Evening star., 1933-01-19
GANG FEUD STOPS.
BROTHERS CAREERS
Five Members of Cleveland
PoreIIo Family Slain by
/ Underworld.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
CLEVELAND, Ohio, January 19.-
Five years ago there were seven PorellO
brothers who worked for big Joe" and
John Lonardo, the corn sugar kings
Of Cleveland.
Today the Lonardos are dead, shot
from their throne. Four Of the Porel-
los. too, have had costly funerals-and
murder reached into the second gen.
! Grafton the other day with the shooting
of Angelo Porello at Buffalo.
John, Ottavio and Angelo. all uncles
of the Angelo killed at Buffalo, are the
, only surviving brothers of the clan gen.
orally credited with toppling the Lo-
nardos from their throne. Joe. James,
Raymond and Rosario, the other four
brothers, are dead.
Like other dynasties Of gangdom that
grew luxuriant in come easy, 20 easy"
days, waxed prosperous for a day, en-
Joyed homes in rich suburbs. and
welded power, the house of Porello is
whitening away.
Feud Began in 1927.
Seeds of the feud that was to give
the vicinity of Woodland avenue and
10th street the name of Bloody Cor
ner," were sown October 13. 1927. when
Big Joe" and John Lonardo were slain
! In barber shop.
Police never found iron-clad proof as
to who did the killing, but the barber
shop was owned by Angelo Porello. one
OF the original seven brothers.
Once workers for the I,onardos the
Porellos now took over the supplying
OF corn sugar, the raw material, to bub-
phng stills hlden away in cellars, attics
and back rooms. They adopted the
trapplngs OF power-fashy clothes big
motor cars, snowy funerals.
The latter came soon enough. First
was Black Sam" Todaro. only a lieu
tenant. Joe Lonardo's son and cousin
were sentenced for life for that, but
witnesses were scarce at a retriaI and
they were freed.
First Brother Slain,
Next was Joe Porello. first of the
brothers, and his bodyguard, Sam III
locco. They met death July S. 1890
less than three years ago.
Echoes of this double murder had
scarcely died away when James PoreIlo
was Killed as he was buying meat in a
Dutcher shop. Two men charged with
the murder were acquitted and police
were unable to find Dominic Lonardo.
only surviving brother of big Joe"
In the meantime Rosario Porello had
been dwelling in safety behind prison
narS Tor carrying gun, but he had less
tnan year to live after the prison
gates swung open.
his death was part Of a triple killing
at tne same corner where the Lonardos
and James Porello had met death
win him IN the cigar store was an
other Porello, Raymond, and a hench-
man. Dominic Gueli.
Four PorelloS were accounted for, and
every survivor feared for his life.
Two Move to Buffalo.
The only conviction was that of
FRANK Brancato, for perjury.
In the meantime the depression was
at work. Police, too, had adopted the
tactics OF keeping strict surveillance
over the corn sugar sellers.
one OF the three remaining Porello
orothers. John, and his nephew. Angelo
moved to Buffalo, presumably because
oI the declining family fortunes in
Cleveland. n1
AT Buffalo, John and Angelo enea1ed
IN an argument with others over boot
leg territory, and Angelo fell in the r,in
oattle. He was the son of Rosario.