Event Recap - Discussion with Laura Meckler - September 19, 2023

Washington Post reporter Laura Meckler met with the Cleveland Club on September 19 to discuss education and racial issues, notably ones highlighted in her recent book Dream Town: Shaker Heights and the Quest for Racial Equity.

Meckler grew up in Shaker Heights, graduated from Shaker Heights High School and spent considerable time in Cleveland researching her book, which scrutinizes Shaker’s history and then efforts to the present day at integrating housing and education.

Meckler said that Shaker’s integration efforts have notable similarities and differences from ones in other communities. Unlike many cities in the period 1950-1970, Shaker – or at least some neighborhoods in Shaker – made a concerted effort to develop a racially integrated community that halted white flight, which was a response of many communities to Black families moving into established white areas. Shaker whites held the line, and beginning in 1970, the school district used busing to achieve racial diversity throughout the various elementary schools.

“What I love about this story,” Meckler said, “is that there are no heroes and villains, that there was progress as well as mistakes. There is lots about this story that is in the messy middle.”

Meckler noted that the Ludlow neighborhood in particular organized itself against white flight. In doing so, its citizens had to battle the local mortgage-lending companies plus established real estate industry practices. She pointed out that the Shaker school system began a program of voluntary busing long before many communities followed but under court orders.

However, by the 1980s, a new problem was out in the open, Meckler explained: segregation within the schools on account of tracking, that is, the advanced classes were composed mainly of white students while the remainder were filled disproportionately with Black students.

She said that the Shaker schools again attempted remedies, most recently during the covid pandemic by attempting to eliminate tracking while still keeping Advanced Placement and Baccalaureate Classes. There are some indications of success, but Meckler said it’s too soon to say if the effort will achieve its goals. “The city and the schools are integrated,” she said. “Blacks and whites live and work together, and this is notable, but the achievement gap racially – or socio-economically – remains. Reducing this gap is difficult, and there remains a lot of work to do. Nevertheless, what I see is success.”

Answering a question, Meckler surmised that zoning had much to do with the present socio-economic makeup of Shaker. After the housing crisis of 2008, absentee landlords bought up properties, which resulted in lower income families taking up Shaker residency. This widened the gap between rich and poor, with attendant strain on city cohesion and the school system. (In 1989, median Black income was roughly 65% of median white income; in 2020, it was roughly 35% of white income.)

Meckler added that “the setback nationally for students on account of the covid pandemic cannot be overstated.”

She also noted that Shaker has an important schools plan on the ballot for this November. In keeping with some conclusions of her book, Meckler said that with respect to issues put before voters, “a school system’s administration has to be ‘up on its game,’ presenting its case clearly so that voters are not confused, and communicating both accurately and effectively.”

Excepts and condensations of Dream Town have appeared in the Washington Post. The website for the book can be found here.

Event Recap - Discussion with Dan Moldea, June 8, 2023

Noted author and expert on organized crime Dan Moldea met with the Club on June 8.

Moldea, who grew up in Akron, began investigating crime and corruption as a graduate student at Kent State in 1974. Eight months after he began his investigations of the Teamsters and the Mafia for a small weekly newspaper—including an eight-part series about the union pension fund—Jimmy Hoffa disappeared on July 30, 1975. Forty-eight years later, Moldea—who described himself as Ahab searching for the white whale—is still looking for Hoffa.

He said that Cleveland was like the Wild West for a time during the 1890s-1920s immigration phase and Prohibition. Then, as the city grew, so did the Mafia. “Its heyday was in the 1950s and ‘60s,” Moldea declared. “It was very influential nationally.

Because of influential mob associate Moe Dalitz, Cleveland was instrumental in the development and success of Las Vegas. Dalitz arranged the financing of the Desert Inn and other hotel/casinos with the help of Hoffa and the Teamsters pension fund. “Dalitz’s memory is still cherished in Las Vegas,” Moldea said. “He’s regarded as kind of the George Washington of Las Vegas.” 

The leader of the Cleveland Mafia beginning in the 1940s was John Scalish, who, according to Moldea, “was a kind of bon-vivant and natty dresser. But he did not bring younger men into the organization such that by the mid-1970s, all the leaders were themselves past 60. When Scalish died during heart surgery in 1976, none of the three senior Mafia men wanted the top job.”

But John Nardi—persona non grata among Mafioso while working in Cleveland with Irish gangster Danny Greene—did.

When Nardi was told he would not be selected to succeed Scalish as the boss of the local crime family, Nardi and Green attempted to take control of the Mafia’s territory. Violence resulted. Three prominent racketeers were murdered by 1977, including Nardi and Greene.

However, the killing of Greene was handled in such a sloppy manner that federal prosecutors managed to flip one of Greene’s killers, which led to the prosecution and total downfall of the entire hierarchy of the Cleveland Mafia.

“The Cleveland mob never really recovered from that,” Moldea said, adding that the 2011 movie, Kill the Irishman, depicted the Cleveland mayhem. Moldea praised the work of Rick Porrello, the author of the book upon which that motion picture was based.

Moldea reaffirmed statements he made in his 1978 book, The Hoffa Wars, that Jimmy Hoffa, New Orleans Mafia boss Carlos Marcello, and Tampa Mafia boss Santo Trafficante engineered the assassination of President John Kennedy in 1963, the reason being to stop Attorney General Robert Kennedy’s relentless assault against the Mafia.

Moldea also had strong words about legalized sports gambling: “It’s a disaster for both America and for sports,” he said. “The legalization of gambling always leads to the proliferation of illegal gambling and organized crime activities. Instead of paying the high commissions in legal gambling operations and then taxes to local, state, and federal jurisdictions, more sophisticated bettors will turn to illegal operations in which bookmakers only make bettors put up eleven dollars to win ten—and only take a ten-percent vigorish on the losing bets booked. Plus, the illegals will extend credit. After drug trafficking, the Mafia’s top money-making activity is gambling on NFL games.”

Moldea added that “organized crime has now become very sophisticated. It’s gone online, high- tech, and offshore. These guys are no longer fourth-grade dropouts. The top leadership is well- educated. They are not like the old Mafia.”

In response to a question from one of our members, Dan offered the following links to stories about organized crime in Cleveland: two about the Tong Wars among Chinese in the 1920s and one about crime hangouts on and near Short Vincent Avenue downtown.

• The Tong Wars (1911-1930)

  • https://case.edu/ech/articles/t/tong-wars

  • https://clevelandmagazine.com/in-the-cle/the-read/articles/the-tong-wars

• Mob hangouts along Short Vincent:  https://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/6

You can learn more about Dan Moldea, his books, and his views at his website, www.moldea.com

Event Recap - Discussion with Bob DiBiasio, March 22, 2023

The Club met with Cleveland Guardians Senior VP for Public Affairs Bob DiBiasio on March 22.

DiBiasio had only recently returned from Guardians Spring Training in Arizona. He caught up the Club on recent lineup adjustments, including Will Brennan as a fourth outfielder. “Last year we had a young team and still won more than 90 games,” he said. “And our farm team system is very good.”

Accordingly, DiBiasio is optimistic for the season and for the future of the Guardians. In our recent past,” he said, “we came within a few pitches of winning a World Series. We can get into a World Series again and win.”

“One of our advantages,” he said, “is Terry Francona,” who, according to DiBiasio, should be a Hall of Fame Manager. “His leadership style is remarkable, for one, because he is genuine and authentic. There is nothing fake about him; he is excellent with the players and the whole organization. In addition, he emphasizes dedication to the team and not to the glory of individuals. He understands that the Guardians is a collection of players from different backgrounds and cultures. Each can express rather than suppress his culture.”

Asked how the new rule changes put in place for 2023 (larger bases, no infield shift, time limits for pitchers and batters) will affect the Guardians, DiBiasio said the changes should help rather than hurt a ball club like the Guardians. “Our club does not emphasize home runs, but rather connecting with pitches and getting on base. The slightly shorter distance between first and second and second and third will help us. With respect to limits on infield positioning, it’s a rule that has been in the minor leagues already. So the young players are used to it, and that will be to our advantage also.” DiBiasio also said that he was pleased with the pace of play that he witnessed during Spring Training.

Asked about “analytics” that have impacted baseball, he noted that he had had script approval of the Cleveland portion of the 2011 movie Moneyball. “There are some good things statistical analysis has brought to the game,” he said, “but some not so good things as well.”

Asked how fans have reacted to the change of name from Indians to the Guardians, he said that “reception to the name change has been generally as expected. Fans 55 and older are having trouble with the change, whereas fans under 50 have been receptive to the change.” He said that the Dolans, who have owned the ball club for decades, talked to the Browns, the Cavaliers and the city government as well as held 25 forums with the public and came to the conclusion that changing the name was the right thing to do. “The ownership felt that a spirit of inclusiveness for the community was very important and that in keeping with this as a goal, the new name was a step forward,” DiBiasio said.

Asked about the challenges of having less money to spend than such teams as the Yankees and the Red Sox, DiBiasio rattled off statistics that ranked the Cleveland ball club as well or higher than better-heeled teams. “It’s where and how you spend the money and not how much that counts,” he said. “The only thing we do not do is give one player $30 million or more per year, which is not unique in our market. Our focus is on providing all the resources necessary to make our players the best they can be.”

“Is there hope for a World Series?” he asked rhetorically. “Very much so.”

Event Recap - Discussion with Cong. Shontel Brown, March 14, 2023

Congresswoman Shontel Brown met with the Cleveland Club on March 14.

Having had the experience of one Congress (with Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi), Cong. Brown sees success in the present 118th Congress (with Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy) as hinging on unity and coalition building. “Collaboration is going to be very important,” she told Club members. She added that she was warmly welcomed by members of the Ohio Delegation in the last Congress and has a good working relationship with its Members.

Cong. Brown accentuated her hopes for work on behalf of expanding access to opportunities for people in Ohio’s 11th District. She emphasized the importance of small businesses and described the visit of U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to Cleveland for work in bolstering minority entrepreneurs. 

She also described her work co-sponsoring legislation to strengthen the federal SNAP program, especially as it applied to children with medical difficulties. She also expressed her support for President Biden’s effort to grant some debt relief to persons with student loans. 

Asked about her feelings on gerrymandering in Ohio, she acknowledged that powers concerning district lines resided far more in Ohio than in Washington. Nevertheless, she pointed out that she would do what she could in Congress to strengthen legislation dealing with federal voting rights.

She noted that besides her work on the Agriculture Committee and the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, she had been asked to serve on the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party in the 118th Congress. “This is a committee that includes members from a wide range in Congress and will work with the Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Committees to strengthen U.S. cybersecurity, guard against disinformation, and maintain strength relative to that of China,” Cong. Brown said. 

She answered a Club member by saying that Democrats are still discussing universal health care but that she could not be sanguine about its moving ahead soon.

Asked how she skirts Washington distractions and connects to her constituents, she said that she keeps her ears open in grocery stores and talks frequently after church with people who are not policy wonks or even particularly engage in political issues. 

Asked about Congressional Caucuses, Cong. Brown said they are effective and stimulating. “Caucuses focus your attention on specific issues,” she told the Club membership. “In addition, some are quite large and engage Representatives from different parts of the country who have differing outlooks. You can learn a lot about what people are thinking for shaping legislation; there can be lots of passionate discussion,” she said. She added that the Caucuses both charge fees and make note of attendance, so they are serious groups engaged in serious work. 

Asked how the recent Infrastructure Bill could impact Cleveland, Cong. Brown said that work is already underway bringing high-speed internet to NE Ohio neighborhoods. She added that efforts would be forthcoming for roads, bridges, Hopkins airport, and lead pipe replacement. She also noted that she, Mayor Bibb, and County Executive Chris Ronayne would be working with the U. S. Transportation Department to bring improvements to Cleveland. “When you go back,” she said to the Club’s collection of NE Ohio exiles, “you will see we are planning again to have Cleveland become ‘the best location in the nation.’”

Event Recap - Discussion with Jane Campbell, December 6, 2022

Speaking from her office of the U.S. Capitol Historical Society within the shadow of the Capitol, former Cleveland mayor Jane Campbell met with the Club on December 6.

Campbell explained that she came to Washington at the behest of Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu, who wanted Campbell as her chief of staff with the special task of expediting federal money for repairing coastal Louisiana and New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Having done that and coming to the end of her two-year commitment to the job, Campbell and Landrieu were suddenly faced with the horrific 2010 British Petroleum Gulf oil spill. Landrieu asked Campbellto stay on with the special task of expediting BP’s fines to coastal  restoration without first being clogged in the federal bureaucracy. “We succeeded,” she said, “moving 80% of the fines – about $4.5 billion – swiftly to where and when it could do the most good.”

When Landrieu lost her election in 2014, Campbell moved to work for Washington Senator Maria Cantwell. But with control of the Senate having switched to the Republicans, Campbell found working in the minority less fulfilling than working in the majority, so took on the job of running the Washington office of the National Development Council. That run ended when the Trump administration forsook community development, so she took up the reins of the U.S. Capitol Historical Society.

She had just begun to feel up to speed with the USCHS when the pandemic hit and both the Capitol and the USCHS offices closed. “The pandemic did have one benefit for the USCHS, though,” Campbell said. “We became more national and we reached far more people. That’s because we moved from mostly face-to-face small events to also presenting webinars that featured national experts – these could be seen by hundreds or even thousands of people.” She explained that the USCHS effort at bringing to the Capitol local middle school students – especially from DC impoverished neighborhoods with children who did not think of the building as meant for them – was shut down during the pandemic but in similar fashion it evolved into digital dramas and documentaries that could be used by social studies teachers across the country.

The Capitol and USCHS had only recently re-opened to more normal public access when the January 6 attack burst upon it, shutting down the Capitol again. Campbell was not in the building that day. “The attack was on a Wednesday and on the Monday previous I told our whole staff to stay away and work from home on the 6th. Having been a mayor, I think I developed a sense for a community’s mood, and I had a bad feeling about what the coming demonstration would bring. None of our people was hurt.”

Asked how Cleveland might improve, Campbell offered two points: hasten and enhance the connection of Cleveland to Lake Erie; and work harder as a unified region. Addressing the first, she said that she expected more action from Mayor Bibb and County Executive Chris Ronayne, but that new work along the lakefront takes enormous time, money and energy. Addressing her second point, she noted that there are 57 communities in Cuyahoga County. Columbus – now the largest city in Ohio – required annexation into the city to secure access to the water system. By contrast, Cleveland’s water department provides service to over a million people in different municipalities. The multiple decision makers put the region at a disadvantage unless its dozens of political entities align for mutual improvement.

Asked about divisiveness on Capitol Hill, she lamented that media favors reporting on drama and conflict at the expense of solid law-making. She cited the dearth of reporting on the negotiations to bring about the infrastructure bill as compared to covering sensational statements by publicity-hungry Representatives. Moreover, she said, there are still leftover tensions stemming from the January 6 attack. Especially in the House, she noted, there are Members who resent, maybe even fear, other Members on account of actions taken that week.

The U. S. Capitol Historical Society website is https://capitolhistory.org. It presents historical articles, a list of its past and future webinars, support opportunities and more.