Valley Mafia expert to give presentation

Staff report

LIBERTY

Allan R. May, author of several books about the Mafia in the Mahoning Valley, will give a presentation at 10 a.m. Saturday in the meeting room of Kravitz Deli, 3135 Belmont Ave.

Admission is $6 ($5 for members of the William Holmes McGuffey Historical Society). The event will include a 50/50 raffle to benefit the society and music by Dolores DePietro. Reservations are required; call Richard S. Scarsella at 330-726-8277. Walk-ins will be admitted based upon seat availability.

May is the author of five mafia books, including “Crimetown U.S.A.: History of Mahoning Valley Mafia” (Conallan Press, 2013) and “Welcome to the Jungle Inn: The Story of the Mafia’s Most Infamous Den” (Conallan Press, 2011).

The Jungle Inn was a nightclub in Liberty, just outside of Youngstown, that was known for illegal gambling and Mafia family meetings. It was closed in the late 1940s and burned down in the 1970s.

The Cleveland-based May is an authority on the history of American organized crime.

He has taught courses on organized crime at Cuyahoga Community College and lectures frequently at libraries and historical societies throughout Northeast Ohio. May has appeared in documentaries and has been interviewed on both radio and television. Copies of his books will be available for purchase.

May’s lecture is part of the McGuffey society’s lecture series. The organization’s goal is to keep alive the legacy of McGuffey, who first published the nationally known McGuffey Eclectic Readers in 1836. Still in print today, the Reader stresses the importance of citizenship, conservation, character, values and literacy.

McGuffey grew up on a homestead in Coitsville Township that is now a National Historic Landmark. Donated by the society to Mill Creek Metroparks in 1998, it is now known as the McGuffey Wildlife Preserve.