Giovanni T. (John Scalish) Scalici – aka Giovanni Scalisi, Giovanni Scalice, Giovanni Scalise, John Scalise, John Scalitch, and better known to the underworld and law enforcement as “John Scalish,” was born to Sicilian immigrant parents Francesco and Margherita (nee’ Fito) Scalici on September 25, 1913, in Cleveland, Ohio.
He had two brothers named Frank and Salvatore.
FBI #348011, Cleveland-PD #37141
Scalici stood 5-feet 11-inches tall and had a lean-medium build at 185 pounds. He had dark brown eyes and sported a full head of jet-black hair that turned salt-n-pepper by the time he was in his late forties.
John also had the reputation as a very ‘dapper’ dresser who wore expensive suits and clothes.
He was born and bred on the gritty streets of Cleveland’s Mayfield Road section which in those days was largely composed of Southern Italian and Sicilian immigrants. The Mayfield Road section was considered Cleveland’s version of Little Italy and was a known breeding ground for the Mafia.
