Discover the FIRST MAJOR Mafia bust in U.S. history in 1928 at Cleveland's Hotel Statler.
2026 AUTHOR EVENTSSep 19 Cleveland Rockport Library Puritas & W 140th
Oct 7 Parma Heights Library
Dec 2 Independence Library
Dec 7 Brook Park Library
Dec 9 Solon Library


DETAILS
“We'll never come back if we can help it.
We're sick of Cleveland”
- Anonymous quote from a mobster recently
acquitted in the Cleveland Hotel Statler raid
On December 5th 1928, a secret Mafia meeting was to take place at Cleveland's Hotel Statler.Joe Profaci, who was the inspiration for Vito Corleone in The Godfather, was among those caught.Al Capone was rumored to be headed to Cleveland.What about "Joe the Boss" Masseria's Cleveland connection?What happened has remained a mystery and a subject of speculation for decades.
About THE AUTHOR
Author DON BILLIE honed his writing skills in college at The Cauldron, Cleveland State University's student-run newspaper.
Since then, Billie has written a couple of Cleveland-focused books, including Margaret Hamilton: From Cleveland, Ohio to the Land of Oz, which tells the enchanting story of Cleveland’s own Wicked Witch.
Information here
He has previously written about the Cleveland origin of Freddy Krueger for Cleveland Magazine.
He has volunteered with the American Red Cross hurricane disaster relief effort in Florida and the humanitarian organization Bring Hope in war-torn Kurdistan.CONTACT
