game,” he said, “but some not so good things as well.”

Asked how fans have reacted to the change of name from Indians to the Guardians, he said that “reception to the name change has been generally as expected. Fans 55 and older are having trouble with the change, whereas fans under 50 have been receptive to the change.” He said that the Dolans, who have owned the ball club for decades, talked to the Browns, the Cavaliers and the city government as well as held 25 forums with the public and came to the conclusion that changing the name was the right thing to do. “The ownership felt that a spirit of inclusiveness for the community was very important and that in keeping with this as a goal, the new name was a step forward,” DiBiasio said.

Asked about the challenges of having less money to spend than such teams as the Yankees and the Red Sox, DiBiasio rattled off statistics that ranked the Cleveland ball club as well or higher than better-heeled teams. “It’s where and how you spend the money and not how much that counts,” he said. “The only thing we do not do is give one player $30 million or more per year, which is not unique in our market. Our focus is on providing all the resources necessary to make our players the best they can be.”

“Is there hope for a World Series?” he asked rhetorically. “Very much so.”

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