C Cleveland

I've talked before about the colorful mob history that Cleveland has. Now you'll be able to experience it for yourself in a new film called, Kill the Irishman.



It's based on a book written by Rick Porello, the Police Chief of a suburban Cleveland neighborhood. The movie chronicles the life of Danny Greene, an Irishman who grew up in a working class neighborhood and became a union leader for the longshoremen working on the Cleveland docks.

Greene worked his way into the local organized crime world with a vision of taking over La Cosa Nostra, the Italian led Mafia. Needless to say, they weren't pleased and they showed their contempt in a series of attempts on his life. All failed.

The Celtic Warrior, as Greene dubbed himself, was a charismatic guy who wasn't afraid of talking to the press. He used the opportunity to mock and taunt the Mafia leaders who became "the gang that couldn't shoot straight" because of their inability to take down this one man force of nature.

Many of the neighborhoods depicted in the film remain as they were back then. Sadly, the film was shot in Detroit and not Cleveland, because of the tax breaks that Michigan offered in 2009 when it was filmed.

Here's the cast of characters and the actors who portray them:



Danny Greene







Ray Stevenson






Legendary Cleveland gangster and inspiration of "Kill The Irishman." He was killed by a car bomb in Lyndhurst in 1977.



John Nardi







Vincent D'Onofrio




Nardi, mob-connected secretary-treasurer of Vending Machine Employees Local 410, part of the Teamsters Union. He and Greene collaborated on gambling and money-skimming schemes that increasingly trampled on the turf of Cleveland mafia boss James "Jack White" Licavoli. Nardi was killed by a car bomb in 1977 in the parking lot of the Teamsters Joint Council 41.




Shondor Birns


Christopher Walken










Arrested more than 50 times, Alex "Shondor" Birns was mob-connected racketeer who was dubbed Public Enemy No. 1 by Cleveland lawmen. He excelled at extortion, assault and murder. He was killed by a car bomb in 1975 in Cleveland.



James "Jack White" Livoli


Tony Lo Bianco









James "Jack White" Licavoli battled Nardi and Greene for control of Cleveland's rackets. He became undisputed boss of the local mafia shortly after their deaths. Later convicted on federal racketeering charges, he died in prison in 1985.



Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno


Paul Sorvino









New York Genovese family crime boss who became embroiled in the mob conspiracy to kill Danny Greene.





Ray Ferritto


Robert Davi











Mob hitman convicted of killing Greene.




Ed Kovacic


Val Kilmer







Cleveland police detective Ed Kovacic spent his early career tracking Greene and his cohorts. In the movie, he is partially represented by a composite character named Detective Joe Manditski.





Kill the Irishman opens this weekend in Cleveland, New York and Los Angeles and expanded cities later in the month.

You know I'll be seeing it! Will you?