Mark J Price - Mafia Cop Killers in Akron: The Gang War before Prohibition

Published by The History Press

Charleston, SC

www.historypress.net

Copyright 2017 by Mark J. Price

All rights reserved

First published 2017

e-book edition 2017

ISBN 978.1.43966.382.0

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017948519

print edition ISBN 978.1.46713.784.3

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Dedicated to Guy, Edward, Joseph, Gethin and George.

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My name is on the cover, but I didnt do this alone. Many, many people helped in the creation of this book in ways both large and small. When the research felt overwhelming and the writing seemed insurmountable, I marched forward with the assistance and encouragement of others. I will forever be grateful for the expertise and guidance I received from close friends and total strangers. Thank you to all!

First, I must acknowledge the tireless work of AkronSummit County Public Librarys Special Collections Division. Recently retired manager Judy James; her successor, Mary Plazo; and librarians Iris Bolar, Cheri Goldner, Jane Gramlich, Rebecca Larson-Troyer, Barb Leden and alumnus Michael Elliott are a friendly team of history detectives who are unparalleled at digging into the past and gathering facts. No matter how many inane, trivial questions I posed, they always provided service with a smile.

Similarly, the intelligent, genial staff at the University of Akrons Archival ServicesHead Archivist S. Victor Fleischer, John Ball, Mark Bloom and the late, great Craig Holbertand Cleveland Public Library assistants April Lancaster and Doug Westerbeke rescued me again and again. I appreciate their kindness.

In the search for public records from a century ago, I received invaluable aid from Sandra Kurt, Summit County clerk of courts; Scott Feeney, chief of staff for the clerk of courts; Daniel Brand, office manager for the clerk of courts; Gary Guenther, chief investigator for the Summit County Medical Examiners Office; and Kognia Woodall, deputy clerk at Summit County Probate Court. Likewise, Lily Birkhimer, digital projects coordinator at the Ohio History Connection, helped me track down some amazing photographs of Ohio Penitentiary convicts from a century ago.

In the quest for understanding, I benefited greatly from the shared wisdom of Detective James Conley, Sergeant Tom Dye, Officer Robert Patrick, Officer Jeff Ross, Lieutenant Jim Buie and the late Captain John T. Cunningham. I truly appreciate the counsel of local historians David Lieberth, Leianne Neff Heppner and Dr. George W. Knepper. They are a blessing to the community.

Im extremely fortunate to have a trusted network of relatives and friends who never cease to provide a wealth of inspiration and knowledge: Al and Bootsie Bollas, Jon and Maria Bollas, Nick and Lindsey Bollas, Joe and Kelley Cali, David de la Fuente, Joe Del Medico, Mark and Diane Ferenchik, Jeff Gallatin, Tony Gapinski, Debby Stock Kiefer, Joe Kiefer, Steve Neff, Nick Owens, Rosie and Gene Owens, Sean Owens, Tim and Sharon Ricks and Glenn Stephenson.

Special thanks to Drina Beeman, Dave Bersnak, Reverend Bob Denton, Fred Endres, Craig Erskine, Kathy Fraze, Bernie Gnap, Steve Hammond, Joe Harper, Phyllis Heischuber, Robert Herceg, Bruce Larrick, Pat Marks, John Miller, Kevin Murphy, Guerrino Rich, Dan Rinaldo, Jim Skeese, Mary Jane Stone, Ron Syroid, David Weyrick, Larry Zvara and Jim Zwisler.

I am forever indebted to Bob DeMay, photo editor at the Akron Beacon Journal, for sorting and scanning most of the images that you see in this book, and to Kim Barth, director of photography at the Beacon Journal, for granting permission to publish many rare pictures from the newspaper archives. I am also in awe of chief librarian Norma Hill, who has a knack for finding articles and photos when Im just about to give up. And to all my hardworking colleagues on the copy desk, I say, Is it deadline yet?

Id definitely like to thank Krista Slavicek, former acquisitions editor at The History Press, who approached me about writing another local history book after the success of Lost Akron, and Candice Lawrence, acquisitions editor, who enthusiastically took over the project. Id also like to thank Ryan Finn, The History Press copy editor who combed these pages for typos and grammarand who quickly discovered my admittedly limited knowledge of the Chicago Manual of Styleas well as Victoria Boneberg, the marketing specialist who provided assistance with sales and outreach.

Where would I be today without my parents? My late father, Joel Edwin Price, was a gifted writer and poet, and I know hed be thrilled to see his comic bookloving son earn a respectable living as a professional journalist and author. My wonderful mother, Angela Bollas Price, the first member of our family to edit a newspaper, remains a faithful supporter, a trusted adviser and a whiz at 1950s music trivia. She taught me how to read and write and how to tell right from wrong. Thanks, Mom! I love you.

Finally, I want to thank my beautiful, cheerful, helpful and thoughtful wife, Susan Gapinski Price, an award-winning editor, talented writer and incredible person. She is my soul mate, best friend, copy editor, dining partner, movie co-viewer, concertgoer, vacation planner, puppy walker, package opener and personal tech. She saves me every dayand I cant thank her enough for making my life a joy. I love you so much, Susie! As Aerosmith and I sang on our wedding day: Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure. I dont want to close my eyes. I dont want to fall asleep. Cause Id miss you, babe. And I dont want to miss a thing.

INTRODUCTION

How did I not know the story? Ive lived in the Akron-Canton area for most of my life, the fourth generation on both sides of my family to reside in Summit County. Countless tales were handed down to me, but not this one. Maybe my great-grandparents didnt want to remember it.

For nearly twenty years, I have written This Place, This Time, a weekly column about local history in the Akron Beacon Journal. During the columns formative years, I stumbled across a reference to the Furnace Street gang and its deadly war against Akron police in the early twentieth century. It was one of the most shocking chapters in the citys esteemed and occasionally lurid history, and I had never even heard of it.

Each day, thousands of vehicles zoom past the eternal flame at the Akron Police Memorial in front of the Harold K. Stubbs Justice Center on South High Street in downtown Akron. Ive glanced at it hundreds of timesperhaps morebecause the monument is only a few blocks north of my office. I didnt know that so many of the etched names on the marble slab belonged to men who were killed in a fifteen-month span.

Black-and-white pages blurred together when I sat at the Akron librarys microfilm machine to examine vintage newspaper articles about the infamous series of crimes. The low hum of the machine served as white noise as I read the stories in rapt attention, occasionally taking notes on a legal pad or printing out copies. After months of dimly lit editions flashed past my retinas, I grudgingly pushed the rewind button and returned the microfilm boxes back to their shelf.