June 23: Unholy Toledo – The Mob and Illegal Gambling in Northwest Ohio

Date: June 23, 2018

Time: 2 p.m.

Cost: Free for Members or with Museum admission

The Rust Belt city of Toledo, Ohio, might not be the first place you think of when you remember the Mobs of the Midwest. But those less-celebrated Ohio casinos saw a steady stream of gangsters and gamblers pass through their doors. These outlaw gambling clubs gave the town a reputation as ‘Unholy Toledo.’”

A long-time resident of Toledo, and Member of The Museum of Gaming History (MoGH), Terry Shaffer is considered a leading historian of illegal gambling in the area. His book, “Illegal Gambling Clubs of Toledo: the Chips, the Dice, the Places and Faces,” is the result of his 15 years of research on the subject.

In this Mob Museum daytime program, Shaffer will share his discoveries, including:

• The major illegal gambling operations in Toledo and their ties to larger Midwest crime syndicates

• Stories of Toledo’s underworld originating from the turn of the 20th century

• Two sides of the story: The Businessmen and The Mobs

• How Yonnie Licavoli and the Purple Gang ran Toledo, Detroit and Cleveland in the early 1930s

• How Toledo’s crime history connects to Las Vegas

• How gambling can actually be beneficial to the community

Come enjoy this live discussion with Terry Shaffer as he shares a unique view of Mob history from an unexpected place: the under-represented underworld of Toledo, Ohio.

Featured Author

Terry Shaffer  

Terry Shaffer

Terry Shaffer has been a resident of Toledo, Ohio since 1966. A local business owner and graduate of the University of Toledo, he is considered the leading historian on illegal gambling operations in Toledo, Ohio. He is also a member of the Museum of Gaming History.His extensive research into the illegal gambling operations and mafia activities over the past twenty years culminated in the publishing of two editions of the book “Illegal Gambling Clubs of Toledo; the Chips, the Dice, the Places and Faces.” which gives an in-depth look into the underworld of Toledo. As an award winning author and historian, Mr. Shaffer has lectured extensively throughout northwest Ohio to historical societies, libraries and Universities.