Evening star., 1932-02-26
GANG WAR DEATHS
MAY MOUNT TOF|VE
Three Killed, Two Dying in
CleveIand's "BIoody Cor
ner" Battle.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
CLEVELAND. February 26.-TwC
more deaths were expected to be added
today to the toll of three lives taker
yesterday by a gangland slaughter squad
at Cleveland's Bloody Corner"
Doctors predicted the fourth anC
fifth death would result from bullet
wounds received by Joe Damanti, %
and Frank Brancato, "a.
The execution squads rain of steel
tacketed bullets killed Raymond anc
Rosario Porello brothers, and Dominic
Guelt alias Mangino, almost instantly
Police said the killings were a part
OF Cleveland's notorious Porello-Lonardc
corn sugar feud, which previously hac
cost seven lives, and which has threat
ened to wipe out the rival Porello anc
Lonardo families.
Playing Cards When Shot.
Raymond and Rosario Porello anc
Guen were playing cards late yesterday
IN a soft drink parlor at the Bloody
Corner" Woodland avenue and East
One Hundred and Tenth street, when
three unidentified men stepped in the
doorway and started firing.
Raymond fell to the floor with a bull
let in his head Rosario stood up tc
tace the attackers, then also crumpled
With three bullets in his head. Gueli
staggered to the middle of the room
with a bullet through his brain, before
he also fell, yet did not die until two
hours later
Damanti had no connection with the
corn sugar business, police said, but was
shot apparently on the theory that
dead men tell no tales"
Brancato, who police said, was a
ITlend 0f the rival TnnordnS ~
into hospital several hours later with
q bullet wound in his stomach. Sur
geons said 1t was several hours old and
that he had attempted to dress it him
self.
Refuses to Tell Of Shooting.
Police said they were satisfied Bran
cato either was present at the killing
OF the three or later was a victim of a
repriSal attack. He refused to say who
shot him or where.
Police obtained good description of
the three killers and last night arrested
eight men for questioning. In addition,
they hunted Angelo Lonardo and Domi-
nc Suspirato, henchman, both of
whom were tried and acquitted in one
OF the other murders of the feud.
Police said rivalry between the Po-
relic and Lonardo families for the con-
troll and big profit in the corn sugar
trade was responsible for the first of the
killings. Later. however. the dominant
factor became the Sicilian code Of re-
venge.
Series of Killings.
Big Joe" Lonardo and his brother
John were the first to die. They were
shot to death october 13. 1927, in a
card room operated by one of the Po-
rellos. Neither this nor any of the
other murders Of the feud have been
solved
BLACK Sam" Todaro, a Porello
henchman, was the next to CO. He
was shot June IL, 1929, while talking
to the widow of Big Joe" leonardo,
her son, Angelo and Dominic Suspirato.
Mrs. Lonardo was acquitted on a
murder charge. Angelo and Dominic
were convicted of second-degree muir
der, but won new trials and were ac-
quilted.
Another Lonardo brother, Frank, was
slain in drug store October 20, 1929.
The next to die were Joe Porello
and his lieutenant. Sam Tilocca. They
were shot while dining in restaurant
in July, 1880.
Three weeks later a volley Of bullets
from a curtained automobile killed
James Porello.
Home Wrecked by Explosion.
An explosion wrecked the expensive
home of Raymond Porello on August
IS, 1880, but he already had fed.
The deaths of Raymond and Rosario
Porello yesterday were the third and
fourth in their family and Guel was
the third of their henchmen to lose his
life in the struggle Three other Porello
brnthers Ottayio Angelo and IOhn are
still living, but constantly fearful that
violent deaths will overtake them.
OF the four Lonardo brothers, only
one has survived the combat. Although
he fed, supposedly o,LoS Angeles, other
relatives and henchmen have remained
in Cleveland, still determined to carry
on