Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} To Kill the Irishman The War That Crippled the Mafia by Rick Porrello About Rick Porrello. Porrello is an accomplished jazz musician and soloist. In 1981 he took over the drum throne from his brother Ray Porrello , then stickman for Sammy Davis Jr. for seven years. That fortunate break started Rick on a two-and-a-half year stint involving extensive traveling including Europe, South America, Australia and of course the regular venues of Las Vegas, Reno, Lake Tahoe and Atlantic City. Accompanying Mr. Davis, Rick also had the honor of working with the great Count Basie Orchestra and, has appeared on several television shows including Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show", understandably Rick's most memorable career highlight. Despite the excitement and promise of such early success, a second career interest eventually pulled Rick from the Davis gig and he returned to Cleveland to begin college studies. In 1986, despite opposition from family and friends, Rick traded his sticks for a badge and .38 special when he joined the police force. Since childhood, Rick had an increasing interest in police work and despite a skyrocketing music career, he decided that protecting the public was more important to him then entertaining them. Rick Porrello continues to perform in the N.E. Ohio area. In 1998 Rick's second book was published. Titled To Kill The Irishman: The War that Crippled the Mafia, it is the definitive story of Danny Greene, a fiercely proud Irish- American racketeer who took on La Cosa Nostra, sparking events that led to the fall of several Mafia families. To Kill The Irishman was under motion picture option for several years and is now a movie (2010) Kill the Irishman starring Ray Stevenson, Vincent D'Onofrio, Christopher Walken and Val Kilmer, and directed by Jonathan Hensleigh. Rick's title Superthief - A Master Burglar, the Mafia and the Biggest Bank Heist in U.S. History won second place in ForeWord Magazine's 2005 Book of the Year Awards true crime category, and is in development for a motion picture with filmmaker Tommy Reid, producer of Kill the Irishman. AmericanMafia.com. Sorry, we are unable to personally accept research inquiries. Please post questions to Rick Porrello's Orgniazed Crime Forum. ISBN 13: 9780966250893. To Kill the Irishman: The War That Crippled the Mafia. Porrello, Rick. This specific ISBN edition is currently not available. The true story of fearless Irish-American racketeer Danny Green who takes on the mob in the 1970s. The end result is the fall of several Mafia families and the defection of high-ranking mobsters. Author Rick Porrello is a veteran cop who wrote about his mob roots in "The Rise and Fall of the Cleveland Mafia". To Kill the Irishman has been optioned for a major motion picture. "synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title. For decades, Americans have had a fascination with the Mafia. We have paid the box offices generously to be entertained by films like The Godfather, Goodfellas, Casino and Donnie Brasco. Likewise, millions have been spent in bookstores on titles like Boss of Bosses, Doublecross, The Last Mafioso, Underboss and the numerous John Gotti stories. It started in the fifties, when mob soldier Joseph Valachi broke the blood oath of omerta which swears Mafia members to secrecy, violations being punishable by death. The term Mafia became a household word. Higher ranking mob turncoats like Jimmy "Weasel" Fratianno, Angelo "Big Ange" Lonardo and Sammy "the Bull" Gravano would follow. In years to come we would learn of the Mafia's influence in labor unions, gambling, political corruption, narcotics, major airports, big city docks, legitimate business and industry and even the entertainment mecca of Las Vegas. With hard-to-ignore evidence, there would be shocking allegations that the Mafia had collaborated with the Central Intelligence Agency in "Operation Mongoose," the plot to assassinate Cuban Communist leader Fidel Castro. It is even believed by many that the Mafia helped engineer the rise of John F. Kennedy to President of the United States, then was responsible for the assassination of he and his brother Senator Robert Kennedy, and actress Marilyn Monroe. In the seventies and eighties, the government began winning more of their battles with the Mafia. New anti-racketeering legislation and technology, coupled with tougher drug laws, undercover operations, unprecedented inter-agency cooperation and WITSEC, the federal witness protection program were effective weapons. Attrition of old-school Mafioso made the timing good. The young replacements were not the jail-stint-hardened men that their fathers, uncles and neighborhood heroes were. As a result of all this, whole Mafia hierarchies were dismantled in cities like Milwaukee, Cleveland, Kansas City and Los Angeles. Top New York mob dons, like Tony Salerno and John Gotti were, convicted and imprisoned for life. About the Author : A police officer in suburban Cleveland, Lt. Rick Porrello serendipitously began his writing career when curiosity about the mysterious murder of his grandfather and several uncles led to penning his first true-crime saga, The Rise and Fall of the Cleveland Mafia. Porrello went on to write a second book, To Kill the Irishman, which recounts the story of Irish-American racketeer Danny Greene who took on the Cleveland Mafia and was murdered in 1977. ISBN 13: 9780966250879. To Kill the Irishman: The War That Crippled the Mafia. Porrello, Rick. This specific ISBN edition is currently not available. Describes Irishman Danny Greene's battle to break the Italian stranglehold on organized crime in Cleveland, Ohio, in the 1970s. "synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title. If you trace the decline of the Italian-American Mafia to one point in time, that point would be the murder of Danny Greene. In the seventies, the fearless Irishman boldly muscled in on the Mafia. Danny was a formidable opponent - intrepid, charismatic, shrewd and cunning. His master plan was to take over the rackets from the Italians under the auspices of the Irish banner. You see, Danny was fiercely proud of his roots. His name was Greene and his signature color was green. His "luck of the Irish" seemed inexhaustible as did the loyalty of his beloved guardian angel. With every bungled mob attempt on his life, Danny's reputation for being indestructible grew. He seemed to have the soul of a Celtic warrior, the fighting machine who knew not the meaning of fear - who despised the thought of a life of meaningless old age, but instead preferred to die in battle, and have his legend live on in history. In the end, the war with Danny Greene would only begin to haunt La Cosa Nostra. As a result of the numerous investigations, several high-ranking Mafiosi betrayed omerta, the Sicilian code of silence, in effect sentencing themselves to death. Their testimony would help cripple Mafia families in Los Angeles, Kansas City, Milwaukee and Cleveland and aid in the historic 1986 "commission trial" convictions of the bosses of New York's Bonnano, Colombo, Luchesse and Genovese crime families. Danny would have been proud. This is his story. About the Author : Rick Porrello is a veteran Cleveland-area police officer with Mafia roots. He is author of The Rise and Fall of the Cleveland Mafia . Porrello began writing his first book during research into the murders of his grandfather and three uncles, who were mob leaders killed in Prohibition-era violence. The book, published in 1995 by Barricade Books of New York City, quickly became a regional favorite. Lyndhurst Police Chief Porrello retiring from ‘dream’ career; will have more time to write, play drums. Lyndhurst Police Chief Rick Porrello is retiring after 31 years with the department, the last 10 in the top spot. Porrello is an author of crime books and once drummed for legendary singer Sammy Davis Jr. (Photo Courtesy of Kenny Latimer) LYNDHURST, Ohio -- Retirement for Lyndhurst Police Chief Rick Porrello means there will be more time to do something he never really quit doing and to partake in another passion -- music -- that he left behind when he first decided to pursue the life of a police officer. “I’m finishing a book that I hope to have out in the fall, and maybe I can go back to playing music again,” Porrello said of life after his May 1 retirement after 10 years as LPD chief and 31 years with the department. The book Porrello is finishing is one about the life of late Cleveland mobster Shondor Birns. Porrello, 56, thinks it could follow on the path of his past books, 1998′s “To Kill the Irishman -- The War That Crippled the Mafia,” the story of another noted Cleveland racketeer and mobster, Danny Greene, which was made into the 2011 movie “Kill the Irishman;” and 2006′s “Superthief: A Master Burglar, the Mafia, and the Biggest Bank Heist in the U.S.,” which is now in development for a film treatment. He said he may also collaborate later this year on an undisclosed project with a co-writer. As for music, Porrello, a drummer, said: “I’m hoping to re-establish relationships with the jazz musicians we have in Cleveland. We have some talented musicians, but it’s a small pool who play jazz. I’ve been playing a little, off and on, but not much of anything the past five years." After studying drums and piano while growing up in Cleveland Heights, Porrello replaced his older brother, Ray, in 1981 as the drummer for the touring band of late superstar singer and Rat Pack member Sammy Davis Jr. “My brother was his drummer for seven years. He quit because he became tired of traveling,” Porrello said. Porrello took over his brother’s drum seat only a year after graduating from Cleveland Heights High School, and toured the U.S. and the world for three years. “It was a good time for a young kid,” he said. “Because of my brother, I was able to fit right in. I knew the (song) charts. We spent a lot of our off time in Las Vegas.” Rick Porrello, seated at the drum kit, posed for this 1981 photo with Sammy Davis Jr., and Porrello's brother, Ray Porrello. Ray Porrello drummed for Davis' band for seven years before Rick took over the job a year after graduating from Cleveland Heights High School. (Photo Courtesy of Rick Porrello) In addition to traveling, Porrello met such stars of the era as comedians Rip Taylor, Bill Cosby and Billy Crystal, who opened shows for Davis. Of the multi-talented Davis, who died at 64 in 1990, Porrello said: “He was a teaser, a laugher, a joker. We (the band) didn’t spend a lot of time with him, but he was great to work with and a lot of fun. There were a lot of good times.” “It was very exciting," Porrello said of his early 20s. "Quite an education.” While many young people would be reveling in such a life and working to maintain it, Porrello was different. He had a childhood dream to make come true. “I grew up across from Cleveland Heights High School, and when I was a kid riding my bike at 12 years old, I would visit with the police officers and we would talk. It was kind of a big city and I was interested in what they did. And I had a cousin who became a cop, and we would have the police radio on in our house that I would listen to.” Porrello, in 1983, made the choice to leave show business behind and pursue his dream of becoming a police officer. “It was a real hard decision,” he recalled. “A lot of people thought I was crazy. “But even when I was touring with Sammy Davis, I would spend a lot of my time hanging out with the security guys and talking with them about their job.” Going into police work was a sharp contrast to the lives of some of his family members who came before him. Porrello’s interest in writing about organized crime was spurred by the murders of his grandfather and three uncles during Prohibition-era gang violence. After earning an associate’s degree in criminal justice from Lakeland Community College and, in 1986, receiving his Ohio Peace Officer certification from the Cleveland Heights Police Academy, Porrello was hired as a patrol officer in Mayfield. Following a short stint in the village and seeking to work for a city’s police department and the increased action it could bring, Porrello began taking entrance tests with other departments. The LPD hired Porrello in 1988. “I took 18 entrance exams over three years,” he said. “It was very competitive in those days. You might get 150 to 200 taking the test for one position. Unfortunately, that pool has shrunk in the last five to 10 years as fewer people are interested in becoming a police officer.” Porrello was an LPD patrol and field training officer when he was promoted to sergeant in 2000. He was promoted again the following year to lieutenant, and attended basic and advanced Police Executive and Administrative Leadership School. Shortly after, he won an award for a joint investigation with the FBI on an extensive fraud case that involved the internet auction site ebay. On Jan. 2, 2009, Porrello became chief, succeeding former chief of nine years, Anthony Adinolfi. Becoming chief meant that, 24 hours per day, seven days a week, a call could come in requiring an important decision to be made. “You can’t think of those things,” Porrello said of the possible circumstances that can arise. “I’ve just been very fortunate to have very capable and professional people around me. You continually rely on those around you, like my Executive Lt. Patrick Rhode, who is going to become our next police chief.” Rhode will be sworn in as chief, and Mayor Patrick Ward will deliver his state-of-the-city address at a special City Council meeting to take place at 6:30 p.m. May 6 at the Lyndhurst Community Center, 1341 Parkview Drive. Another big help to Porrello in operating the 29-officer department, the chief said, has been Lt. David Strasshofer, who is also retiring at this time after 39 years with the LPD. A Russell Township resident, Porrello and his wife of 27 years, Lee, are the parents of a daughter, 19, and son, 22. Looking back at the past 33 years in law enforcement, Porrello said: "This has been the answer to a dream of becoming a police officer and to become the leader of the team. It’s been an awesome job. And to receive the support we’ve enjoyed from the residents and the whole community -- the business community and the education community -- has been great. “We’ve worked to foster a relationship with our residents so that they knew to call us promptly whenever they see something suspicious. We take that relationship seriously and we’ve enjoyed that support.” To Kill the Irishman: The War That Crippled the Mafia. The true story of fearless Irish-American racketeer Danny Green who takes on the mob in the 1970s. The end result is the fall of several Mafia families and the defection of high-ranking mobsters. Author Rick Porrello is a veteran cop who wrote about his mob roots in The Rise and Fall of the Cleveland Mafia . To Kill the Irishman has been optioned for a major motion picture. "synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title. Fearless racketeer Danny Greene and his war with the Mafia TO KILL THE IRISHMAN is a true crime story of Danny Greene, a fiercely proud and fearless Irish-American gangster who fought the Mafia for control of the rackets. After numerous bungled attempts, the brazen Celtic mobster was murdered with a mob bomb. Danny's murder brought about the development of several high-ranking Mafia turncoats including Jimmy "The Weasel" Fratianno and Angelo "Big Ange" Lonardo, whose testimony helped to cripple La Cosa Nostra families in Los Angeles, Cleveland, Kansas City, Youngstown, Pittsburgh and Milwaukee. Fratianno and Lonardo were predecessors to more recent, powerful L.C.N. turncoats like Sammy "the Bull" Gravano. Read about figures like the notorious Shondor Birns and feared Mafia enforcer Eugene "the Animal" Ciasullo, and their roles in the battles with the Irishman. Over fifty photos including modern La Cosa Nostra figures like Joe "Loose" Iacobacci and Lenny Strollo. MOVIE! RIGHTS FOR TO KILL THE IRISHMAN HAVE BEEN SOLD TO DUNDEE ENTERTAINMENT OF HOLLYWOOD, CA. This is the true crime story of Danny Greene, a fiercely proud and fearless Irish-American gangster who fought the Mafia for control of the rackets. After numerous bungled attempts, the brazen Celtic mobster was murdered with a mob bomb. Danny's murder brought about the development of several high-ranking Mafia turncoats including Jimmy 'The Weasel' Fratianno and Angelo 'Big Ange' Lonardo, whose testimony helped to cripple La Cosa Nostra families in Los Angeles, Cleveland, Kansas City, Youngstown, Pittsburgh and Milwaukee. Fratianno and Lonardo were predecessors to more recent, powerful L C N turncoats like Sammy 'the Bull' Gravano. Read about figures like the notorious Shondor Birns and feared Mafia enforcer Eugene 'the Animal' Ciasullo, and their roles in the battles with the Irishman. Over fifty photographs including modern La Cosa Nostra figures like Joe 'Loose' Iacobacci and Lenny Strollo.