In that prior post, the blogger noted that former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy DiMora, currently on trial in U.S. District Court in Akron on numerous charges arising from public corruption in Cuyahoga County (including RICO charges - Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization), lives directly across the street from Russell J. Papalardo, the reputed head (Don) of the Cleveland Organized Crime Family. Papalardo, who currently works as a licensed real estate agent for Carriage Hill Realty, a firm owned and operated by his brother Fred Papalardo.
Anyone who has been following the Cuyahoga County Corruption investigation and the current trial of Jimmy DiMora has learned that former Cuyahoga County Auditor Frank Russo and DiMora were closely aligned in the corruption that pervaded Cuyahoga County Government. In fact, Frank Russo, who has already pled guilty to his crimes and been sentenced to a term of 21 years in the United States Penitentiary, has offered compelling testimony this past week, strongly implicating DiMora in matters of public corruption.
Interestingly enough, Russell Papalardo's brother, Fred, in addition to his ownership and operation of Carriage Hill Realty, was employed by Frank Russo in the Cuyahoga County Auditor's Office.
Certain of the above facts can be checked and verified at http://www.cleveland.com/countyincrisis/index.ssf/2008/12/dimoras_neighborhood_attracts.html
IT IS CLEAR, FROM THE CONNECTIONS DRAWN ABOVE, THAT, AT THE VERY LEAST, RUSSELL PAPALARDO, REPUTED DON OF THE CLEVELAND FAMILY OF LA COSA NOSTRA ("OUR THING") IS IN THE PROVERBIAL "LOOP" ALONG WITH RUSSO AND DiMORA.
Russell J. Papalardo was convicted in 1986 in U.S. District Court, Cleveland, for his involvement in an elaborate and profitable cocaine ring, along with others with ties to the Cleveland mob. Papalardo served a sentence of four years in the Federal Penitentiary.
A little research has developed some rather interesting and "explosive" historical information about Russell Papalardo.
Readers of this blog who are old enough may recall the mob war raging in Cleveland in the 1970's between Irish and Italian old-time gangsters. In fact, the recent film Kill the Irishman took a stab at portraying the conflicts between Danny Green, John Nardi (allied with Greene), Keith Ritson and members of the more orthodox Italian mob, headed at the time by John Scalish and succeeded by Jack Licavoli a/k/a Jack White. While the film may be entertaining, it has taken significant license with the facts as the blogger, who had a law enforcement interest in and contact with some of those criminals at the time, recalls them to be.
More to the point, Organized Crime Figure John Nardi, an associate of Danny Greene was killed on May 17, 1977 by a Trojan Horse bomb. This is to say, Nardi's car was parked in the parking lot of the former Teamsters Headquarters, at the time located on East 18th Street, between Carnegie and Prospect. The Italian mob placed another auto, laden with explosives, beside Nardi's car. The bomb was remotely detonated when Nardi exited the Teamster Headquarters and entered his own car.
Nardi died on the spot. No one was ever charged with his murder.
Later in time, Cleveland Underboss Angelo Lonardo ("Big Ange') became the boss of the Cleveland Family of La Cosa Nostra and was convicted in U.S District Court for his involvement in a drug ring. Lonardo, after having been sentenced to a term of life imprisonment in the United States Penitentiary, decided that it was time to pay ball with the Government.
Reviewing the testimony of Angelo Lonardo before the United States Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations on April 15, 1988, and more specifically Lonardo's supplemental Affidavit to the Committee, one can find the following excerpt:
R. 5/15/77 JOHN NARDI: I understand Nardi was killed
by a bomb placed in an automobile which was parked next to Nardi's by Curly Montana and Poppalardo.. Nardi's death was authorized by Jack White Licavoli who was the boss of our family at the time.
In sworn testimony before the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, by way of Affidavit, Lonardo testified that John "Curly" Montana and Russell J, Papalardo placed the Trojan Horse Bomb in the Teamsters Parking lot, causing the death of John Nardi.
There are several sources available to access Lonardo's testimony and Affidavit. One of them can be found at http://fubar.com/angelo-lonardo-s-testimony/b339971-1145987
This, of course, is the same Russell J. Papalardo who is "in the loop" of public corruption, along with Frank Russo and Jimmy DiMora.
In the next post, the blogger will detail the now not-so-tenuous connection to the Medina County Courts.
MUCH MORE TO COME ....
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