Retired Intelligence Detective Gary Jenkins brings you the best in mob history with his unique perception of the mafia. Learn about the shadowy world of crime from the life of Danny Greene, also known as the Celtic warrior. If you haven’t seen it, watch “To Kill the Irishman,” a film featuring Christopher Walken and Paul Sorvino. Danny Greene was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1933, orphaned three days after birth, and raised by paternal grandfather and aunt in Collinwood. Danny’s rebellious spirit and tumultuous relationship with his father and stepmother led to a challenging adolescence. Military Service and Union Involvement: After being expelled from high school, Danny Greene enlisted in the Marine Corps, where he excelled as a boxer and earned the rank of corporal. After military service, he became a longshoreman and quickly rose to become the president of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA). Double Life as an Informant: Danny Green became a top informant for the FBI, navigating the worlds of labor racketeering and organized crime. Criminal Activity and Conflicts: Formed the Celtic Club and allied with figures like John Nardi and Alexander Burns, leading to conflicts with the Cleveland Mafia. He was involved in bombings, violent clashes, and assassination attempts, solidifying his reputation as a formidable force. Downfall and Legacy: Despite his cunning intellect and adaptability, Danny Green’s luck ran out when he was killed by a car bomb in 1977. His death exposed a criminal conspiracy involving mafia families from Cleveland, New York City, and Southern California.

Support the Podcast

Subscribe to get new gangster stories every week.

Hit me up on Venmo for a cup of coffee or a shot and a beer @ganglandwire

Click here to “buy me a cup of coffee”

To go to the store or make a donation or rent Ballot Theft: Burglary, Murder, Coverup, click here

To rent Brothers against Brothers, the documentary, click here. 

To rent Gangland Wire, the documentary, click here

To buy my Kindle book, Leaving Vegas: The True Story of How FBI Wiretaps Ended Mob Domination of Las Vegas Casinos.

To subscribe on iTunes click here. Please give me a review and help others find the podcast.

Donate to the podcast. Click here!

Transcript

[00:00:00] Well, hey, all you wiretappers out there. Welcome to gangland wire. This is Gary Jenkins, retired intelligence detective, and this is your portal into the shadowy world of crime. Today we’re going to take a deep dive into the tumultuous life of Daniel John Patrick Green, a.

k. a. Danny Green, the Celtic warrior. You may know him from To Kill the Irishman. Well, no movie, Christopher Walken was in it. I think, , Paul Cervino maybe was in it.

My friend, Rick Perrello from Cleveland wrote the book and did a documentary and was involved in making the movie. Anyhow, Danny Green, he was a figure whose legacy is etched into the annals of organized crime, especially in Cleveland and the Midwest. Really? Now, so join me and we’re going to unravel the intricate details of Danny Green’s journey through power, betrayal, and the criminal underworld of Cleveland, Ohio.

Danny Green was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1933. His early life was a saga of [00:01:00] hardship, aren’t they all? Don’t they all these organized crime guys grew up in some kind of hardship? He was orphaned three days after he was born, and he got the nickname Baby Green until his mother’s burial and his paternal grandfather and aunt took him in and raised him and named him His gave him his name and they were in the blue collar neighborhood of Collinwood in Cleveland.

Danny’s tumultuous relationship with his father and stepmother later on in life set the stage for a really challenging adolescence if you can imagine that. Growing up in Collinwood, Danny developed a rebellious spirit and was always running away from home and you know he hit the streets and you know what happens when these young guys hit the st...