 They were also a power in the days Amateur Athletic Union (AAU ) basketball and the National Industrial Basketball League (NIBL) which peaked in the late 1950s and early 1960s.The team was first owned and run Ed Sweeny, a shareholder in a company which handled plumbing, heating and air conditioning services for a number of companies and buildings in the city of Cleveland.Sweeny handled sponsorship for a number of Cleveland recreational sports teams and leagues, including his basketball entry which later became the Cleveland Pipers.