Kill the Irishman

February 15, 2011

A product of an orphanage in Parma, OH, the charming and charismatic Danny Greene (1933-77) soon discovered that crime paid better than steady work. His stint in the Marines failed to instill discipline, and on his return to civilian life he joined the local chapter of the longshoremen's union, quickly becoming its president. Corruption was rife, and Greene easily moved into embezzling, protection rackets, and other mob-related activities. Police officer Porrello (The Rise and Fall of the Cleveland Mafia) portrays how Greene's unsubtle efforts to muscle in on the Sicilian Mafia bosses led to numerous assassination attempts, which Greene escaped with miraculous ease. His retaliation bombings brought a lot of federal attention, and even when his Irish luck ran out his downfall led to the breakdown of the Italian mob and the end of an era. VERDICT While the writing is somewhat repetitive and the chronology can be confusing, this is a rousing story of a bygone era. With a movie about Greene coming out in March, this is sure to be popular with fans of the Mafia and mob history.--Deirdre Bray Root, Middletown P.L., OH

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