page_title: Salvatore Todaro
section_title: Lonardo's involvement in Prohibition
hierarchical_section_title: Salvatore Todaro / Criminal career with the Lonardos / Lonardo's involvement in Prohibition
caption_attribution_description: English: Title: Sugar from corn Abstract/medium: 1 negative&#160;: glass&#160;; 5 x 7 in. or smaller
context_page_description: Salvatore Todaro, also known as "Black Sam" and "Sam Todaro", was a Sicilian emigrant to the United States who became the second boss of the Cleveland crime family. A friend and criminal associate of rising organized crime figure Joseph Lonardo, he rose swiftly in the Mayfield Road Mob and became manager of Lonardo's legitimate corn sugar and criminal corn whiskey operations. He was a well-recognized figure in organized crime circles, and became briefly involved with the Buffalo crime family.
  After Lonardo organized the Cleveland crime family, Todaro became underboss. Lonardo briefly considered having him assassinated, but relented after pressure from other mafioso. Frustrated with the minimal profits he made as underboss, Todaro allied with Lonardo's emerging competitor, Joseph Porrello, in 1927. Todaro likely arranged for Lonardo's assassination on October 13, 1927.
  U.S. federal law enforcement officials believe Todaro became the second boss of the Cleveland family, although there is evidence that he shared power with the Porrello family. He quickly became wealthy, even as revenues from corn sugar and corn whiskey declined due to changing consumer tastes.
context_section_description: Prohibition began in Ohio on May 27, 1919, and nationally throughout the United States on January 16, 1920. Todaro quickly got involved in the transportation of illegal liquor.
  By 1924, the Mayfield Road Mob was moving to secure a monopoly on both the importation and manufacture of illegal liquor in northeast Ohio. This group consisted primarily of the Lonardo brothers, Todaro, John Angersola, Charles Colletti, Lawrence Lupo, and Charles Russo. In 1925, with pre-Prohibition stockpiles of alcohol exhausted, corn whiskey—which had been manufactured on a small scale—became the illegal liquor of choice in northeast Ohio. Corn sugar was the key to the manufacture of corn whiskey. It could not only be substituted for grain as the main ingredient in mash but also permitted faster production of the final liquor. Control of the corn sugar industry as well as the distribution of illegal liquor was critical to anyone seeking to dominate the illegal liquor industry.
  Lonardo essentially established a cottage industry in the production of illegal corn whiskey. He and his brothers used their profits from previous criminal activities to invest heavily in corn sugar manufacturing, a completely legal enterprise, and purchased a warehouse at Woodland Avenue and E. 9th Street.
caption: The manufacture of sugar from corn
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