My Mob name is "The Butcher"

I like that. When I used my maiden name, it was The Abalone. That’s just dumb. Do I look like a fucking mollusk? Although, abalone are known for their very strong outer shells. Hard to break. Hmmmm.

Anyway.

What? I have no idea what you are talking about.

Oh, Louisville. I went to Louisville last night. Oh wow….the gas was only $2.66 down there. That’s at least 10 cents less than up here. Pretty cool.

And that’s all I have to say about that.

My body doesn’t understand the concept of sleeping in. I got in about 3:30 am (note to self: do not lay down on the back seat of the car and try to sleep during the last 20 minutes of the trip if you do not want to vomit) and my dumbass wakes up at 8am this morning. It’s like my body absolutely cannot sleep late. No matter what. I forced myself to sleep for a couple more hours and then went to work at noon.

When I got to work, people kept asking me about Louisville. What? What IS it?

Leave me alone.

But then…then…they started talking about going to a haunted house. Eh? Ok…now you’ve got my attention. Well, no solid confirmation that it’s haunted, but it’s been abandoned for years. That’s right up my alley. Urban Explorer here – ready to go. It’s not something I get to do much anymore but I sure did it when I was younger. (for more info go HERE now.)

I kept asking when they were going to this house and it’s like it’s this big secret. Well now Zinnia here don’t think too kindly of people keeping secrets from her – especially about something like this. I HAVE to know you know. Melissa didn’t seem to know too much as this was all Betty’s idea. Apparently Betty was exploring the house a couple weeks ago. I must speak with Betty forthwith.

As I am about to call her to come up to the desk she is rushing toward us saying “Are you ready Melissa? Let’s go!” NOW? They are going right now? Not without me! So even though it seemed to be this big secret I forced my way into it. (of course) I grabbed my phone (pictures! Crappy..but still pictures) and the next thing I know I am in the car getting a crash course on the history of the house and this area.

Now I have always known a little bit about the history of the mob in this area. My grandmother was really into it and knew a lot about it. She probably knew some of the people involved. She was a real estate agent and most likely sold houses to some of them. Most of the gambling and illegal drinking around here was controlled by the Cleveland Syndicate. Newport was a haven for such things but the gangsters tended to live in what is now known as Crestview Hills.

Here is the weird part; this house is right off of Dixie Highway about a quarter mile from where I work! Surrounded by very expensive homes. There are 2 houses actually, both were mob owned, but they have been sitting here empty for what appears to be decades. A developer recently bought them and is planning to build on the lots. She mumbled something about $18,000 and I thought “Holy crap! For a prime lot right off of Dixie Highway” No no. He bought them for $18,000 and is going to sell the lots only for $250,000 and the houses will start at about $700,000.

Anyway, the house she went in 2 weeks ago was very bizarre. She said she tried to research the house and the family that lived there but could not find anything. The house was still full of all their possessions. There was furniture, clothes, kitchen items, kids toys etc…all over the house. There was even a decorated Christmas tree. It was like the family just got up and vanished one day. I am just amazed that the house stayed like that for so many years. I guess other than the people that live right around it, not many people knew it was even there. You can’t see the house from the highway because of the trees. Anyway, she said either the family was murdered or they just left. Betty said it was creepy and she never got past the first floor. She was afraid of going up to the second floor.

We pull up the gravel driveway – right off of Dixie Highway (Can you believe this?) and discover the house has been torn down! It has been 2 weeks since she was there and I guess the builder is anxious to build his million dollar homes. Well there is another house across the drive. There is a BMW sitting in the driveway so at first I think someone lives there or is there working. But we take a closer look and the car is covered in dirt and looks like it has been sitting there for YEARS. A friggin BMW. We walk down the overgrown dirt driveway toward the house.

The house is covered in ivy and the vegetation is slowly taking over.



Betty and Melissa hang back, but I of course make my way right toward the kitchen door and press my face to the window to look in. There are ladders, wheelbarrows and many tools laying around. There is also a lot of canned food on the counters. Someone has been doing some work in here lately I guess. Where though? Well…there is a tarp over the side porch.

I plow through the weeds and up to the side porch door. Someone has broken out one of the panes on the bottom of the door.



Betty actually peeked through the door first and then quickly turned away and walked back down the sidewalk. “Let’s go girls. Let’s get out of here”. Of course now I am more intrigued by what she might have seen. I look in and it looks like someone lives there. There is furniture, pictures, knickknacks on the table. I asked her what she is afraid of and she says “The hats on the couch.” Huh? So I look back in and there are 2 hats sitting on the couch. Weird….but so? She says “There is probably a homeless person living in there. We need to get out of here.” Oh please. There are no homeless people in Crestview Hills. (unless that guy from in front of Golden Corral made it up here)

I told them I wanted to go inside. Betty (who professes to love “ghosts” and investigating things) freaks out and says “No please we need to leave.” I turn back and take a picture of the inside of the house through the busted window pane in the door. But of course my crappy phone will not send that picture to me from inside my own damn house, so I will have to wait to post that one.

I am going to take Matthew back over there tomorrow. I have to see more of that before they tear it down. If anyone should stop me, hey I am a real estate agent and I have clients who might be interested in purchasing these lots. Besides, there are no “No Trespassing” signs.

I am just so amazed that these houses have sat, untouched, for so long. The car in the driveway! The Christmas tree!

Another interesting fact: There is a book called “Syndicate Wife” written about Ann Drahmann Coppola and according to Betty, she lived in one of those houses. I can’t remember now which one. Fascinating.

When we got back to work, Melissa looked like she got some poison ivy and Betty was complaining of chiggers. I have nothing. 

Speaking of bugs, there were many flies buzzing around the windows. Strange. Have you seen The Amityville Horror? That’s never a good sign.

BTW…on the way back to work, Betty asked me “Why did you waste your time going down to Waverly?”

All I have to say is “Night and Day”.