King of Clubs: The era of flamboyant gambling casinos - Paperback

by Frank Monastra (Author)

"King of Clubs" is a profile of some of the most popular and famous illegal casinos and their operators. These criminals thrived in and around Cleveland, Ohio, during the 1930s, until their demise in the late 1940s. The casinos offered what the citizens of several towns wanted: poker, roulette, slots, craps, keno, great food, and, of course, alcohol. This is the second book in my collection on organized crime in Ohio. I explore some of the top clubs in Ohio. The Famous Jungle Inn in Youngstown, the Thomas Club in Maple Heights, the Harvard Club in Newburgh Heights, the Ohio Villa Club in Richmond Heights, and possibly the most well-known of all, the Mounds Club, located inside the small rural community of Willoughby Hills. An unprecedented robbery occurred when more than $500,000 was stolen from the Mounds Club on September 29, 1947. This event brought the awareness of these unstoppable casinos to the front page of newspapers nationwide. Some of the famous gamblers in Cleveland participated in the operation of these fantastic nightspots. These casinos and similar ones fought to remain open and keep the money rolling into their hands daily, week after week. This included men like Frank and Anthony Milano, Moe Dalitz, Morris Kleinman, Thomas McGinty, Mickey McBride, my grandfather Frank Brancato, Alex "Shondor" Birns, and many others. I examine their rise in popularity, their glory days, and their later closure under new laws and moralistic city officials. I include information on other gambling rackets, including the Policy and Clearinghouse games; how the Cleveland Mob invested in the modern gambling industry; and how the Cleveland Syndicate was instrumental in investing in the Desert Inn in 1949.