. With the death of Lenine Strollo, brings the an end of the era when the mafia controlled the the region. Loving fianc of Lisa Sobala. 2017-2023 Tribute Archive. All Rights Reserved. Gains says Strollos death is the end of an era in Valley history. That's part of how La Cosa Nostra fell apart.". In 1999, three men who arranged the shootings of two prosecutors were convicted of working for the mafia in Youngstown. His cooperation in public corruption investigations brought down two Mahoning County judges, as well as former sheriff Phil Chance, former prosecutor James Philomena who admitted to taking mob bribes to fix criminal cases and even the Valley's former congressman, James Traficant. Lisa Abraham, former Tribune Chronicle reporter, spent weeks in Cleveland covering the federal trial of Altshuler, Turnage and Riddle, where Strollo was the star witness. All Rights Reserved. Loving fianc of Lisa Sobala. Prohibition presented a very lucrative opportunity for both Mafia factions, as they began bootlegging, the illegal making, selling and transporting of alcohol. He was shot dead in 1991, allowing Strollo to rise. Strollo, 67 at the time, pleaded guilty to charges of racketeering and filing a false 1992 federal income tax return. Lenine "Lenny" Strollo AP YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP) A former mob boss whose criminal enterprise helped earn Youngstown the name "Crimetown U.S.A" before turning federal witness has died at age. He was released in 2012. His prison sentence was ultimately shortened to 12 years after he became a deep federal informant, serving up information on several unsolved homicides and mafia activity in the Great Lakes region, The Vindicator reported in 2004. ", Mike Tobin, a former Cleveland Scene reporter who extensively researched Strollo's history in 1999 and later went on to work in the Cleveland U.S. attorney's office, said Strollo's case "was going to be, really, the last mob case in Cleveland. YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio A former mob boss whose criminal enterprise helped earn Youngstown the name "Crimetown U.S.A" before turning federal witness has died at age 90. Husband of the late Eunice R. nee: Renk. Copyright The Vindicator | https://www.vindy.com | 240 Franklin Street SE, Warren, OH 44482 | 330-841-1600 | Terms of Service. She was born and raised on a farm Medford, WI and after completing high school moved to Chicago, IL and later to Dear daughter of Evelyn Calvino and Carlos Castillo. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The federal justice department, armed with the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act of 1970 which was designed to combat organized crime made La Cosa Nostra, or the Sicilian Mafia, a primary target in Boston, New York, Cleveland and other hotbeds across the country. He was wounded by the would-be assassin but saved when the man's gun jammed. Strollo's information "opened the flood gates," Stoll said. Strollo reportedly rebuffed him, adding de Souza "owes me a lot of money for all those newspapers he sold writing about me.". Lenny strollo funeral. He testified in 1999 against three men accused of killing Strollo rival Ernie Biondillo and botching the Christmas Eve assassination of Mahoning County Prosecutor-elect Paul Gains in 1996. Strollos lawyer, Herbert Greenman of Buffalo, N.Y., in explaining why Strollo pleaded guilty rather than letting a jury decide his fate at trial, said: They made us an offer we couldnt refuse.. Bartlett and CO- 251 North Clark. She was aresident of Glen Ellyn, Illinois for sixty years. You remember Tyler Vargas-Andrews, of course.
Lenny was blessed with a very large and loving family. Youngstown and those who called it home struggled under the weight of the town's reputation for crime and corruption. The funeral home handling arrangements on Thursday confirmed Lenine "Lenny" Strollo's death. Great-Uncle of Justin & Kristin Fedor. He was 91 years old. On August 19, 1991, mob figure Joey Naples was killed in a mob hit in Youngstown so Strollo then became the boss of the Mahoning Valley operation: bookmaking, poker machines, narcotics trafficking and vending machines aided by his brother Dante. 77-1861.appeal of Thomas Fanell in No. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Strollo said he was able to carry out his illegal dealings by paying off public officials, in particular, the police chief of Campbell and turn sergeants. Dear grandmother of Cheryl, Tracy, Greg, Lauren, Kristen, Heather, Brian, Kevin, Daniel, Ryan, Sean, Ian, & Kandace. Recommend Lenine's obituary to your friends. Strollo came up through the ranks of the Pittsburgh family and in 1990 was convicted on gambling charges and sentenced to 14 months in prison. On August 8, 1932, Bazzano's body was found in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Besides his parents, Lenny was preceded in death by his daughter, Gale Rudolphi; two sisters, Alvina Palermo and Edina Strollo and his two brothers, Dante and Dominic. [12][13] Pittsburgh Police suspected that Joe "the Ghost" Pangallo, was responsible for ordering Monastero's murder, but were unable to prove it. A wide-ranging FBI investigation in the 1990s led to the prosecution of dozens of Strollo associates, attorneys and public officials. CLEVELAND -- Mahoning County Prosecutor Paul J. Gains' victim-impact statement likely helped shorten former mob boss Lenny Strollo's prison term. YOUNGSTOWN Lenine "Lenny" Strollo, 90, was called home Wednesday, May 19, 2021. [12][20] John Bazzano Jr. took over as boss, until his death on July 28, 2008. [3] According to the FBI, Ciancutti controlled a large illegal gambling ring with top bookmakers Robert Iannelli, John "Duffy" Conley, Jeff Risha and Ronnie "Porky" Melocchi, whom all paid him protection. [1] Territory within the city was also divided as the Sicilian's controlled the North and South sides, while the Neapolitan's controlled the East End. [13][3][15] LaRocca was born in 1901 in Sicily and moved to the United States in 1910, he later moved in 1933 with his wife to Pittsburgh. She was born and raised on a farm Medford, WI and after completing high school moved to Chicago, IL and later to Franklin Park, IL where she raised her family. Through family I considered him a strong role model. That included illegal betting, poker machines and drug trafficking, The Vindicator reported Wednesday. John Stoll, a retired FBI agent who lives in Poland, was involved in Strollo's arrest in the mid-1990s. Heres how to save even more. YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio A former mob boss whose criminal enterprise helped earn Youngstown the name Crimetown U.S.A before turning federal witness has died at age 90. to the family or plant a tree Lenny was born April 21, 1931 in Youngstown, the son of the late Dominic and Antoinette (Cavallo) Strollo and was a lifelong area resident. God bless, Carol Palumbo Shulack, So sorry for your loss. In 1990, Strollo pleaded guilty to running the largest illegal casino in the country the city of Campbell's All-American Club according to the FBI. Barnes Undertaking Co 96 E. 22nd. His passing is an end of an era, Gains told The Tribune-Chronicle. According to the 1989 crime report by the Pennsylvania Crime Commission the Pittsburgh family was in decline because the family was not accepting new members and the leadership was continuing to grow older. He is survived by his wife, Antoinette Strollo; his daughters, Janice (Ron) King, Sharon (Gary) Luc and Lisa Licata; his son, Raymond Hertz; his two sisters, Jennie Dundee and Vilma Cramer; his grandchildren, Angela, Pamela, Jamie, Jodi, Michelle, Anthony, Nicholas, Corey, Shannon, Kristy, Alexis, Raeanna, Raymond, Jr. and Braden; 18 great-grandchildren and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Dear brother of Peter Hovde & Jonathan Hovde. Strollo, 68, at the time, pleaded guilty to running the operation in eastern Ohio, plotting to kill a rival gang leader, running a numbers game and bribing officials. [12], As boss of Pittsburgh, LaRocca attended the 1957 Apalachin Meeting along with his capos Gabriel "Kelly" Mannarino and Michael James Genovese. As a result, the arrests accumulated at that time, and "Strollo got caught up on that net," said Lawson. Lenny Strollo told him he heard that money went from Biondillo through Vic Calautti to the Randall Wellington campaign and that Biondillo had . YOUNGSTOWN One-time Valley mob boss Lenine "Lenny" Strollo, 90, the former organized crime boss who cooperated with the FBI and provided testimony on several Youngstown area killings and. "Lenny Strollo is the last of the main characters in the long, sordid history of crime in the Valley. Thank God that his organization has been completely abandoned., Lori Lightfoot becomes the first Chicago mayor in 40 years to lose re-election, Fiery Greece train collision kills 32, injures at least 85, A condition called POTS rose after covid, but patients can't find care, Drones fly deep inside Russia; Putin orders border tightened, Rep. Lauren Boebert Gets Absolutely Schooled By Jamie Raskin Using Trump's Own Words, SoCal storm timeline: More snow, heavier rain expected Wednesday, St. Vincent-St. Mary girls basketball just misses first trip to regional final since 2019. He had been stabbed and strangled to death. Prosecutors claimed Strollos three employees arranged the 1996 killing of Biondillo and the woundings of Gains days before he took office and former Prosecutor Gary Van Brocklin. On April 8, 1967, she married Daniel Anderson, her classmate at Northwestern University, marking the start of a marriage that lasted 55 happy years. He had just celebrated his 90 birthday with family and friends a few weeks before. By the time Strollo was released, there was no more fear of reprisal, as Pittsburgh's crime family had collapsed, Stoll said. Strollo testified in the U.S. District Court trial that Altshuler arranged the Biondillo killing. Prosecutors agreed to drop 11 other charges against him. [1][11] Bazzano was a protg of early Pittsburgh mobster Nicola Gentile and learned to keep a low profile. [3] LaRocca's influence also grew through close ties to Gambino crime family boss Carlo Gambino, Bufalino crime family boss Russell Bufalino, Philadelphia crime family boss Angelo Bruno and Kansas City crime family boss Nick Civella. One of Strollo's relatives, reached Wednesday by phone, declined to be interviewed for this story. As bootlegging operations expanded throughout America violence erupted as criminals fought for dominance. Funeral services will be at noon Saturday at the funeral home. YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) Lenine Lenny Strollo, 90, of Youngstown, was called home on Wednesday, May 19, 2021. The Pittsburgh crime family, [3] also known as the LaRocca crime family [4] or Pittsburgh Mafia, is an Italian American Mafia crime family based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The funeral home handling. His arrangements are being handled by Rossi and Santucci Funeral Home, which confirmed his death and said details are pending. In 2019, Robert Iannelli, a longtime Pittsburgh area sports gambling and bookmaker, was arrested along with his son and others. If a death has occurred, please call us on the number below: Helen Holmgren age 99 of Glen Ellyn, IL passed away February 19, 2023. In addition to her husband, she is survived Mary Anderson, 77, passed away peacefully on January 27, 2023, at Atria Park of Glen Ellyn where she had been in residence for four years. Public officials that Biondillo had a sniper killed boss Joey Naples he passed Calautti to the Wellington... Included illegal betting, poker machines and drug trafficking, the arrests accumulated at that time pleaded... ] Ciancutti continued to remain low profile a retired FBI agent who lives in,! Mahoning Valley in August 1991 after a sniper killed boss Joey Naples and West gambling! 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