Gasper Valenti testimony on Sal Montagna murder (Asaro trial)

[Frank]

2013

His dad was alive when Sal got killed. I know you said Sal was born in Canada, but grew up in Italy. His dad was made? Do we know with what family. And it seems his dad moved from Italy to Canada, and back? I know dad died approximately 2 years later. But could this still play into any revenge?

[SantoClaus]

Does anyone think Rizzuto would had contact with the father after Rizzuto got out of prison? Help clear things up type of stuff, agree great info, thanks,,

[B.]

2013

His dad was alive when Sal got killed. I know you said Sal was born in Canada, but grew up in Italy. His dad was made? Do we know with what family. And it seems his dad moved from Italy to Canada, and back? I know dad died approximately 2 years later. But could this still play into any revenge?

Felice, who is an expert on the Sicilian mafia, received info that Antonino Montagna sponsored current Castellammare leader Francesco Domingo for membership, so he was probably a made member in Castellammare Del Golfo, where the family lived between Montreal and NYC. However, there is an article that says Salvatore Montagna's brother Franco was born in Alcamo, so the family may have ties there. Francesco Domingo I believe is the capomandamento of Alcamo though he is from Castellammare. Also the Bonanno members who traveled to Sicily to meet with Domingo in recent years wanted to meet with members in Alcamo to discuss something, so Alcamo and Castellammare both play a role in all of this and the Montagnas have ties to both.

The fact that Antonino Montagna was a man of honor and lived in Canada at least during the 1970s suggests the Sicilian faction of the Montreal Bonanno crew was familiar with the Montagnas long before Sal Montagna got involved with Gerlando Sciascia. I have long suspected the Montagnas of having ties to the Sicilian mafia but it wasn't until Felice found this info that we know it is a direct tie.

It is hard to know how Antonino Montagna's status as a man of honor may have affected what happened in Montreal. It shows that Sal Montagna had ties to high-ranking members in Castellammare so it wasn't just the Rizzutos who had Sicilian mafia connections. There are so many possibilities it is hard to say all that happened without an insider telling us and even then, as we know, an insider doesn't always have the full scoop.

[Frank]

2013

His dad was alive when Sal got killed. I know you said Sal was born in Canada, but grew up in Italy. His dad was made? Do we know with what family. And it seems his dad moved from Italy to Canada, and back? I know dad died approximately 2 years later. But could this still play into any revenge?

Felice, who is an expert on the Sicilian mafia, received info that Antonino Montagna sponsored current Castellammare leader Francesco Domingo for membership, so he was probably a made member in Castellammare Del Golfo, where the family lived between Montreal and NYC. However, there is an article that says Salvatore Montagna's brother Franco was born in Alcamo, so the family may have ties there. Francesco Domingo I believe is the capomandamento of Alcamo though he is from Castellammare. Also the Bonanno members who traveled to Sicily to meet with Domingo in recent years wanted to meet with members in Alcamo to discuss something, so Alcamo and Castellammare both play a role in all of this and the Montagnas have ties to both.

The fact that Antonino Montagna was a man of honor and lived in Canada at least during the 1970s suggests the Sicilian faction of the Montreal Bonanno crew was familiar with the Montagnas long before Sal Montagna got involved with Gerlando Sciascia. I have long suspected the Montagnas of having ties to the Sicilian mafia but it wasn't until Felice found this info that we know it is a direct tie.

It is hard to know how Antonino Montagna's status as a man of honor may have affected what happened in Montreal. It shows that Sal Montagna had ties to high-ranking members in Castellammare so it wasn't just the Rizzutos who had Sicilian mafia connections. There are so many possibilities it is hard to say all that happened without an insider telling us and even then, as we know, an insider doesn't always have the full scoop.

Thanks Its good to have the info. With the amount of hits in Canada for over 10 years it does get confusing on who is with who and what murders are connected or unconnected with each other. This is just another piece of the puzzle.

[B.]

Yeah, that's one of the reasons I posted Valenti's testimony -- what was Montagna's exact status in NYC post-2009 and how could that have impacted his perceived role in Montreal?

- Was he attempting to become the captain of Montreal, or was he a Bonanno administration member attempting to organize the Montreal crew under another captain? The DeCavalcante family once had an underboss plus a separate capodecina in Connecticut and we know recently that Buffalo had an underboss plus a capodecina in Ontario. There is precedent for remote crews to have both an administrator plus a capodecina.

- Asaro later told Valenti that Tommy DiFiore was "the boss" even though DiFiore was acting boss, so we can't assume Asaro's comment to Valenti meant Montagna was boss in an official capacity. I do think it's noteworthy that Asaro referred to Montagna as "a boss" two years after Montagna's deportation and Valenti called him "the boss" of the Bonanno family even if these weren't official titles. His position in the administration wasn't forgotten, if nothing else.

- We can't assume that deportation = demotion. Given Montagna was forced to leave the US by the government, not because he lost standing in the Bonanno family, he may have maintained some kind of title, especially given he was going to an area with a large Bonanno presence.

Does anyone know when Michael Mancuso was confirmed as the official Bonanno boss? I have seen 2013, but was it earlier?

[antimafia]

Sal Montagna was born in Montreal on March 11, 1971. He was only one year old when his family packed up and moved to CDG.

If Nino Montagna was even allowed to operate in the Bonannos’ territory in Montreal, he stood a very good chance of that before Sal was born. Vic Cotroni and Paolo Violi also met and knew of many Sicilian Cosa Nostra members, regardless of whether the members moved to Quebec, visited Quebec, or were in Sicily.

Focusing on Nino Montagna’s time in Quebec in the 1960s would be more fruitful. Even if we come up short, not to worry — the Canadian organized-crime writers and journalists did their research about Sal Montagna’s relatives in Canada. For example, the cousin in Longueuil with whom Sal went to live right after being deported from the US.

[B.]

Sal Montagna was born in Montreal on March 11, 1971. He was only one year old when his family packed up and moved to CDG.

If Nino Montagna was even allowed to operate in the Bonannos’ territory in Montreal, he stood a very good chance of that before Sal was born. Vic Cotroni and Paolo Violi also met and knew of many Sicilian Cosa Nostra members, regardless of whether the members moved to Quebec, visited Quebec, or were in Sicily.

Focusing on Nino Montagna’s time in Quebec in the 1960s would be more fruitful. Even if we come up short, not to worry — the Canadian organized-crime writers and journalists did their research about Sal Montagna’s relatives in Canada. For example, the cousin in Longueuil with whom Sal went to live right after being deported from the US.

Good points. Antonino Montagna may have become a member after 1971 (when Antonino was ~30) and returned to Sicily. He would have nonetheless been on the road to mafia membership while he lived in Canada.

One article stated a brother of Montagna's was already living in Canada prior to Sal's deportation. Do you know anything about this? His brother Nunzio lived in NYC and does not appear to have been involved with the mafia, though his brother Franco traveled to Sicily in 2007 with a Castellammarese mafioso. Addresses I have found for Franco however show he is NYC-based. This family is well-traveled in terms of residence, though.

Sal Montagna's mother's maiden name was Ferrantelli. This is an Alcamese name and there have been mafia figures in Alcamo with that surname in recent decades. This also explains why Franco Montagna is alleged to have been born in Alcamo -- the father is Castellammarese, while the mother is Alcamese. The surname suggests that Montagna may have maternal mafia ties in Alcamo.

[dixiemafia]

Does anyone think Rizzuto would had contact with the father after Rizzuto got out of prison? Help clear things up type of stuff, agree great info, thanks,,

Why would Vito Rizzuto contact Montagna's father? The Rizzuto's had nothing to do with Montagna's murder. Raynald Desjardins was NOT working for Rizzuto when they killed Sal. If you're talking about someone else then I apologize for the mistake.

[SantoClaus]

Not for that reason, rather gathering intel, as to specifically what was going on in Montreal when Rizzuto was in jail. Montagna’s dad was born in Sicily, same as Rizzuto. That’s why I ask, was never implying that it was about Sal Montana’s death, although both Vito Rizzuto and Montagna’s father would have an enemy in Desjardins.

That’s all.

[dixiemafia]

I imagine some of that info would have come to Rizzuto from Rocco Sollecito who was his most trusted that was alive and on the streets at the time.

[SantoClaus]

I imagine some of that info would have come to Rizzuto from Rocco Sollecito who was his most trusted that was alive and on the streets at the time.

I agree with you about Sollecito, regarding Rizzuto and Montagna’s dad, both of them could of also had their son killed by the same man or group, being Desjardins. Another reason to talk potentially.

Do you or anyone else know how long Rocco Sollecito was with Rizzuto? I believe he is from Bari, in Southern Italy, not Sicily. Not that, that matters. He was killed basically right outside a police station or something like that.

[Pogo The Clown]

Sal Montagna was killed by Declan Gardiner.


Pogo

[motorfab]

Sal Montagna was killed by Declan Gardiner.


Pogo

Actually, there are really some people who think so, some guys have already told me that on FB ...

[The Greek]

Sal Montagna was killed by Declan Gardiner.


Pogo

Worst attempt at a mob show in the history of television hands down

[Shellackhead]

So Sal Montagna was whacked by the Crotoni Faction who was under Bonannos? Why didn’t the Bonannos retaliate? Or did they? I don’t know much about Canadian organized crime