Naming street after Don King is hair-brained:
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland City Council's plan to name a section of Cedar Avenue after Don King is as hair-raising as the convicted killer-turned boxing promoter's trademark hairstyle.
In 1966, on the span of Cedar Ave in question, Don King was caught in the act of stomping Sam Garrett over a $600 gambling debt. Garrett died from his injuries days later.
Members of the Cleveland police department's Green Beret squad saw King kick Garrett three times in the head before they were able to pull him off the smaller man. Other witnesses saw King beating Garrett with a gun, which police found in King's possession.
News reports at the time describe King as an associate of Cleveland numbers racketeer Alex (Shondor) Birns. Birns was killed years later when his car was blown up during the Danny Greene-Cleveland mob war. Christopher Walken portrayed Birns in the movie "Kill the Irishman."
At the time of King's arrest, he was already under federal indictment on bookmaking related tax charges. He would be indicted and convicted of second-degree murder for killing Garrett. A judge reduced the verdict to a first-degree manslaughter charge. King served close to 4 years in prison. In 1984, Ohio Governor James Rhodes pardoned him.
Council had originally planned to name a section of Shaker Boulevard "Don King Way." The span was home to the CALL and Post newspaper, which King bought in 1998. Councilwomen Phyllis Cleveland and Mamie Mitchell then introduced legislation to move the name to the Cedar Avenue span, without explanation.
Naming any street in Cleveland after King is questionable. But naming a span of street where King stomped a man to death "Don King Way" is, to use the word of the week, deplorable.
Pistol whipped the man then kicked him in the head three times, till dead.
On Labor Day, vandals desecrated graves in Cleveland's historic Erie Street Cemetery. Cleveland City Council desecrating the life and memory of Sam Garrett, by renaming a span of Cedar Ave after King, would be equally offensive and abhorrent.
Cleveland City Council needs to TKO their plan to honor King, that dishonors the man he killed.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland City Council's plan to name a section of Cedar Avenue after Don King is as hair-raising as the convicted killer-turned boxing promoter's trademark hairstyle.
In 1966, on the span of Cedar Ave in question, Don King was caught in the act of stomping Sam Garrett over a $600 gambling debt. Garrett died from his injuries days later.
Members of the Cleveland police department's Green Beret squad saw King kick Garrett three times in the head before they were able to pull him off the smaller man. Other witnesses saw King beating Garrett with a gun, which police found in King's possession.
News reports at the time describe King as an associate of Cleveland numbers racketeer Alex (Shondor) Birns. Birns was killed years later when his car was blown up during the Danny Greene-Cleveland mob war. Christopher Walken portrayed Birns in the movie "Kill the Irishman."
At the time of King's arrest, he was already under federal indictment on bookmaking related tax charges. He would be indicted and convicted of second-degree murder for killing Garrett. A judge reduced the verdict to a first-degree manslaughter charge. King served close to 4 years in prison. In 1984, Ohio Governor James Rhodes pardoned him.
Council had originally planned to name a section of Shaker Boulevard "Don King Way." The span was home to the CALL and Post newspaper, which King bought in 1998. Councilwomen Phyllis Cleveland and Mamie Mitchell then introduced legislation to move the name to the Cedar Avenue span, without explanation.
Naming any street in Cleveland after King is questionable. But naming a span of street where King stomped a man to death "Don King Way" is, to use the word of the week, deplorable.
Pistol whipped the man then kicked him in the head three times, till dead.
On Labor Day, vandals desecrated graves in Cleveland's historic Erie Street Cemetery. Cleveland City Council desecrating the life and memory of Sam Garrett, by renaming a span of Cedar Ave after King, would be equally offensive and abhorrent.
Cleveland City Council needs to TKO their plan to honor King, that dishonors the man he killed.
