Danny Greene
Daniel John Patrick Greene (November 14, 1933 – October 6, 1977) was an American mobster in Cleveland, Ohio, whose conflicts with the Cleveland crime family of the Italian-American Mafia ended in Greene's murder in 1977.
Danny Greene | |
|---|---|
Danny Greene circa. 1970s | |
| Born | Daniel John Patrick Greene November 14, 1933 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | October 6, 1977 (aged 43) Lyndhurst, Ohio, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Car bomb |
| Occupation(s) | Longshoreman, dock worker, teamster, mobster, racketeer, Mafia family associate |
| Known for | |
Greene first gained power in the local chapter of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA), where he was elected president during the early 1960s. He later became a full time crime boss and began competing with the Cleveland crime family and Jewish mob figure Shondor Birns for control of the city's criminal underworld. Greene set up his own crew called the Celtic Club, complete with enforcers and a close alliance with outlaw biker gangs.
During the 1970s, Greene allied with mob-affiliated labor union leader John Nardi during the latter's war against Jack Licavoli for leadership of the Cleveland family. The factions set off more than 36 bombs, most attached to cars and many victims were killed. After the humiliating failure of attempts on his life and Greene taunting the Licavoli faction as "maggots" in the local press, Greene was assassinated by Los Angeles crime family enforcers Ray Ferritto and Ronald Carabbia.
A police investigation revealed that Greene's murder had been a criminal conspiracy between the Mafia families of Cleveland, New York City and Southern California. The investigation also resulted in the defections of Ray Ferritto and Los Angeles boss Jimmy Fratianno, followed by the exposure and arrest of a mole inside the Cleveland FBI. The investigation also laid the groundwork for many Federal prosecutions of the Mafia.